Ignorance Is Not Bliss

Ignorance Is Not Bliss
Romans 10:1-2

 ¹ Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. ² For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. (Romans 10:1-2)

“Perverted notions about God soon rot the religion in which they appear. The long career of Israel demonstrates this clearly enough, and the history of the Church confirms it. So necessary to the Church is a lofty concept of God that when that concept in any measure declines, the Church with her worship and her moral standards declines along with it. The first step down for any church is taken when it surrenders its high opinion of God.” (A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy)

God really does seem to care that we know him (John 17:3)… and know him rightly. Any old expression of religion won’t do and, in fact, can often lead to a dangerous idolatry.

The Apostle Paul, passionately concerned for the salvation of the Israelites, admitted that they had a zeal – perhaps even an enviable zeal – for God. Yet, he was quick to follow that admission with the sober truth that their zeal for God was not according to knowledge. They were wrong in their understanding of how to obtain righteousness.

It seems that in our day we give points to folks for nothing more than the appearance of external and emotional enthusiasm. Maybe they are very exuberant as they worship God. Perhaps there’s lots of “God-talk” liberally sprinkled throughout their conversations. It may just be that they are quite active in service to their church. These are all good things, or at least should be good things.

What these folks have to watch out for, (and all the rest of us, for that matter), is that we not have a zeal that is not according to knowledge. Now, I’m not saying that we have to pass a doctoral examination in theology before we go to heaven. What I am saying is that a shabby doctrinal or theological foundation can lead one astray. It can cause a well-intentioned person to unwittingly compromise his or her faith and drift to and fro with every new “Christian” book, television program, or religious movement.

In Exodus 34:6-7, God paints a beautiful picture of some of his attributes. He wants Moses and the rest of his children to know and worship him rightly. He follows up in verse 14 by saying, “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” It’s not a coincidence that the first three commandments focus on this very issue.

It’s frightening how easily we can wander off the straight and narrow path. God provides a warning of this very thing in verse 16 when he tells Moses to caution the people about choosing the wrong spouse… one who doesn’t know and worship the one true God. He says that sort of choice will lead God’s people away from God and into idolatry.

Ignorance isn’t bliss. More is needed than zeal and good intentions when it comes to our relationship with God. It is certainly true that knowledge alone can “puff up” the young and immature in the faith. But that’s not the fault of the knowledge. That’s more of a commentary regarding where a person is in their faith-journey. I don’t believe the solution to this potential problem is to ignore our call to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Instead, we ought to seek such knowledge humbly, carefully, and in full dependence on the grace of God. Likewise, the purpose of our pursuit of knowing God should be for God’s glory and the good of others. Psalm 43:34a says,

³ Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. ⁴ Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.

A mentor of mine used to say that the better we know God, the more we will be able to love, follow, and trust God. It’s awfully difficult to love, follow, and trust someone you don’t know. It’s also hard to love and follow God if you don’t have a growing and maturing knowledge of God… regarding what God has revealed about himself as well as how to live for him in this world.

Almighty God, give me great and increasing passion and zeal for you. Yet please let it be grounded in who you truly are. Help me to continue all the days of my life to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, that I might love you as I ought. In Christ I pray. Amen.

Grace and Truth,
Dale

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Are You A Practical Atheist?

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:21)

Much has been made over the last few years about the emergence of militant atheism’s evangelistic crusade to rid the world of ignorance. Specifically, these crusaders want to enlighten the minds of the masses who still believe that God exists. For these spokesmen for atheism, belief in God is intellectually unsustainable and should by all means be abandoned. Not only that, these atheistic evangelists believe that a person’s commitment to belief in God is actually harmful to children as well as to civilization as a whole.

Thankfully, their charges have been more than sufficiently answered at every turn by faithful Christian apologists. The atheists are getting all the press, but their arguments are unable to stand up to the Light of Truth.

Yet there is a more prevalent form of atheism that lurks in our land. Indeed, it can even be found in the church. It is what Cornelius Van Til called, “practical atheism.” A practical atheist is a person who professes to believe in God, and yet the God whose existence is professed does not seem to make any meaningful difference in that person’s daily life. His beliefs, values, morals, etc., are not prioritized by his supposed belief in the existence of God. Put another way: If this person was to wake up one day and decide that he no longer believed in the existence of God, his life would change very little. This is practical atheism.

In Romans 1:21, Paul describes the person who has suppressed the truth he knows about God. Paul says that in truth, all people know God exists. In fact, they even know things about his power and majesty. Yet, in order to maintain a certain way of living, they alter their belief system to accommodate their lifestyle. Like the hard atheist who formally declares that there is no God, the practical atheist denies God by the way in which he leads his life. Paul teaches us that “although they know God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him…”

We glorify God when we seek to live purposefully and intentionally for him each day. We glorify God when we live to please him, honor him, obey him, love him, seek to be like him, and tell others about him. That’s what a God-glorifying life looks like. It’s also a life that is grateful to God for his goodness. However, this is more than tossing out a “thank you” every now and then at the beginning of a meal. Instead, it’s more of an all-encompassing attitude of gratitude. It becomes pervasive in one’s personality. This attitude glorifies God because it exalts God as the One who is worthy of such affection and appreciation.

How are you doing with this? Are you seeking to glorify God and be thankful to him in all things? Of course, none of us is perfect at this. We can all get fairly self-absorbed and self-centered in the goings on of our lives. We all, from time to time, become too preoccupied with lesser interests.

Yet the One who should be our greatest interest has told us that we are to have no other gods before him. We are called to seek him first and foremost. We are instructed and encouraged to be holy because God is holy. His existence, in other words, should play a profound role in the lives of those who profess to believe in and follow him. He should be our ultimate Influence and his influence should saturate every sphere of our lives…for his glory and for our good.

Grace and Truth,
Dale

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My Most Important Resolution for 2012

I’m a “personal development” nerd. I love reading about goal-setting, time-management, etc. So, as you might guess, the New Year, with all of the resolution-making discussion, is practically a high holiday for me. Perhaps that’s why God needed to remind me this morning during my devotional time of my most important and constant resolution.

Jesus declared in his high priestly prayer (John 17) that eternal life is to know the one true God and his Son, Jesus Christ.

The word “know” means at least two things. First of all, it means that we “know about” God. It involves, necessarily, some content. We must believe that God is – that God really, truly, and ontologically is. We must embrace the idea that God exists outside of our own subjective desires and even needs.

Furthermore, we must know some information “about” God – who God is, his character, attributes, decrees, etc. This is not to suggest that our eternal destiny requires that we have a comprehensive understanding of the eternal and infinite God. We would all fail by that standard. However, I would suggest it does include seeking to know about God as God has revealed himself… as he really and truly is. (Of course, everything I just said regarding knowing about God the Father is also true of God the Son.)

The second part of knowing God (and his Son) includes, and even emphasizes, a personal and intimate relationship with God. It is because we first know “about” God that we are propelled to know, love, trust, and follow God. It is because we first know about God that we can begin to enjoy a real relationship him.

To be sure, knowing about God doesn’t guarantee this relationship, but I would say that it’s unlikely the relationship will develop without first knowing about God.* (Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that we must first believe that God exists before we can come to him.) As I said, this second understanding of knowledge is relational and must not be reduced to merely citing a few facts about God. Yet, as I mentioned, content “about” God is certainly assumed.

Now, what in the world does any of that have to do with my most important resolution for 2012? Check back tomorrow and I’ll answer that question.

Grace and Truth in 2012,
Dale

* For all of you astute theological scholars out there, I am only addressing one side of this issue. Yes, I do believe that no one will know God (relationally) without a prior work of God’s Spirit.

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What is the Gospel

Just found this presentation of the Gospel by Russell Moore. Very clear and helpful. I also added it to my page, Do You Know God? On that page I’ve tried to provide some very useful resources that clearly communicate this most important of messages.

Enjoy,
Dale

 

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Fellowship of the Burning Heart, Part 8

by Thomas a Kempis

Every man naturally wants to know, but what is the good of knowledge without the fear of God? …He who knows himself well becomes cheap in his own eyes, and takes no pleasure in the praises of men.

And foolish indeed is he who gives his attention to other things than those which make for his salvation.

The greater and better your knowledge, so much the more severely will you be judged, unless you have lived a more holy life.

This is the highest knowledge and the most useful lesson – to have true understanding and small opinion of oneself. To hold no high opinion of oneself, and always to judge well and highly of others, is great wisdom and high perfection.

by John Calvin

Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. …In the first place, no one can look upon himself without immediately turning his thoughts to the contemplation of God, in whom he “lives and moves.”

Each of us must, then, be so stung by the consciousness of his own unhappiness as to attain at least some knowledge of God. Thus, from the feeling of our own ignorance, vanity, poverty, infirmity, and – what is more – depravity and corruption, we recognize that the true light of wisdom, sound virtue, full abundance of every good, and purity of righteousness, rest in the Lord alone.

To this extent we are prompted by our own ills to contemplate the good things of God; and we cannot seriously aspire to him before we begin to become displeased with ourselves.

Accordingly, the knowledge of ourselves not only arouses us to seek God, but also as it were, leads us by the hand to find him.

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Grace that Sanctifies (Becoming Like Jesus) Part 3

Well…in keeping with our vine, branch, and fruit imagery, I want to use the word RIPE to describe this idea. If you’ve ever been on the Walk to Emmaus spiritual retreat, (which I encourage all of you to do) you may have heard some version of this.

1.) The R stands for Restoring our relationship with God and others.

One of the results of our sinful nature is our fractured relationships – with God, other people, and ourselves. But through God’s grace, those relationships can become whole again…at least closer to being what God wants them to be.

Perhaps you’ve discovered in your own lives that, upon occasion, you and someone you’re very close to, get into an occasional argument. Not really an argument as much as a “spirited disagreement.” Yes, that sounds much better. And just maybe you’ve noticed that one of the characteristics about those arguments is how often the sin of pride makes an appearance.

I have found that, very often, the argument isn’t even about whatever it was originally. After a while, it becomes a turf war…with neither person wanting to give in. But in my own experience, it’s when God’s Spirit starts going to work on me that I begin to realize that I’m being proud, stubborn, and selfish, (and any number of other sinful attitudes).

That’s when I find those words that are so difficult to say beginning to well up: “I’m sorry.” “I was wrong.” “Will you please forgive me?” Now beloved, I know they may be hard to say, but it’s only then that true restoration of the relationship can begin to take place. And that’s an example of God’s sanctifying grace at work. That’s how his grace works in all our relationships…with him, with others and even with ourselves. It’s as his grace works in and through us over the course of a lifetime… that we become more and more like Christ… than when we first began.

And that’s our goal, isn’t it? Don’t you want to be able to say: “I’m not yet where God wants me to be…but by God’s grace I’m not where I once was.”

2.) Our next letter is “I”…and “I” stands for Imparting new life, new light, new strength, and a new heart.

As we continue to faithfully walk with God, he pours out his sanctifying grace upon us. This is the process by which the righteousness of Christ is imparted to us. In other words, it becomes a part of who we are. We begin to look more and more like Christ in our daily lives.

I adore my children. I thank God for them each and every day. But I must say that my beloved children have taught me one very important doctrine of the Christian faith. The doctrine of Original Sin. Why do I say that? Because, I never had to teach my children these words: “Mine!” “Me!” “No!” “Give me!” But that’s not just my children, is it? That’s true of all our children. And for you kids out there… that was also true of your mom and dad.

My point is, sin was part of our spiritual DNA at birth. And so, one of my jobs as a father is to serve as an agent or ambassador of God’s justifying and sanctifying grace in their lives. We can think of it this way: I work for the King… and he wants me to help steer my children to him. And not only that, but he wants me to help them know him, love him, and live for him and live like him.

Well that’s going to take the imparting of Christ’s righteousness into their lives…through grace. As the old saying goes: You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Well, You can lead a person to Christ, but it’s God who makes the person a Christian…and who enables them to live like one.

3.) The third letter is “P.” The “P” stands for “Perfecting us in the image of God and the likeness of Jesus Christ.”

We were all originally created in the image of God. But sin messed that image up. It’s not gone…but it doesn’t reflect him well anymore. And so, when we place our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, Lord, and all-sufficient treasure… we’re RE-created. And the result of that RE-creation, as I alluded to earlier, is that we become new creations in Christ.

2 Cor. 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Galatians 6:15 – Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.

We become a new creation. As we stand before God… he no longer sees us as sinful people. He sees us as new creations who’ve been redeemed by his Son.

But then God says something very important to us. He says, if I can paraphrase him: “Go and be who you are.” He says, “You are holy…now go and be holy.” He says, “You are a new creature in Christ…now go and live like a new creature in Christ.”

Hebrews 6:1 says that we need to go on to maturity in Christ. The Apostle Paul says…

Philip. 3:12-14 – … I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

You see, sanctification is about going on to maturity, pressing on toward the goal, and straining toward what is ahead. We can remain content where we are. Each day should be marked by striving, by God’s grace and power, to be more like Christ than we were the day before.

4.) Well, our final letter is “E”. “E” stands for “Equipping us to do the work of Christ in the world – to be the hands and feet of Christ.”

In the Great Commandment Jesus reiterated the Old Testament by saying that we’re called to love God with all that we are. And he said that the second great commandment is like it. We’re to love our neighbors as ourselves. In the Great Commission Jesus told us that we’re to go into all the world and make disciples…teaching them to obey everything that he commands. So how do we do that? How can we build Christ’s Church and extend his Kingdom into every sphere of life?

The answer is that God equips his children with gifts for ministry. Every follower of Christ has at least one gift that God has given him or her for the edification of his saints – for the building up of his body. That means beloved, that every one of you who calls Jesus Lord and Savior, has been gifted by him… so that he can use you to minister to his church and the world… in his name… and for his glory. That’s what it means to equip you.

Well that’s it. That’s grace. That’s the heart of who we are as followers of Christ. The Apostle Peter encourages us with these words at the end of his second epistle. He writes…

2 Peter 3:18 – …grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

And that’s what it’s all about… growing in the grace of God.

We start off in grace, before we’re even aware of it. And we call that God’s prevenient grace. And then we’re given the power to turn from our old destructive and selfish ways and place our trust in Christ alone – and we call that justifying grace. And from that day on we’re supported, empowered, nurtured, and guided to live the life that God calls us to – and we call that sanctifying grace.

From beginning to end – it’s all about God’s grace.

To God alone be the glory,
Dale

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Grace that Sanctifies (Becoming Like Jesus) Part 2

Sanctification is a vital concept for us to understand and embrace. You see, our Christian walk doesn’t end at the moment we give our lives to Christ. That’s just the beginning. I had a mentor up in Atlanta who used to say: the Christian faith isn’t hard. It’s impossible. It’s impossible, that is, if you’re trying to live it out on your own…in your own power. Beloved, the perfect recipe to burning out as a Christian is to try to go it alone…in your own strength.

Instead, just as we’re justified (or saved) by grace through faith in Christ…we’re also “sanctified” (or made holy…or Christlike) by grace through faith in Christ. He is our power. In fact, in John 15, Jesus says this…

John 15:4-5 – Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. [5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Christ is the vine. His life-giving power has to flow from him into us…just as the life-giving, life-preserving nutrients of a vine have to flow into its branches or else the branches will die. Those life-giving nutrients of the vine flow into and through the branches… which enable the branches to bear fruit.

Well, just like those branches…God wants you to bear fruit. And not just fruit but good fruit. And not just good fruit but much good fruit. And not just much good fruit…but much good fruit that will last.

John 15:7-8 – [7] If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. [8] This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Jesus tells us that there are two reasons he wants us to bear this fruit. First, because it glorifies God, and second, because it shows the world that we’re his disciples.

But bearing fruit for the long haul is hard. Our journey, like a knight’s, is filled with winding roads, peaks, valleys and all sorts of obstacles. Many of you have heard me say many times that my favorite book, after the Bible, is The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. It’s a great allegory of a man who really experiences the trials and temptations of the Christian life as he heads toward the Celestial City. It tells of the man before he came to know Christ… hearing the gospel for the first time and through various experiences (prevenient grace). He then lays his burdens at the foot of the cross and gives his life to Christ (justifying grace).

But what really struck me the first time I read the book was that those first two parts of the book make up only a very small part of the man’s journey. Most of the book is dedicated to what we would call sanctification – that idea of walking with Christ and for Christ throughout the rest of our lives… until we too reach the Celestial City.

It’s interesting how often the Bible uses the imagery of “walking” to describe what it means to carry on a close relationship with the Lord. For example…

• 1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
• 1 John 2:6 – Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
• 2 John 1:6 – And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

I could go on, but hopefully you get the idea. Those verses give us the marching orders to “walk the walk,” and not just “talk the talk,” if ever I’ve heard it.

But how do we “walk the walk.” I’ve already said that the road is hard. I’ve already said that we can’t do it on our own. Well, that’s what sanctifying grace is all about. A few minutes ago we heard Jesus say that he was the vine and that we’re the branches. We also learned that we need to have his power flowing in and through us if we’re going to bear good fruit for him. Right? Well… what does that look like in practice? In other words, what does God’s sanctifying grace look like in our daily lives?

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at how we grow in grace through the process of progressive sanctification.

The Lord bless you,
Dale

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