Friday, January 31, 2014
The Problem With Theologians Of Glory
Carl
Trueman on “the most glorious contribution of Martin Luther to
theological discourse,” first revealed in Heidelberg during a meeting in
1518:
At the heart of this new theology was the notion that God reveals himself under his opposite; or, to express this another way, God achieves his intended purposes by doing the exact opposite of that which humans might expect. The supreme example of this is the cross itself: God triumphs over sin and evil by allowing sin and evil to triumph (apparently) over him. His real strength is demonstrated through apparent weakness. This was the way a theologian of the cross thought about God.
The opposite to this was the theologian of glory. In simple terms, the theologian of glory assumed that there was basic continuity between the way the world is and the way God is: if strength is demonstrated through raw power on earth, then God’s strength must be the same, only extended to infinity. To such a theologian, the cross is simply foolishness, a piece of nonsense. Yes, many talk about the cross, but the cultural norms of many churches seem no different to the cultural norms of—well, the culture. They often indicate an attitude to power and influence that sees these things as directly related to size, market share, consumerist packaging, aesthetics, youth culture, media appearances, swagger and the all-round noise and pyrotechnics we associate with modern cinema rather than New Testament Christianity. These are surely more akin to what Luther would have regarded as symptomatic of the presence and influence of theologians of glory rather than the cross. Not surprising, given that being a theologian of glory is the default position for fallen human nature.
The way to move from being a theologian of glory to a theologian of the cross is not an easy one, not simply a question of mastering techniques, reading books or learning a new vocabulary. It is repentance.
At the heart of this new theology was the notion that God reveals himself under his opposite; or, to express this another way, God achieves his intended purposes by doing the exact opposite of that which humans might expect. The supreme example of this is the cross itself: God triumphs over sin and evil by allowing sin and evil to triumph (apparently) over him. His real strength is demonstrated through apparent weakness. This was the way a theologian of the cross thought about God.
The opposite to this was the theologian of glory. In simple terms, the theologian of glory assumed that there was basic continuity between the way the world is and the way God is: if strength is demonstrated through raw power on earth, then God’s strength must be the same, only extended to infinity. To such a theologian, the cross is simply foolishness, a piece of nonsense. Yes, many talk about the cross, but the cultural norms of many churches seem no different to the cultural norms of—well, the culture. They often indicate an attitude to power and influence that sees these things as directly related to size, market share, consumerist packaging, aesthetics, youth culture, media appearances, swagger and the all-round noise and pyrotechnics we associate with modern cinema rather than New Testament Christianity. These are surely more akin to what Luther would have regarded as symptomatic of the presence and influence of theologians of glory rather than the cross. Not surprising, given that being a theologian of glory is the default position for fallen human nature.
The way to move from being a theologian of glory to a theologian of the cross is not an easy one, not simply a question of mastering techniques, reading books or learning a new vocabulary. It is repentance.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
What Story Are You Telling?
The
first theses of Martin Luther's Heidelberg Disputation reads,
"The law of God, the most salutary doctrine of life, cannot advance
humans on their way to righteousness, but rather hinders them."
This is one of the hardest pills for the old Adam and Eve
to swallow! ... The basic question of the disputation is this: What
advances sinners on the way to righteousness
before God? Is it the way of glory or the way of the cross? ... Hence
the discussion begins with the question of the law. The insistence from
the very start is that the law cannot advance us to righteousness. The
law cannot save. The shocking fact is that the law is not a remedy for
sin, although we never quite seem to believe that. ... Theologians are
confronted at the start with basic questions about what story they are
to tell. Do they tell the story of the law and merit or do they tell the
story of the cross?
From On Being A Theologian Of The Cross by Gerhard Forde pg.23-24
The sad fact is that most preachers preach the theology of glory which operates on the assumption that what we need is optimistic encouragement, some flattery, some positive thinking, some support to build our self-esteem. It operates in the assumption that we are not seriously addicted to sin, and that our self improvement is both necessary and possible. To quote several Adam Sandler movies, "You Can Do It!" There is no preaching of the cross.
From On Being A Theologian Of The Cross by Gerhard Forde pg.23-24
The sad fact is that most preachers preach the theology of glory which operates on the assumption that what we need is optimistic encouragement, some flattery, some positive thinking, some support to build our self-esteem. It operates in the assumption that we are not seriously addicted to sin, and that our self improvement is both necessary and possible. To quote several Adam Sandler movies, "You Can Do It!" There is no preaching of the cross.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
What The Law Cannot Do
Law
Can Only Point to What it Cannot Provide
“We see that the law simply cannot bring into being what it
commands…The law says, ‘Thou shalt love!’ It is right; it is ‘holy,
true, good’. Yet it can’t bring about what it demands. It might impel
toward the works of the law, the motions of love, but in the end they
will become irksome and will all too often lead to hate.
If we go up to someone on the street, grab them by the lapels and say,
‘Look here, you're supposed to love me!’ the person may drudgingly admit
that we are right, but it won't work. The results will likely be just
the opposite from what our ‘law’ demands. Law is indeed right, but it
simply cannot realize what it points to. So it works wrath. It can
curse, but it can't bless. In commanding love law can only point
helplessly to that which it cannot produce.”
-Gerhard Forde, On Being a Theologian of the Cross, p. 107 (discussing Thesis 26 of Martin Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation)
-Gerhard Forde, On Being a Theologian of the Cross, p. 107 (discussing Thesis 26 of Martin Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation)
Monday, January 27, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
What The Amen Means
. . . you must always speak the Amen firmly.
Never doubt that God in his mercy will surely hear you and say “yes” to your prayers. Never think that you are kneeling or standing alone, rather think that the whole of Christendom, all devout Christians, are standing there beside you and you are standing among them in a common, united petition which God cannot disdain.
Do not leave your prayer without having said or thought, “Very well. God has heard my prayer; this I know as a certainty and a truth.” That is what Amen means.
—Martin Luther, “A Practical Way to Pray” (1535)
This simple truth can change your prayer life. You can walk away from your time of prayer and know for certain God has heard your prayer, Amen!
Never doubt that God in his mercy will surely hear you and say “yes” to your prayers. Never think that you are kneeling or standing alone, rather think that the whole of Christendom, all devout Christians, are standing there beside you and you are standing among them in a common, united petition which God cannot disdain.
Do not leave your prayer without having said or thought, “Very well. God has heard my prayer; this I know as a certainty and a truth.” That is what Amen means.
—Martin Luther, “A Practical Way to Pray” (1535)
This simple truth can change your prayer life. You can walk away from your time of prayer and know for certain God has heard your prayer, Amen!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Missing The Nature Of God's Grace
“The
majesty of God’s forgiveness is lost entirely when we lose what has to
be forgiven. What has to be forgiven is not just what we do but who we
are, not just our sinning but our sinfulness, not just our choices but
what we have chosen in place of God. . . . When we miss the biblical
teaching, we also miss the nature of God’s grace in all its height and
depth. In biblical faith it is God’s grace through Christ that does for
us what we cannot do for ourselves.”
- David F. Wells, The Courage to Be Protestant (Grand Rapids, Mi.: Eerdmans, 2008), 167.
- David F. Wells, The Courage to Be Protestant (Grand Rapids, Mi.: Eerdmans, 2008), 167.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Eric Clapton - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right - Great Dylan Cover - This Is Smoking Hot!
Clapton at The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration for Bob Dylan in 1993 doing a scorching version of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice
Friday, January 17, 2014
Oscar Peterson Trio - Cakewalk
Pianist: Oscar Peterson, Bass: Dave Young, Guitar: Joe Pass, Drums: Martin Drew
Thursday, January 16, 2014
What Really Matters
God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7
“We must think of suffering in a new way, we must face everything in a new way. And the way in which we face it all is by reminding ourselves that the Holy Spirit is in us. There is the future, there is the high calling, there is the persecution, there is the opposition, there is the enemy. I see it all. I must admit also that I am weak, that I lack the necessary powers and propensities. But instead of stopping there . . . I say, ‘But the Spirit of God is in me. God has given me his Holy Spirit.’ . . . What matters . . . is not what is true of us but what is true of Him.”
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression (Grand Rapids, 1965), page 100.
You need to say this over and over to yourself "What matters is not what is true of me but what is true of God" God gave me the Holy Spirit so I don't have to be afraid, I have power, love and self-control.
“We must think of suffering in a new way, we must face everything in a new way. And the way in which we face it all is by reminding ourselves that the Holy Spirit is in us. There is the future, there is the high calling, there is the persecution, there is the opposition, there is the enemy. I see it all. I must admit also that I am weak, that I lack the necessary powers and propensities. But instead of stopping there . . . I say, ‘But the Spirit of God is in me. God has given me his Holy Spirit.’ . . . What matters . . . is not what is true of us but what is true of Him.”
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression (Grand Rapids, 1965), page 100.
You need to say this over and over to yourself "What matters is not what is true of me but what is true of God" God gave me the Holy Spirit so I don't have to be afraid, I have power, love and self-control.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Little Charlie & The Nightcats - Hurry Up and Wait
I played in a band called Cash Money with Rick Estrin the lead singer and harmonica player, many years ago.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Ravi Zacharias on Postmodern Architecture at Ohio State
I remember lecturing at Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in this country. I was minutes away from beginning my lecture, and my host was driving me past a new building called the Wexner Center for the Performing Arts.
He said, “This is America’s first postmodern building.”
I was startled for a moment and I said, “What is a postmodern building?”
He said, “Well, the architect said that he designed this building with no design in mind. When the architect was asked, ‘Why?’ he said, ‘If life itself is capricious, why should our buildings have any design and any meaning?’ So he has pillars that have no purpose. He has stairways that go nowhere. He has a senseless building built and somebody has paid for it.”
I said, “So his argument was that if life has no purpose and design, why should the building have any design?”
He said, “That is correct.”
I said, “Did he do the same with the foundation?”
All of a sudden there was silence.
You see, you and I can fool with the infrastructure as much as we would like, but we dare not fool with the foundation because it will call our bluff in a hurry.
Friday, January 10, 2014
The Stumble: Hadley Hockensmith
Blues classic, Freddie King's The Stumble performed at an impromptu jam by some of L.A.'s best studio musicians. Hadley Hockensmith on guitar, Phil Driscoll on keys and trumpet, Bill Maxwell drums, Michiko Hill piano, and Pee Wee Hill bass
Jeff Beck - Freeway Jam
From the 1975 album BLOW BY BLOW. The song was written by Max Middleton and was produced by George Martin (The 5th Beatle) at his Air Studios.
Two Mistakes Christians Make
People
tend to make two mistakes when they think about the redeemed life. The
first is to underestimate the sin that remains in us; it’s still there
and it can still hurt us.
The second is to underestimate the strength of God’s grace; God is determined to make us new.
As a result, all Christians need to say two things.
We admit that we are redeemed SINNERS.
But we also say boldly and joyously that we are REDEEMED sinners.
Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Beyond Doubt (p. 89)
I believe that all Christians make these two mistakes, some err more on one side than the other. If you underestimate the sin that remains in you, than you err on the side of lawlessness or licence. You tend to think you're better than you really are which is rooted in pride, you overestimate your spirituality and began to think that you're grace given gifts are somehow rooted in your own goodness or ability. You think that your gifts mean God is approving of your lifestyle.You justify bad behaviour and play down sin in your life. You slide by on your gifts but your character is a mess.
If on the other hand you underestimate the strength of God's grace you err on the side of legalism. You believe it all depends on you and you live your life constantly trying to earn your way to heaven. You become over zealous and critical of others who don't measure up to your standards. You lack real joy and are generally miserable and you make others miserable. You do not understand the gospel and no one wants the kind of Christianity you offer. You're just like the Pharisees of Jesus day, self righteous people who claimed to know God but couldn't recognize him when he was standing right in front of them.
One thing is true of both errors you are generally unteachable.
The second is to underestimate the strength of God’s grace; God is determined to make us new.
As a result, all Christians need to say two things.
We admit that we are redeemed SINNERS.
But we also say boldly and joyously that we are REDEEMED sinners.
Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Beyond Doubt (p. 89)
I believe that all Christians make these two mistakes, some err more on one side than the other. If you underestimate the sin that remains in you, than you err on the side of lawlessness or licence. You tend to think you're better than you really are which is rooted in pride, you overestimate your spirituality and began to think that you're grace given gifts are somehow rooted in your own goodness or ability. You think that your gifts mean God is approving of your lifestyle.You justify bad behaviour and play down sin in your life. You slide by on your gifts but your character is a mess.
If on the other hand you underestimate the strength of God's grace you err on the side of legalism. You believe it all depends on you and you live your life constantly trying to earn your way to heaven. You become over zealous and critical of others who don't measure up to your standards. You lack real joy and are generally miserable and you make others miserable. You do not understand the gospel and no one wants the kind of Christianity you offer. You're just like the Pharisees of Jesus day, self righteous people who claimed to know God but couldn't recognize him when he was standing right in front of them.
One thing is true of both errors you are generally unteachable.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Malcolm Muggeridge on the Self-Destruction of 20th Century Western Man
. . .
it has become abundantly clear in the second half of the twentieth
century that Western Man has decided to abolish himself.
Having wearied of the struggle to be himself, he has created
his own boredom out of his own affluence,
his own impotence out of his own erotomania,
his own vulnerability out of his own strength;
himself blowing the trumpet that brings the walls of his own city tumbling down, and, in a process of auto-genocide, convincing himself that he is too numerous, and labouring accordingly with pill and scalpel and syringe to make himself fewer in order to be an easier prey for his enemies;
until at last, having educated himself into imbecility, and polluted and drugged himself into stupefaction, he keels over a weary, battered old brontosaurus and becomes extinct.
—Malcolm Muggeridge, Seeing Through the Eye: Malcolm Muggeridge on Faith, ed. Cecil Kuhne (Ignatius Press, 2005), 16.
That is profound, in a few words Muggeridge gives us an accurate picture of the lostness of man and his utter blindness to his spiritual condition without Christ.
Having wearied of the struggle to be himself, he has created
his own boredom out of his own affluence,
his own impotence out of his own erotomania,
his own vulnerability out of his own strength;
himself blowing the trumpet that brings the walls of his own city tumbling down, and, in a process of auto-genocide, convincing himself that he is too numerous, and labouring accordingly with pill and scalpel and syringe to make himself fewer in order to be an easier prey for his enemies;
until at last, having educated himself into imbecility, and polluted and drugged himself into stupefaction, he keels over a weary, battered old brontosaurus and becomes extinct.
—Malcolm Muggeridge, Seeing Through the Eye: Malcolm Muggeridge on Faith, ed. Cecil Kuhne (Ignatius Press, 2005), 16.
That is profound, in a few words Muggeridge gives us an accurate picture of the lostness of man and his utter blindness to his spiritual condition without Christ.
Friday, January 3, 2014
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