A reader asks: "I have learned that God is glorious and perfect and so much so that even God must love and bring glory to himself as doing otherwise would be blasphemous...I learned that we are created, sin, then are saved to demonstrate God's glory and to glorify Him. And, finally, I've always been taught that God loves us, unconditionally in fact. But are we instruments for God to bring glory to himself? How does he love something that he creates and uses to ultimately love himself?"
Dear reader,
This is an enormous question, and the answer lies at the heart of the Gospel -- but, the Gospel thought through in a way that involves the whole Bible and a lifetime of thinking on it! I'm very encouraged that you are thinking in that way; the answer I give here, I hope, will point you in a direction you can continue to travel as you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The answer won't, however, erase all questions. (It may very well raise more!) I've not lived a lifetime yet, and am still seeking more and more of the answer to this question.
The first part of the answer may seem a bit odd, because it involves thinking through the entire Biblical witness into what we call the "mystery of the Trinity". These days, I find that many people have thought so little about the Trinity that they don't know how the Trinity is Biblical, or even what it means that God is triune. It would take us too far afield from your question to spend too much time showing the Trinity from the Bible, but I encourage you to really delve into this teaching, for in many respects it is God's triune nature that provides the answer to your question.
What is the Trinity? What does it mean that God is triune? The Trinity is three persons who have been loving each other forever. There never was a time when the Father was not delighting in His Son, and never a time when the Son was not looking up to and honoring His Father. The Father and the Son have always been loving each other by the power of the Holy Spirit, and it has been the sheer joy and delight of the Holy Spirit to do this. So deep is the joy and intimacy of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that you can say that they go from being "intimate" to being "in" each other -- actually one. What it's like to love that deeply -- and forever, as part of who you are and not as something that happened to you! -- is beyond my imagination. I can't even begin to comprehend love that deep.
Now, I bring this up because you raised the subject of God's loving and glorifying Himself. I wanted to point you deeper into God's love than perhaps you saw before. When God loves God, it isn't God sitting there thinking to Himself, "Wow! Ain't I SOMETHING. I am *so* awesome. I've gotta find someone to show off to. Hmmmn.....there isn't anybody. I know! I'll create someone!" That's not the sort of thing that's going on. The love of God is deeper then that. The love of God is God the Father thinking, "Wow! Just look at my strong, strapping Son. I am so proud of Him! How can secure His happiness? I know! I'll create a bride for him." The love of God is also God the Son saying, "My Father is so powerful -- greater than any other, greater than any king. I'm in awe of Him. He inspires me. What can I do to honor Him? To make Him proud? Imitate Him?" Of course, this is just a metaphor -- but metaphors are less real than the reality they point to, not more so. I use human examples to point to a love so deep, no mere human can even begin to fathom it.
Now, introduce another factor into the equation. Out of the depths of God's love for God, God created a world. But, that world went wrong -- horribly, horribly wrong. The rulers God appointed to steward that world rejected God's love and chose selfishness, unbelief, suspicion and ingratitude. Those rulers were us and those angels that fell -- the Devil and his hordes. Now, what does it mean for God to continue doing what God has always been doing with a fallen, broken creation now part of the equation? We hear the conversation take on surprising shades and new depths. The Father says something like, "My Son's beloved is in danger -- the One chosen to be His bride and Queen. I can't let that happen to them. I must secure their happiness!" The Son thinks something like, "My Father's glory is unseen because of this *%&@&D&*S usurper, Satan. I'll kill him!" Of course, I'm using a human story to point to a truth larger than any human story can ever exhaust or prove. God's anger is not like human anger. God's passion is not like human passion. Yet, you can use the lesser to point to the greater. That's what we're doing here.
Now, I think I'll stop here to let Pastor Mike reply according to the wisdom given him. I'll only give one small hint how the above translates into an answer to your final question: how does God's loving God and us being "used" to do that figure into God's loving us. I'm not sure, but I think there might be a better word than "use". The idea usually in the Bible is "koinonia" -- partnership, or participation. You can find it used in 2 Peter 1:4. God makes us participants in His love. God rescues not an inert creation, like some kind of toy, for His Son; He rescues a bride, Israel / the Church. God the Son doesn't honor His Father by "using" the fallen creation, but by rescuing a people from the clutches of the Enemy, sacrificing Himself to do so.
Pastor Mike?
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Jesus, drinking, and parties
This week’s question(s): What is the deal with partying? Is it hypocritical to go party Saturday night and then show up to church the next day all tired? How about drinking? Is it sinful to get drunk at parties and act a little crazy? Does it matter how drunk you get?
For most people reading this (college students), this is an important question to consider. As Christians, we’re called to be counter-cultural. We know that the world should not define who we are, what we value, or what we do. We have a higher, more fulfilling, calling to live lives of obedience and service to Jesus Christ. At KUPC several weeks ago, we finished up looking at Christ’s proclamations to the churches in Revelation 2-3, and we saw there how the churches struggled to remain faithful in the midst of a culture whose values did not line up w/ the values of Christ. In any context, Christians always need to evaluate the culture they live in, and determine which parts of it they ought not participate in, and even speak out against. On most any campus, partying and drinking are, to one degree or another, a part of the culture. So, we need to ask ourselves, “Does this part of the culture I live in line up with my calling to live as a follower of Jesus Christ?”
The drinking question is the easier of the two to answer, so we’ll start there. First off, if you’re not of legal age, then drinking alcohol, regardless of how much, is in disagreement with your call to follow Christ. Paul reminds us in Romans 13 that we’re to respect the authority of our governments, so long as they don’t interfere with our call to be faithful to Christ. Our government has set a law that you can’t drink until you’re 21, and as Christians, we ought to honor that.
Now, for those of us of legal age, the question gets more complicated. There’s nothing wrong with drinking socially and in moderation. Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, and served and drank wine at the Last Supper with his disciples. Also, Paul, in his letter to Timothy, advises his disciple to drink a little wine for medicinal purposes. That being said, there is such a thing as too much. The basic principle of Scripture is summed up well in Ephesians 5:18: “do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Throughout all of Scripture, there’s a contrast made between being filled with the Spirit and drunkenness. For example, in Luke’s account of John the Baptist’s birth, the angel Gabriel explains to John’s parents that he is not to drink any wine, or even eat fruit of the vine, because he’s going to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The connection between alcohol and the Holy Spirit has to do with controlling influence. As Christians, we’re to allow the Holy Spirit to direct our living. If we drink too much alcohol, we allow something other than the Holy Spirit to control us. So, to the question, “how much can a Christian drink?” we’re given the answer: however much we can take in before it has influence over our decision making.
The question about going to parties is a little more complicated. There’s nothing inherently wrong with going to parties. In fact, it seems from reading the gospels that Jesus went to parties from time to time. There is good reason for Christians to go to a party. Firstly, Christians are allowed to have fun. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Christians might have the opportunity to bear witness to Christ at such parties.
That being said, there are reasons not to go to parties. Our inquirer brings one of them up. What if we party late on Saturday night and then come to church tired? I don’t know if I’d call it hypocritical, but I would call it irresponsible. When we worship, we’re to do so with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Furthermore, in our worship, Jesus Christ desires to encounter us and speak to us, and we ought to seek Him out. All of us have, at some point, gone to church tired, and we all know how difficult it is to do give our all in worship when we’re tired. There’s nothing wrong with going to parties, but there is something wrong with being so undisciplined that we don’t prioritize our life in Christ.
Another reason for possibly skipping out on a party goes back to the concept of being countercultural. Sometimes, not going to a party may provide more powerful of a Christian witness than going to the party. By not going, we demonstrate that we don’t consider partying an essential aspect to our life, as some might. By abstaining, we can show that we live our life by different standards, and that we refuse to look like the rest of the world.
All that being said, there’s no universal rule for Christians and parties. It’s best taken on a case by case basis. Pastor Matt, your thoughts?
For most people reading this (college students), this is an important question to consider. As Christians, we’re called to be counter-cultural. We know that the world should not define who we are, what we value, or what we do. We have a higher, more fulfilling, calling to live lives of obedience and service to Jesus Christ. At KUPC several weeks ago, we finished up looking at Christ’s proclamations to the churches in Revelation 2-3, and we saw there how the churches struggled to remain faithful in the midst of a culture whose values did not line up w/ the values of Christ. In any context, Christians always need to evaluate the culture they live in, and determine which parts of it they ought not participate in, and even speak out against. On most any campus, partying and drinking are, to one degree or another, a part of the culture. So, we need to ask ourselves, “Does this part of the culture I live in line up with my calling to live as a follower of Jesus Christ?”
The drinking question is the easier of the two to answer, so we’ll start there. First off, if you’re not of legal age, then drinking alcohol, regardless of how much, is in disagreement with your call to follow Christ. Paul reminds us in Romans 13 that we’re to respect the authority of our governments, so long as they don’t interfere with our call to be faithful to Christ. Our government has set a law that you can’t drink until you’re 21, and as Christians, we ought to honor that.
Now, for those of us of legal age, the question gets more complicated. There’s nothing wrong with drinking socially and in moderation. Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, and served and drank wine at the Last Supper with his disciples. Also, Paul, in his letter to Timothy, advises his disciple to drink a little wine for medicinal purposes. That being said, there is such a thing as too much. The basic principle of Scripture is summed up well in Ephesians 5:18: “do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Throughout all of Scripture, there’s a contrast made between being filled with the Spirit and drunkenness. For example, in Luke’s account of John the Baptist’s birth, the angel Gabriel explains to John’s parents that he is not to drink any wine, or even eat fruit of the vine, because he’s going to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The connection between alcohol and the Holy Spirit has to do with controlling influence. As Christians, we’re to allow the Holy Spirit to direct our living. If we drink too much alcohol, we allow something other than the Holy Spirit to control us. So, to the question, “how much can a Christian drink?” we’re given the answer: however much we can take in before it has influence over our decision making.
The question about going to parties is a little more complicated. There’s nothing inherently wrong with going to parties. In fact, it seems from reading the gospels that Jesus went to parties from time to time. There is good reason for Christians to go to a party. Firstly, Christians are allowed to have fun. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Christians might have the opportunity to bear witness to Christ at such parties.
That being said, there are reasons not to go to parties. Our inquirer brings one of them up. What if we party late on Saturday night and then come to church tired? I don’t know if I’d call it hypocritical, but I would call it irresponsible. When we worship, we’re to do so with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Furthermore, in our worship, Jesus Christ desires to encounter us and speak to us, and we ought to seek Him out. All of us have, at some point, gone to church tired, and we all know how difficult it is to do give our all in worship when we’re tired. There’s nothing wrong with going to parties, but there is something wrong with being so undisciplined that we don’t prioritize our life in Christ.
Another reason for possibly skipping out on a party goes back to the concept of being countercultural. Sometimes, not going to a party may provide more powerful of a Christian witness than going to the party. By not going, we demonstrate that we don’t consider partying an essential aspect to our life, as some might. By abstaining, we can show that we live our life by different standards, and that we refuse to look like the rest of the world.
All that being said, there’s no universal rule for Christians and parties. It’s best taken on a case by case basis. Pastor Matt, your thoughts?
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