November 19, 2009 by thinkingwithpurpose
The purpose of this site is changing. Thinking With Purpose originated as a place to present and discuss varying viewpoints on issues such as ministry, methodology, and Christian living that may be viewed as controversial. My goal was to challenge readers to think through various ways of doing church ministry and Christian living with an open mind, and not view their current methodological preferences as the standard of right and wrong. The overall goal was to push people to use the Bible as a standard of right and wrong instead of tradition. I still hope to see that take place as it is very much-needed.
However, the ultimate goal is for people to live biblical lives, not merely challenge the status quo. There are times when tradition and the status quo need to be challenged, but that should never be the goal of our lives. Living in agreement with Scripture should be that goal in which we all work towards daily. With that being said, I am changing this site to focus more on accurately understanding Scripture and the attacks on it. It will be impossible to live biblical lives if we don’t know how to study and defend the Bible.
My goal is for readers to understand how to accurately study the Bible, recognize attacks on Scripture, and defend biblical doctrine.
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October 28, 2009 by thinkingwithpurpose
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the state of Christianity in America, specifically in the Southeast. Chattanooga, where I live, is commonly refered to as the Bible-Belt and there are many places, like Chattanooga, that are infiltrated with numerous churches. This may not appear to be a problem, but there ends up being a culture of Christianity that is promoted that is not necessarily consistent with true Christianity.
Over the past several months I have written a couple of posts that are each related to this specific topic. One was on the difference between morality and godliness and the other post was entitled Christless Christianity. Both of these posts touched on some of the problems that are created in this kind of culture. There is such a familiarity with Christian terminology that it is conducive to just go through the motions. I would even suggest that based on how Christianity and church is conducted in these kind of areas that this type of hypocrisy is passively encouraged. Let me offer an example.
I hear stories from new churches in areas like Miami and San Fransisco where new believers come up to mature believers and openly talk about their struggles with lust, pornography, and pride. In these areas where Christianity is not as openly practiced, it is much more real. There is honesty and openness…there is a sense of community and true discipleship that is not present in areas like Chattanooga. In fact that kind of openness is frowned upon in the Bible-Belt. We would rather hide our struggles and pretend that we are doing okay spiritually than have an open and honest relationship with a fellow believer.
Christians in the Bible-belt do not see the need for discipleship or accountability. There is such a focus on the external that the internal is ignored. This is often seen by an over-emphasizing of external holiness instead of inward. The focus is on outward conformity instead of inward reality. But this is also seen by a resistance, hesitance, and even a refusal to be open about the reality of struggles in the Christian life.
True discipleship will never happen with out real openness and honesty. True community will never happen without open and loving accountability. True Christianity will not be lived until we focus first and foremost on practicing biblical Christianity instead of regional Christianity.
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I am all for breaking away from the tradition model of church that is so prevalent in America and committing more to the biblical model. For example, I believe that door-to-door visitation is a weak substitute for true evangelism. In my opinion, it is good to try new and different methods. I think Sunday School is usually ineffective and a waste of time…let’s mix it up and try something different. I believe that not being able to explain why you believe something is really no different than not having a belief to begin with. Let’s focus on learning how to defend our faith in a more logical manner. I am all for trying new methodology and new formats and different programs and styles. I believe that doing so is both necessary and healthy as long as the Bible is still the focus.
The problem is that so many that are breaking outside of the box in terms of ministry are also failing to take a firm stand on Scripture. As a result all who are non-traditional in church format are often labeled as unbiblical. We need to realize that many of the churches that are non-traditional are not unbiblical…just different. However, there are many who do fail to take a strong stand on issues that our society deems controversial. Here are a few.
Homosexuality- Many in the non-traditional emerging church movement fail to take a stance on this issue. While I admire and respect their effort to reach out and minister to this often avoided and even hated group of people, the Bible is clear that homosexuality is sin. There must be a balance between taking a biblical stand on this issue (which the emergent church does not do) and reaching out and intentionally ministering to those who practice homosexuality (which those in traditional churches do not do).
Holiness/Morality- Many in non-traditional churches focus so much on God’s love and forgiveness that the reality of his perfect holiness is ignored. I am all for telling people about God’s love and forgiveness…it is who God is. But at the same time God is holy, and a holy God demands holy followers. There must be a balance between focusing on God’s love and on His holiness. A neglect of either has a significant impact on the lives that believers live.
The Reality of Hell- This is another issue that is often avoided in the emerging church movement. There is such a focus on discovering God in this journey that we call life that the destination is ignored. I firmly believe that we should desire to know God more and grow spiritually and be all that we can be in Christ. But there is a reason that Jesus talked about Hell more than any other person in Scripture. He did so because it is a reality. There is a coming judgment, and it should not be ignored.
Again, I am all for breaking out of the box of traditional ministry and trying new methods and new approaches. But doing so to the neglect of taking a strong stand on biblical issues is foolish and ultimately undermines the cause of Christ. We must remain true to the Bible in the midst of traditional as well as non-traditional ministry.
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If you were to ask the average person on the street about what they think about Christianity you would undoubtedly get a variety of answers. There are those who are confused, those who are antagonistic, those who are open, and those who are committed to Christianity. However, the problem is not how Christianity is viewed by those outside the church, the problem is how Christianity is presented by those inside the church.
The sad reality is that many people are presenting a Christless Christianity. This is not just limited to one certain type of church such as traditional or contemporary or liberal or conservative; it is true on both ends of the spectrum. Christless Christianity confuses real faith for dead faith, relationship for religion, and worshipping for working. The focus is on the external instead of the internal, on duty instead of love, and on “what would Jesus do?” instead of ”what has Jesus done?” Those presenting a Christless Christianity are confusing going to church with being the church, business for true ministry, and activity for effectiveness. They would rather knock on the door of a stranger in a neighborhood that they will never revisit than build a relationship with the family next door. They are substituting emotion for knowledge and sacrificing inward reality for outward conformity.
So what kind of Christianity are you presenting to those outside the church? Is it a Christless Christianity or a Christ-centered Christianity?
Posted in Christian Living, Church Life, Vocational Ministry | 1 Comment »
Why do bad things happen to good people? Have you ever heard anyone ask this question? It is a question that is at times asked by those who are blatantly opposed to Christianity as a way to try and prove that there is no God. It is also a question that is asked by those who are sincerely trying to discover who the God of Christianity really is. Many Christians have a difficult time answering this question. They resort to answers such as “God’s ways are higher than our ways” or “God is wiser than man.” As true as these statements may be, they do nothing to answer the posed question. So, why do bad things happen to good people?
There are several points that can be made in answering this question, but today I just one to mention one. One answer to this question is actually found in the inaccuracy of the question. We have to understand that there are no ’good people’. Those who ask this question are making the incorrect assumption that they are good enough and deserve to avoid all bad and evil that could possibly come into their lives. They are saying that they deserve nothing but good.
The Bible is clear that there is none righteous, and that we are all sinners by nature and by choice. The best we can offer is nothing more than dirty rags. There is no such thing as good people. You may not commit murder, but you hate. You may not commit adultery, but you lust. We each have attitudes, thoughts, and motives that are direclty opposed to God. None of us can ever meet God’s perfect standard. There is no such thing as a good person…there is no one that is good enough to earn God’s favor.
An accurate way to word the question would be “why do bad things happen to bad people?” But where is the injustice in that? Once we acknowledge that there are no good people and when we see ourselves as God sees us, we can see the inaccuracy of the question. And that is the first step in offering a meaningful answer. We will look at this question more in the weeks to come.
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Misused And Abused Verse- Part 11
November 2, 2009 by thinkingwithpurpose
Another common Misused and Abused Bible verses is John 14:2. In the KJV it says “In my Father’s house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you”. There are a couple of problems with how this verse is commonly interpreted. One problem is found in the word “mansion” and the other is in what is meant by “I go to prepare a place.” However, I believe that the second misuse is a result of the first abuse.
The first problem in this verse is a result of its unfortunate translation in the KJV. The problem is that the word that is translated as “mansions” does not mean mansions in the way that we commonly think. The word really means rooms or dwelling places. In the culture in which this was written it was normal for a man to marry a woman and then go live in his father’s house. They would just add another room or dwelling place so that the entire family could fit. Jesus was saying that he was going to take believers back to His Father’s house. They were not to worry because there would be plenty of dwelling places…rooms. This can even be seen in the English definition of the word. I encourage you to look up the word ‘mansion’ in a Webster dictionary (you can do it online here). You will see that one definition says “a separate apartment or lodging in a large structure.”
How did this happen? The Greek word monai was rendered in the [Latin] Vulgate as mansiones, it then came down through the Tyndale version to the KJV as “mansions.1 It doesn’t matter how many songs talk about ‘mansions over the hilltop’, it is still incorrect. There are some other negative by-products of this misuse such as portraying Jesus as leading us to economic prosperity, but I will save that for another day. In my opinion the NASB has the best translation by saying “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places…”
The second problem is a result of the first. Because most people in our culture think of a mansion differently than this verse intended, they twist the phrase “I go to prepare a place for you” to fit. This is not saying that Jesus was going to go to Heaven and put on His royal tool belt and build us each a heavenly version of the Biltmore (bowling lanes included). His “going to prepare a place” was in reference to the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven. That was the preparation that was needed in order for us to be taken to Heaven. One commentary said that Jesus was not in the business of construction, he was in the business of leading people to God. And in order for people to be led to God a sacrifice was required.
Let me say in closing that I am in no way saying that Heaven is not going to be nice. There are plenty of passages that refer to the splendor and majesty of Heaven, this is just not one of them. Heaven will be greater than anything we could ever imagine, but it will be so first and foremost because we will be in the presence of Jesus Christ.
1 KJV The King James Version Gerald L. Borchert, vol. 25B, John 12-21, The new American commentary, New International Version (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2002), 103.
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