No King but Who?

This morning I was reading the account of the crucifixion in the gospel of John, and I came across this passage:

Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour and he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

As I read the response of these chief priests, I was struck with a feeling of indignation at their blatant rejection of Christ. I was horrified that anybody would say this face to face with the King of Kings, the King of all creation, my Savior. My heart cried out to those priests: Don’t you know who He is? Can’t you see that He’s here because of you? How can you so reject this man who has done no wrong?

I paused. I was unable to continue with the passage because this thought was weighing so heavily on my mind. I began to see myself in the place of those chief priests. I began to hear my voice joining in with the others, calling out: “I have no king but…” I paused again. The priests had made Caesar their king. They had chosen to be ruled by the man who was of the world rather than the man who was of heaven. I knew I hadn’t made Caesar my king; I was guilty of far worse. I was crushed by the thought of how often I had chosen the worldly over the heavenly, of how often I had chosen sin over my Savior. How many times, by my sin, have I said to Jesus, “You are not my King.”

I continued reading. I agonized over the crucifixion, knowing it was my rejection of Him that put Him on the cross, knowing I had played a part in His suffering. In reading I found comfort, though. In this beautiful reminder of how Christ had forgiven me, I knew afresh how the love of Christ had washed me clean. I was reminded of how even though I had rejected Him, He chose me nonetheless. When I turned from Him, He pursued me all the more.

As I finished, one song ran through my mind over and over again. I went downstairs and sat down at my piano and began to play “You Are My King.”

I'm forgiven because You were forsaken
I'm accepted, You were condemned
I'm alive and well; Your spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be
That You, my King, would die for me?
Amazing love, I know it's true
And it's my joy to honor you
In all I do, I honor you

You are my King
You are my King
Jesus, You are my King
You are my King

Amazing love, that Christ can take me, who had rejected Him, and cause me to sing with all my heart: “I have no king but You, Jesus.”

A Recant on Neutrality

As promised, I have more thoughts on the topic of musical neutrality. If you have yet to read the initial post, I recommend doing so before continuing with this post.

To review quickly, I proposed that although the actual content of a song (lyrical content) could be morally neutral (neither good nor bad), ultimately a song could not be neutral because any individual listening must make the decision whether he will enjoy the song to the glory of God or whether he will enjoy it for its own merit. I said that it could only be appropriate for a Christian to listen to such neutral music if he were taking the necessary steps to attribute the source of his enjoyment to God. In short, I claimed that a song itself could be neutral in theory, but that realistically it could be only good or bad since it exists only within the realm of a human’s interaction with it.

After a series of further discussions, I must recant a portion of this claim. In response to my post, Peter graciously submitted the challenge: “Did God create pleasures neutral, and we can bend them to be good or evil? Or did God create them good, and we bend them to be evil?” Of course, the obvious answer to this question is found in the very same verse I had quoted in my essay. 1 Timothy 4:4 says that “everything created by God is good.” Indeed, we may then say that such a song as I had previously described is first good, and may be twisted only by a lack of proper attribution to God as its source. I ask forgiveness for my false claim, and extend my appreciation to those who offered correction.

As an extension of this correction, I must also say that I was wrong to say that a song could exist as neutral outside of human interaction. In a later discussion, Scott proposed the example of the stars in creation. Psalm 19:1 says that “the heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” The ability of the heavens to tell the glory of God is not dependent on human interaction. Were there no humans on earth, the heavens would still proclaim the glory of God. So we say therefore that a song outside of human interaction (in concept) may still give glory to God.

Thank you to everyone who offered input. Please continue to do so and to keep me accountable for whatever I may write!

A Biblical View of Government

Hey everyone, check out the latest issue of Regenerate Our Culture magazine for some great articles about Christian involvement in government. Jake Smith offers some excellent thoughts on becoming a leader, David Ketter discusses whether Christian involvement in government is biblical, and I have written about the potential impact Christian leaders in government can have. Be sure to also check out Karen Kovaka's article about the proper role of government in society.

Later this week, I'll be posting a follow-up to my previous post, A Question of Neutrality. After further discussion on the topic, I would like to make some slight alterations in my position.

A Question of Neutrality

I was talking with a group of friends last night, and as we discussed the biblical acceptability of certain media items such as specific books and music, the conversation turned toward the topic of “neutral” pleasures in entertainment. Now, it may be argued that there is no such thing as a neutral pleasure, one that is neither good nor bad in terms of moral content, but I believe that there are indeed such neutral pleasures in the world. The better argument may ask whether certain pleasures, though neutral in content, are in fact bad simply because of their neutrality. You are now thinking: “Well if something is bad because of its neutrality, then really it’s bad, and not neutral.” And this is precisely the question I will now seek to answer and explain.

The first point we must establish is that God has created us to be joyful creatures. To help us see this point, we shall consult the great Christian hedonist himself, John Piper. As he writes in When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy,

“Oh, how easy it is to think we are what we ought to be when the emotions are made peripheral. Mere thoughts and mere deeds are manageable by the carnal religious mind. But the emotions—they are the weathercock of the heart. Nothing shows the direction of the deep winds of the soul like the demand for radical, sin-destroying, Christ-exalting joy in God.”

Joy is not limited to spiritual experiences, though. It is impossible to deny the connection between our emotions and our physical experiences. We may find joy in seeing the beauty of a sunrise. We may find joy in hearing a talented musician play in a concert. We may find joy in the smell of our favorite food. You get the idea. The question then becomes: Is joy derived from physical experience Christ-exalting joy?

To answer this, we must see that there is an unbreakable connection between our spiritual selves and our physical selves. God has created us as beings that are part spirit and part flesh. Paul writes, “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL" The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven” (1 Cor. 15:44-47). As we see this connection, we must deduce that emotions which we experience in the flesh, such as joy, have some effect on emotions in the spirit. John Piper quotes C.S. Lewis as comparing this relationship of physical to spiritual as that between a piano and an orchestra.

“The spiritual life of emotion is higher and richer than the material life of physical sensation in the way a symphony orchestra is richer than a piano… As physical people with souls, we always experience spiritual emotions at both levels: the orchestra and the piano.”

Upon analyzing this illustration, John Piper concludes that “we use the physical world, including our own bodies, so that, according to the laws of God’s creation, joy in Christ will be more intense and more constant… there are some legitimate steps we can take at the physical, sensory level in order to properly increase our joy in God.” The answer to our first question is therefore yes, that joy derived from physical experience can be Christ-exalting joy.

Before we get into the argument of neutral pleasures, we must understand that there are steps involved in physical joy being transposed into spiritual joy in Christ. In Paul’s letter to Timothy we read that “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:4-5). The first step is gratitude. We must cultivate a heart of gratefulness toward God for whatever pleasures we enjoy. The second step is to sanctify the pleasure through the Word of God and prayer. To sanctify pleasure by the Word of God is to adhere to all that God’s Word may say about a specific pleasure. For example: to sanctify pleasure in food and eating, we must not fall into gluttony, or overindulgence. And then, to sanctify pleasure by prayer, we must ask that God would open our eyes to see how He can receive glory through our pleasure. We must ask that God would instill in us joy in Him through His gifts.

It may now seem like I have gotten completely off topic, but everything I just have said is pivotal to understanding whether or not we can reconcile pleasure found in neutral entertainment. Let’s quickly define this neutrality, so that there is no room for misconception. From here on, I will use the example of music, but the same concept may be applied to movies, books, art, or any similar form of entertainment. I define a neutral song as any composition by a musician (regardless of whether the artist professes Christianity or not) which has no wording or implication that is morally unacceptable (according to biblical standard), and yet has no lyrical content that is directly edifying or Christian-themed. This is how I would define neutrality. For the sake of example, let’s say that this neutral song is really fun to listen to. Maybe it has a catchy tune, or clever wordplay. If I experience physical joy when I listen to this song, but that joy has no foundation in the actual content of the words of the song, is it then Christ-exalting joy, or is it simply a joy of the world?

I propose that the answer is dependent upon the individual. Remember Paul said that through gratitude, the Word of God, and prayer, anything may be sanctified. We have already decided that our example lyrics do not contradict or challenge the Word of God, so we’re okay there. Gratitude and prayer are in the hands of the individual experiencing the pleasure. If all these criteria are met, I believe that Christians can indeed experience true, Christ-exalting joy through pleasure found in neutral entertainment.

Here’s the problem: it is sadly uncommon to find Christians who actively critique their lives in regards to how they are balancing enjoyment versus idolatry in the neutral pleasures of life. I say idolatry because if we do not take the proper steps to sanctify our joy and recognize Christ as the source of our joy, then indeed we are finding joy in something entirely apart from Christ and therefore committing idolatry. The challenge we face is to be constantly and actively analytical about our enjoyment in neutral pleasures. This is not to say that we cannot relax our minds and simply enjoy the experience, but to say that we must first analyze and sanctify. Then, and only then, can we experience Christ-exalting joy through neutral pleasures.

A Voice Worth Listening To

Listen carefully, or you might miss it. It could come when you have faith and expectation for it to come, but it can also come when you least expect it, and that's when you have to be listening. The impressions, or speakings, of the Holy Spirit are a large part of our communication with God, on par with the reading of the Word and prayer. Just as the silent thoughts of our prayers are made known to God in heaven, God makes known His "silent" thoughts to us here on earth through the power of the Spirit dwelling in us.

When you should expect it --

"When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (Luke 12:11-12).

And when you might not --

"When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come" (John 16:13).

"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance" (Acts 2:4).

That is not to say you're going to be walking through the grocery store and start speaking in tongues to the deli lady, but it does mean you will feel impressions from the Spirit at times you don't feel particularly “spiritual,” and there's a good chance you will not feel like doing whatever the Spirit is telling you to do, unless you have trained yourself to love the voice. This is where walking in the Spirit really occurs. The guarantee is that the message the Spirit delivers will be clear; any confusion is caused by your own denial and unwillingness. I’ll venture to say that you probably will not hear an audible voice, but you will know what you are supposed to do. You have most likely felt it before, whether or not you have acted on it. It could be as simple as starting up a conversation with someone you’ve never met before, or it could be as monumental as evangelizing to and leading someone to Christ. The form is not guaranteed, but when God has chosen you to play a specific role, He will never fail to reveal that plan to you when the time comes. It could be long term, or it could be spur of the moment. Listen, and you’ll hear it.

Listen, and obey it. Sacrifice your own comfort and build up rewards in heaven, and sometimes even rewards here on earth. Think of the friendships that could form, the insight that could be learned, the feeling of intimacy with God that could be obtained, the revolution that could be started, all as a result of listening and obeying when the Holy Spirit speaks. He's always there. He'll speak if you ask, and He'll speak if you don’t. If you have a time for prayer each day, it’s a good idea to add on some extra time before or after to clear your mind and just listen. It’s a discipline that requires practice, because of our mind’s tendency to wander toward thoughts. It is when we are most silent that the Holy Spirit will speak most loudly and clearly into our lives.

"And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him" (Acts 5:32).

An Explanation on Marriage

In my previous post about homosexuality, I said:

“Remember that God perfectly designed for man to be with a woman. Unless otherwise made very clear by God, God’s plan for every man is to be married to a woman, and every woman to a man.”

Stephen commented:

“Paul said that it was better for us not to be married and remain single as he did. But it is better to be married than to burn with passion. Marriage (man and woman) has its place. But so does celibacy. And those are the two biblical and valid options.”

Cameron commented:

“I don't believe it's God's plan for everyone (unless clearly shown by God) to be married. I Corinthians 7:1-9 is where Paul addresses the issue of marriage and sex within the bounds of marriage. Verse 7 states that Paul wishes more people were like him, single. Without the concerns of a spouse or family, people might be more inclined to devote themselves to full-time ministry. But Paul recognizes God's gift of marriage and it's usefulness as well as God's gift of singleness. Verse 8 states that it's good to be single, but if your passions get out of control, it is good to be married so they can be contained within the confines of marriage. Sexual passion isn't the only reason, or the best, to get married, but in this verse we see that it can be a sufficient reason for it.”

The passage they both referenced, 1 Corinthians 7, says of marriage:

“Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.”

“Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”

Before anything else, let me say that I agree. I apologize for any confusion caused by my statement about marriage, and I accept and appreciate the correction. In context with the rest of my previous post, the thought that I was trying to convey was that I believe it is important for Christians who struggle with homosexuality to understand that God still wants them to consider marriage. A more accurate portrayal of my thoughts should have read: “Regardless of present sexual attraction, every Christian should prayerfully consider marriage. No Christian should ever let sin become a roadblock to, or an escape from, God’s individual plan for his or her life.” I absolutely believe that singleness is God’s gift to many people and I know that much can be accomplished through singleness. My point is that struggling with homosexuality does not by default mean one must remain single.

Homosexuality and the Bible

Before I begin, let me make it clear that I do not by any means consider myself an authority on this issue. However, I do believe that the Bible, which has authority over the life of all Christians, answers all of the essential questions about homosexuality that are often misunderstood or simply ignored altogether. Because of the growing prominence of homosexuality in our culture, I believe this is something we must confront and understand biblically rather than make assumptions and act according to our limited knowledge. Let us first hear what the Bible says about homosexuality in all its manifestations. Then, and only then, can we understand how we are to respond.

We live in a day when homosexuality as way of life has progressed beyond shocking and unnatural to a level of normality and acceptability. Gay pride movements have, in essence, accomplished all that they set out to do. Though many yet seek legal treatment equal to that of heterosexuals in the arena of marriage, they have long-since attained social equality and acceptance. The media has glorified the homosexual to a place of honor. They tell us that it’s good for people to be different in this way, and the world at large has believed and adjusted its views as necessary. Entire church denominations have associated themselves with the world on this issue and therefore rejected the command of Romans 12:2 to “not be conformed to this world.” And indeed we must see that to exalt homosexuality as good and right is to conform to the world.

To see this, we must understand how God feels about homosexuality, and I believe this can be done in two major points. The first is obviously and simply that God created man and woman to be together. In Genesis 2 we read the account of God fashioning Eve specifically to be Adam’s helper and companion. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). Companionship between a man and a woman was part of God’s perfect plan. It was not until sin entered the world that there was any challenge made to this plan. We, as Christians, must live with the mentality of God’s perfect plan rather than the mentality of sinful worldliness from which we have been freed.

The second point we must see is that God sees homosexuality as completely sinful, whether it be the desire or the act. “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their blood-guiltiness is upon them” (Lev. 20:13). I believe that we can apply Matthew 5:28 to lust of any kind and say that any man who looks at another man with lust for him, or any woman who looks at another woman with lust for her, has already committed homosexuality in his or her heart. When Christ came to preach His Gospel, He set a higher standard than the standard of the Law. The good news is that He fulfilled not only the old Law, but His own commands to be pure in both heart and deed. The good news is that “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). The good news is the message of the Cross: that our sins have been forgiven and that we may pursue holiness.

The big debate is often whether homosexuality is a condition one may be born with, or whether it develops over time. I offer to you the view that within every human is the possibility to be tempted toward homosexuality. As David says in the Psalms, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psm. 51:5). If we believe the Bible that sin dwells in us from birth and that all people are “of flesh, sold into bondage to sin” (Rom. 7:14), and that “no temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man” (1 Cor. 10:13), we conclude that the ability to sin in every kind of way is ever-present in our flesh. This does not mean that every person will be faced with every kind of temptation, but that homosexuality is sin the same as “unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil… envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice… gossip, slander, hating God, insolence, arrogance, boastfulness, invention of evil, disobedience to parents” etc. (Rom. 1:29-30). Homosexuality is not in some other category of sin that only applies to the people who struggle with it.

The next logical question then becomes: Why do some people experience homosexual attractions and others do not? If this sin is common to man, why do not all people, believers and unbelievers alike, have to face this challenge? While there is certainly evidence that points to childhood development as influential in the later process of developing sexuality, I believe that it is ultimately in God’s hands as to who will battle such temptations. Trusting the sovereignty of God is critical when dealing with sin. We may similarly ask: “God, why does this person struggle with lying when this other does not?” or “God, why does this person battle impatience when this other does not?” We look again to 1 Corinthians where Paul writes, “God is faithful; [He] will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able” (1 Cor. 10:13). This implies that He will allow us to be tempted at a level we are able to endure. Paul does not say that God is the one who tempts us, but that He allows us to be tempted. Why? So that our faith “may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pet. 1:7). So that we might grow in godliness, and so that Christ might ultimately be glorified in our bodies. God allows some people to be tempted with greed, some with arrogance, and others with homosexuality, and every other kind of sin. Certainly we cannot understand how He, in perfect wisdom, decides who is to experience which sorts of temptation.

What, then, of Christian men and women who find themselves faced with temptation toward homosexuality that they know is sinful, but that they are unable to rid themselves of? It is an important question, and one we must consider once again in light of the truth of the Bible. I have heard it said that anyone who experiences homosexual temptations has never truly received salvation, and I reject any such statement as utterly untrue. Remember that the temptation to homosexuality is no different than the temptation to any other kind of sin, and we have just seen that God allows all Christians to experience temptation. Here we must again consider the sovereignty of God, but we must do so carefully. Because although we have said that it is within God’s allowance, for His purposes both known and unknown, that someone may struggle with homosexuality, we must also say that it is always God’s will for the one who faces this struggle to pursue change and pray for healing. Remember that God perfectly designed for man to be with a woman. Unless otherwise made very clear by God, God’s plan for every man is to be married to a woman, and every woman to a man. As this is His design, surely those who face this struggle may believe that He will make it possible.

We know “this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thess. 4:3), and we can trust that God will strengthen believers to resist the act of sexual immorality. It is far more difficult, however, to believe that God will entirely remove the desires of homosexuality from someone’s life. For the man attracted to women, the battle of lust is a twisted form of the God-given desire for a woman in marriage; but for the man attracted to men, there is no pure form of his or her sexual attraction to hope for in the future. However, there is the very real hope of change; it is a change that willpower alone cannot accomplish. Praise God that He promises “the things that are impossible with people are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Again I say that, outside of the gift of celibacy, it is always the will of God for men and women who struggle with homosexuality to pursue change and pursue marriage, and to trust above all in the healing power of Jesus Christ.

And lastly, how shall we respond? The only appropriate response is to love. As Paul prays: “may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people” (1 Thess 3:12). Loving all people includes loving believers and unbelievers alike who deal with homosexuality. Witness to, in love, the unbeliever; encourage, in love, the believer. Let it never be that a Christian is rejected by others in the body of Christ because of his personal struggle with sin, regardless of what sin it may be. Let it rather be said that the church is a place where homosexuals find the truth of redemption, and the hope of change. Let the church and every Christian therein demonstrate the love of Christ to all those whom God has allowed to be tempted in this way.