A Sense of Belonging

In the beginning, God created man in His image, and in complete accordance to His own will. In man’s most original and perfect state of being, he belonged to God, and that was good. God was perfect, man was perfect, and man began to fulfill the role which God had designed for him, to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28).

Then, something strange happened. Man was told that he could be greater than how God had created him, and man believed it. Man was promised by the Deceiver that “when you eat of [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). However, as we know, man had been commanded by God that “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Consider the magnitude, then, of the choice which man faced: the enticement of knowledge pitted against the command of the Creator to whom man belonged. And, as we know, man chose to take his life into his own hands, essentially to declare his independence from God and the perfection of His design. Man and Creator were severed from each other. Man declared his servitude to sin, his “covenant with death,” (Is. 28:18) as preeminent over his belonging to God.

Shall we then limit this rebellion against God’s ownership to the first man and the first sin? Indeed no, for that same rebellion lies at the core of every sin which you and I commit day after day. John Stott, in The Cross of Christ, quotes Anselm of Canterbury as saying that to sin is “to take away from God what is His own” or simply “not rendering to God what is His due.” Since we are God’s creation, every instance of sin in our lives is a fresh declaration of our rebellion against His claim on our lives.

Here we can see the inescapable necessity of the cross if man were ever to be wholly God’s once again, as he was originally intended. See, God’s nature does not allow Him to simply overlook such blatant dishonoring of His name, such outspoken rebellion against His ownership. If God could just “get over” these heart issues which manifest themselves in a multitude of various sins, He would be unfit to be called God. For God to ignore sin would be, in effect, to forfeit His holiness, and subsequently His very nature as God. Thank God that we do not serve a God who can forgive sins as humans can forgive!

Hence the cross. Hence the self-substitution of God, in Christ, to take the due penalty which our rebellion demanded. John Stott later writes, “It was also reasonable that man, who by sinning stole himself away from God as completely as he possibly could do so, should, in making satisfaction, surrender himself to God as completely as he can do so, namely by his voluntary self-offering unto death.” And indeed we know that our Savior, Jesus Christ, did exactly that. And even though “serious as human sin is, yet the life of the God-man (Jesus) was so good, so exalted, and so precious that its offering in death outweighs the number and greatness of all sins, and due reparation has been made to the offended honour of God.”

Now we come to the present. Those who believe in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ have been returned to the ownership of God and made as a “new creation” (Gal. 6:15). This new creation is reminiscent of the original state of man, insofar as man’s belonging to God is concerned. There is, however, yet the taint of sin in the flesh, but the soul has been reconciled completely and made wholly God’s. Man, then, is daily faced with that ancient dilemma: the pleasure of sin versus the promise of God.

To summarize how we, believers, should view our belonging to God, I quote the old hymn “Jesus Paid It All,” which proclaims: “Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe.” We, who did nothing to procure our own salvation, who did nothing to bring ourselves back to the ownership of God, certainly now owe Him our entire lives. Keeping in mind our belonging to God, let us look once again at these familiar words of Jesus: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's” (Mark 12:17). Our lives are God’s, both by original design and by the blood of Christ which purchased us back from our rebellion. Therefore let us render to God our lives. Let us render to Him every aspect of who we are by striving to live in accordance with the life to which He has called us.

The New Attitude Letters, Part 5

Dear Reader,

I have previously said that it is impossible to read through a book written by C.J. Mahaney without noticing the centrality of the cross on every single page. This is similarly true of any sermon delivered by C.J. Mahaney, and it is no surprise that of all the topics which C.J. is certainly capable of addressing, he was asked to speak about the cross. I have no doubt of his delight in accepting the offer. It’s the same message that he has given many times before, but one that I pray I may never tire of hearing.

After opening with a powerful illustration from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the description of Aslan’s resurrection, C.J. echoed the question which Susan Pevensie asks of Aslan: “But what does it all mean?” We know the story of Jesus Christ, of how he was born, and how he lived a perfect life, and how he died on the cross, and how he was resurrected after three days… but what does it all mean?

I am afraid that words are unable to accurately contain the power of the message which Mr. Mahaney delivered on that second night of New Attitude, and I urge you to download the message and listen to it for yourself. Hearing the passion in his voice, as he talked about how God the Father crushed His son for sinners like you and me, is something that I cannot emulate with mere written words.

The focus of the message was on the truth that it was ultimately God who killed Jesus. C.J. unpacked the verses of Isaiah 53, clear references to the suffering of Christ, to show us how, though Christ suffered in some ways from the rejection of men and the physical pain, these were nothing in comparison to the wrath which God Himself poured out on Christ. As we read in verse 10 of this passage, “it was the will of the Lord to crush him.”

To help emphasize the significance of what really happened at the cross, I turn to John Stott’s epic work, The Cross of Christ, which happens to be number three on C.J.’s Top 10 Reading List. See, it is important for us to understand that God was the one who killed Jesus, because it shows us just how much God loves us. We can understand that it was the wrath of God that needed to be satisfied because of His holiness and our sinfulness, and we can understand that Christ loved us enough to die for us and bear our punishment, but we must never lose sight of the connection. It was God who designed for Christ to be sent: essentially to send Himself, as Christ was fully God and fully man. It was not Christ’s idea to come to earth to satisfy the wrath of his Father. It was the Father’s idea to send Himself, in His son, to satisfy His own wrath. As John Stott writes, “So then, the cross of Christ is the event in which God makes known his holiness and his love simultaneously, in one event, in an absolute manner.” And again, “Indeed, the two [God’s justice and love] are more than simultaneous, they are identical, or at least alternative expressions of the same reality. For the wrath of God is the love of God in the form in which the man who has turned away from God and turned against God experiences it.”

With this in view, C.J. presented the question: “Are you persuaded that God loves you?” And if so, what is to be our response? The implications are huge, to say the least. The cross makes it possible for us to live out messages such as Mike Bullmore’s, of which I previously wrote to you. The cross makes it possible for us to experience the main good of the Gospel: fellowship with God. And the cross is to be the mainspring of all our joy. It is to be the one event which occupies our thoughts by day and by night. Does the truth of the cross persuade you that God loves you?

Though there is yet more I could share from my experiences at New Attitude, I am afraid I have tarried long enough on the topic. I have other duties that demand my attention and other writing that demands my time. I do hope that you will take some of your own time to listen to the messages of New Attitude and let God continue to speak through those men who so faithfully delivered the Word. I do also hope that you will be able to attend New Attitude ’07, but I promise to write again if such proves impossible.

Until then,
Brian Whalen

The New Attitude Letters, Part 4

Dear Reader,

I pray that you will forgive the tardiness of this letter, and I am afraid that I have no viable excuse to offer for the delay. However, I am particularly excited about what I am about to share with you. Though I am sure I will not do justice to the message, Mike Bullmore’s afternoon session about the functional centrality of the Gospel was well-organized, challenging, and applicable. To introduce this message, he put forth the statement that humans have been made with many capacities, but there is no neutral. Either something glorifies God, or it does not. Most importantly, the deciding factor as to whether or not something a believer does glorifies God is whether the Gospel is functioning in his or her life.

To take us through how to apply the Gospel to every area of life, Mike offered a diagram of three concentric circles. The first and centermost circle is, of course, the Gospel. The Gospel, you see, is omni-relevant. It applies to every aspect of life. There is nothing which falls outside of the Gospel’s realm of application. Mr. Bullmore says that the ability to see this is “one mark of a maturing Christian.” 1 Corinthians 15:3 confirms that the Gospel is indeed the centerpiece of the Christian faith. Paul writes: “for I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.” The Gospel is of first importance.

But see, the Gospel doesn’t stop at just being the central foundation of the Christian faith. It spreads into what Mr. Bullmore labels the second concentric circle: Gospel Truths. Gospel Truths can be found all throughout the Bible. Essentially, any staple of Christianity that is true because of the Gospel is a Gospel Truth. Some examples may be found in the book of Romans (5:1 – we are at peace with God; 8:1 – we are not condemned; 8:32 – God will provide us with all things). To help illustrate this point, Mike presented a picture of a massive, circular stone, which, though difficult to set into motion, carries incredible force and momentum once rolling. The Gospel has been set in motion by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and it now carries with it an incredible load of Truth which could not otherwise be true.

The outermost concentric circle is that of Gospel Conduct. The Gospel gives specific instruction on how to live life in response to the Gospel and the Truths which it carries. Again, examples of this may be found throughout the Word of God; a few are 1 Corinthians 6:18 – flee sexual immorality, and 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 – excel in generosity, but again we must remember that the Gospel applies to every aspect of life. Moral conduct must always be connected to the Gospel.

After outlining this series of concentric circles, Mr. Bullmore provided practical steps on how to apply the Gospel, its Truths, and its Conduct, to our lives. First, we are to start with our own lives. He suggested that we ask ourselves these questions: “Am I cultivating a deep, personal understanding of the Gospel?” “Am I becoming more familiar with the Gospel?” We must grow in our knowledge of what the Gospel says if we are to grow in making the Gospel more central in our lives. The best way to begin applying the Gospel to our lives is to pick one area of struggle first, find out what the Gospel says about it, and begin to follow the Gospel’s specific instruction for that area. It may be effective to ask ourselves: “What has the Gospel made possible in this situation?”

The second step of application is to let the Gospel inhabit our conversations and interactions with others. With the Gospel, we may provide encouragement to fellow believers (Isaiah 50:4). With the Gospel, we have the ability to spread the message that changes the lives of the lost.

And thirdly, we may keep in mind that the main good of the Gospel is not that God has forgiven our sins, but that we may enter into fellowship with Him. Forgiveness is a necessary prerequisite for reconciliation with God, but the best thing about the Gospel is that we may commune with our Father through our Savior. “Let the ultimate truth of the Gospel be what ultimately defines you,” said Mike Bullmore at the close of his message.

I hope this letter finds you well. The evening to come was a powerful experience of the Gospel changing lives and I will share with you as soon as I may the words of the prophet Isaiah as presented by Mr. C.J. Mahaney himself.

Until then,
Brian Whalen

The New Attitude Letters, Part 3

Dear Reader,

Morning number one came early. After a mostly sleepless night, I found myself faced with the immediate challenge of physical exhaustion, and on the menu for the main session that morning: Mark Dever presenting the big picture of the entire Bible. I assure you my level of anticipation and excitement was a bit lacking. As good as I trusted the teaching would be, my fear was that in my present mental state I would lose focus before the introduction was complete.

I cannot tell you how glad I was to be proven wrong. Though the message was perhaps less applicable than the rest of the New Attitude line-up, the theology was solid and the message excellently delivered. The basic premise presented by Mark Dever was that the Old Testament is the promises of God made, and that the New Testament is the promises of God kept. With this overview, he delved into the structure of these two components of the Word of God and explained how the Bible is the most important message for everybody in the world.

I want to share in particular two things which Mr. Dever said in the course of his message, though neither were necessarily main points that he was attempting to drive home. The first is this: sacrifices made in the Old Testament were most appropriate when the one sacrificing understood that their sacrifice would not suffice to cleanse them from their sin. The sole purpose of Old Testament sacrifices was to teach the people of Israel to be repentant for their sins, and more importantly to point them toward the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ which would one day truly cleanse them. Simply put, the act of sacrificing was intended to teach God’s sinful people of their need for a perfect Savior.

The second and more applicable of the things which I would like to share with you is this exhortation: “Love the Bible because you love Christ. Do not love the Bible apart from what it reveals.” Simple though it sounds, I found myself thinking over this statement and I felt as though I would do well to meditate on that thought as I read through my own Bible. The best thing about the Bible is that it is one of the primary ways for me to grow closer to the Father. Though there may not necessarily be any serious temptation in me to divorce the Bible from what it reveals, I think it would certainly benefit me to understand that the only reason I read the Bible is because of what it can tell me about God and what God can tell me through it.

I find myself presently short on time, but I eagerly anticipate writing to you once again, as I will be addressing the message delivered by Mike Bullmore on the functional centrality of the Gospel. I pray that I may somehow convey the truth of this message to you so that you may find yourself challenged as I was in the day-to-day application of that single Truth which transforms our lives: the truth of Jesus Christ dying to reconcile us with the Father.

Until then,
Brian Whalen

The New Attitude Letters, Part 2

Dear Reader,

As I sat through that first session of New Attitude, I found myself immediately overwhelmed by a sense of God’s hand at work in that building. Joshua Harris presented the conference’s opening message and core theme of “rediscovering humble orthodoxy.” Referencing II Timothy 2:15, which says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth,” Josh posed the question: “Whose approval are we going to live for?”

The answer that any believer would, of course, desire is that we are going to live for God’s approval rather than man’s approval. Before he even began to explain what it looks like for a Christian to live for God’s approval above all else, Josh said something that I thought particularly applicable to the rising generation of believers who have a heart for cultural regeneration. He said that there is a difference between reaching the culture and impressing the culture. How easy it is, I thought to myself when he said those words, to blur that distinction and become more focused on presenting ourselves as “culturally savvy” rather than primarily and wholeheartedly devoting ourselves to the Truth.

From there we may transition into the first point of the message which was that we must handle the Truth faithfully. So often modern Christianity tries to repackage the Gospel and embellish the Truth with presentation. This, however, is a gross injustice to Truth. Because, you see, we can never make the Gospel sound as good as it actually is in its most basic form. By trying to present a Gospel that appeals to man’s worldly desires and needs, we are stripping away the essence of what the Gospel truly is. This point is really what New Attitude was all about this year. Do not reinvent the Gospel; rediscover it.

The second step in rediscovering humble orthodoxy and living for God’s approval was that we must live the Truth personally. To open up this point, Josh said that “Living Truth becomes a living lie when we fail to obey it ourselves.” Even if we are committed to not reinventing the Gospel, it means nothing if we are not living out the Gospel in our lives. Mike Bullmore’s message on the following day proved particularly helpful and applicable in this area, of which I will write to you shortly. The question asked at the end of this point was one that I had heard before, but in context struck me as significant: “Have I grown comfortable with my current level of godliness?” Have you? A crucial aspect of living the Truth personally is growth in godliness, and if we are comfortable with our current level of godliness, then surely we have neither a motivation to grow nor an understanding of our need to grow.

Lastly, Josh said that we must represent the Truth humbly. “Humility is not a technique,” Josh proclaimed to his audience of New Attitude attendees, “it’s God’s command.” While this may fall in part under the banner of living the Truth personally, as humility is certainly a biblical characteristic we must cultivate in our lives, representing the Truth humbly speaks more specifically to our actual presentation of the Gospel to unbelievers. We must take care not to fall into the temptation of self-righteousness, and thinking that we are somehow better than those we witness to because we know the Truth. Certainly this contradicts the very nature of the Gospel, which is that we, helpless sinners, dead in our sins, could do nothing to redeem ourselves. As Josh put it, “When you understand grace, you do not walk around trying to force that same grace on others; you walk around with tears of gratefulness in your eyes, saying ‘why would God choose me?’”

As I arrived back in my hotel room that night, I began a new page in my journal. I wrote,

“Thank You for meeting me not with what I ‘wanted’ but with a beautiful reminder of the seriousness of wielding Your Truth.”

I knew that God was at work. Even as I write this I see items in my notes from that first session that I have not yet begun to write about. The waterfall had certainly begun on that first night and I have much more that I would like to yet share with you, but I will conclude for the time being. I hope this finds you well and that you are encouraged by hearing of the work God did at New Attitude. I will write again soon.

Until then,
Brian Whalen