Building a Sanitized Barrier Around Ourselves

There are those individuals who are born with a bad immune system and are forced to live their lives in a bubble for protection. But if we all tried to live in bubbles to avoid somehow contracting any disease, it would be destructive of normal human relations. However, we Christians can try to enclose ourselves and our children in a kind of spiritual bubble to avoid any influence from the outside world. Now we are not to love the world and its way of thinking (1 John 2:15-17; Romans 12:1,2; Colossians 2:8). We are also to avoid too casually putting ourselves in the way of temptation (1 Corinthians 3:17,18; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22). But the  avoidance of things God graciously provides for us is not the solution for escaping sin (Colossians 2:20-23; 1 Timothy 4:3,4; Titus 1:15). Further, we are to reach out to those who need to know Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19-23; Luke 15:1-9; Matthew 9:10-13). We cannot follow the ways of the world without caution and not expect to find ourselves gradually conformed to them. But the solution is not to enclose ourselves in a bubble.

Now there is a place for being innocent of evil (Romans 16:19; Ephesians 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:33). But we are also to know how to confront and deal with evil (2 Corinthians 10:3-6; 2:11; Ephesians 5:13-15). This is a difficult tightrope to walk, and it is more difficult with children, who do need a degree of protection from the evil of the world until they are old enough to deal with it intelligently. But trying to maintain a life of pristine protection from everything wrong in the world results in indignation at everything  that does not seem to fit your standards. It results in overreacting to things like the Wizard of Oz or Harry Potter. Now there is a place for appropriately rebuking wrong (2 Timothy 2:23-26; Galatians 6:1; 1 Peter 3:15), but we should not be surprised if the world is hostile to us (John 15:18-21; 16:1-4; 2 Timothy 3:12). Much less should we construe things in the worst possible way (Proverbs 25:8-10; James 1:19; 1 Corinthians 13:7). And in the final analysis, it is not possible to protect ourselves from every outside influence. By trying to, we can end up weakening our spiritual immune system for dealing with such things. There is a danger of overexposure, especially if there is no balancing exposure to spiritual things. But some measured exposure to how the world thinks is necessary (even for children beyond a certain age) if we are going to avoid being bowled over by it when we seriously encounter it. And if we are to reach out to those around us,  we need to be able to communicate with them where they are.We do not need Christians who are hiding in a bubble, but strong Christians who can take their faith out on the open road.

A Touch of Humor - Deep Interpretation

Why is it important to avoid reading things into the Scripture that are not there? What steps can we take to avoid this?

Being His Hands and Feet

Old Erich Proverb: Organization is a good servant but a bad master.

I would like on this my 500th post to look at some of the things I have said about the church, which is the body of Christ, and on how to behave within that church (1 Timothy 3:15).

1. The church is Christ's body and consists of different parts that are brought together to accomplish His purposes (On Being the Body, Understanding Christ's Bride What Is the Church?


2. The unity of the church does not result from agreement on every teaching or from some broad vague inclusion, but from agreement on the basics (Basis of Unity, Breaking Out of the Circle, Superficial Unity)

3. While the church is to be organized, it is not primarily an organization, and it is not possible to solve all the problems of the church simply by rearranging the organization (A Preoccupation with Clothes, Reconstructing the Maze, Rearranging the Deck Chairs)

4. The authority of the church is not passed on mechanically, but is based on the faith of the members. (Who Is in Charge?, Binding and Loosing, Who Has Received the Authority?)

5. The validity of the sacraments is not based on the theory of them or on who administers them, but on the faith of the recipients. (The Badge of the Christian, Sign and Seal, Who Has the Authority)

6. There are various appropriate ways to worship God, and freedom should be allowed within broad boundaries. (The Fight Over the Celebration, The Worship War,   Spirit and Truth)

7. It is sometimes hard to get along within the context of the church, but we need by God's power to work to overcome our differences. (Sharks, The Dark Side of Community, In Search of the Perfect Relationship)

Living together within the context of the Christian church, whether local or universal, is not always an easy endeavor, but we need to promote the unity God calls us to (Philippians 2:1-11).

A Voice from The Past - Charles Hodge

The true way to have our faith strengthened is not to consider the difficulties in the way of the thing promised, but the character and resources of God who has made the promise.

Charles Hodge, 1797-1878. Epistle to the Romans, Chapter IV, Remarks: 1 (Banner of Truth Trust, 1972, p. 130)

How do we go about doing this? What things can aid us in focusing on who God is?

Let the One Who Is Thirsty Come - Revelation 22:17

Knowing God

Re-Posted from "Meditations of a Charismatic Calvinist Who Does Not Speak in Tongues"

What does it mean to know God? What does it mean to know any person?  I like to think I know my wife. Now you could know a considerable amount about her by launching an FBI investigation and finding out facts about her.  But you would not know my wife.  On the other hand, if you asked me questions about my wife and I could not answer any of them, you would wonder if I really knew my wife.  It is not enough just to know the facts about God; the demons do that (James 2:19).  But we cannot really know God without knowing about God (Jeremiah 9:23,24).  Knowing God, therefore, refers to knowledge gained in relationship.  Now the only way to genuinely know God is to come through Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:8-11), who paid the price for our sins (1 Peter 2:24,25) and offers salvation based on faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8,9).  But we are called from there to increase in the knowledge of Him (Colossians 1:10). This involves an increase in the factual knowledge of God in the context of relationship and leads to, not just knowledge, but obedience (1 John 4:6,7).  It is this kind of knowledge, both factual and experiential, that we are to grow in.

Bypassing the Mind

There is a tendency today to minimize the part of the mind in evangelism. It is thought the best thing is to appeal to the emotions and avoid the intellectual altogether. Now there is a danger in putting too much emphasis on the intellectual (1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 1:18-25; 3:18-20). But Scripture calls for the allegiance of all of us, including the mind (Matthew 22:37; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23). Now this requires more than just intellectual knowledge (James 1:22-25; Romans 2:17-24; Matthew 5:19). But that does not mean we can dispense with knowledge altogether (Jeremiah 9:23,24; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Ephesians 1:17,18). Also, Scripture uses arguments that appeal to our understanding (Romans 1:18-20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Isaiah 46:9,10). And it gives examples of such arguments (Acts 17:22-31; 14:15-17; Matthew 4:12-16). Christianity is based on the historical event of God invading history (John 1:1-18; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 2:9-18). Now this requires a response that goes beyond the intellectual, but it is still a necessary foundation.

No argument can convince anyone unless the Spirit of God works in their heart (John 6:44; Acts 16:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3-5). But neither can any experience convince anyone unless the Spirit is working. However, we are commanded to proclaim God's truth so that the Spirit might use it to accomplish His purposes (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:14,15). Now I do not want to minimize the need to live a life that backs up our witness (Matthew 5:13-16; 28:18-20; 1 Peter 3:1,2), one characterized by love (John 13:34.35; 1 Corinthians 13:2; Galatians 6:10). Nor do I want to minimize the need to deal with people in a loving way (1 Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Colossians 4:6). But we need with that a reasoned proclamation.

Why is this important? It has been my experience that God can use various different gifts to lead different people to Christ. Now I do not want to limit God; I am sure He can accomplish His will even if we refuse to use all the resources He has given us. But I do believe we are required to use those resources. Further, there are various kinds of false teachings which can produce an experience. It is hard to reach those who hold them unless we challenge them on another level. Also, if we use only one avenue of approach it is easier to make false converts, If we use only the intellectual, we can end up with converts who only know information but have not acted on it. If we use only experience, we can get people who have an emotional experience but no substance. If we use only the relational, we can produce converts who have a relationship with us but never fully embrace the truth of God. Also, if we leave out the intellectual, we can end up with a truncated faith that does not embrace all of life. We do not want to be people who have God relegated to one corner of our lives rather than ruling all of it.