The Gospel Confronts the Conservative

The last chapter delved into the gospel message for the liberal. Today, we look at whether there is a gospel application to the conservative.

I had a friend who used to say all the time, "Never underestimate the power of the status quo".

And I don't know if it is fair to label conservatives as the institutions of tradition and establishment, but the general definition of a conservative is one who is slow to change. There may be a number of reasons for this: a desire to protect good traditions, a healthy suspicion of change, a prudent and measured response to issues, or just plain fear.

A Bible verse that instantly adresses the progressive/conservative tug of war is found in Ecclesiastes 3:

¹ There is a time for everything,    and a season for every activity under the heavens: ² a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

In America, the conservatives are often described as the 'right' and humans can be found in all kinds of degrees.

Should we concern ourselves with and lovingly confront those who run to the extreme elements of ideology?

My personal experience with conservative ideology was in reading many of the popular conservative writers:(Limbaugh, Medved, Hannity, Beck, Coulter, Ingharam)


Again, most of these writers tend to appeal more to my Judeo-Christian values, though some do not articulate gospel understanding.


The problem in trying to contain Christianity within the conservative voice is that some conservatives unknowingly articulate a 'compare and compete' mentality that teaches a righteousness of works. "I am a conservative, God is happy because I am pro-life, stand firm on a traditional view of marriage, and believe that there should be prayer in schools."


This is not the gospel.


The gospel message is that even our good deeds are like filthy rags unto the Lord (Is 64:6) and that 'no one is good, not even one and that all  have sinned and are fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3).


The Christian conservative, in full view of the gospel, would not lead in the harsh tones and rhetoric that dominates the landscape today. It isn't that these values aren't important- it is just the law has to be presented in full view of the door of grace and mercy in Christ. 


Let me mention a couple of observations of this and move on to my main point.


I just finished Ann Coulter's book, Demonic, it was the first book I ever read cover to cover on an ipad- which was very cool!


Ann is popular because she fights fire with fire. She zings and slices with a sarcastic flair and dark humor. Her latest book backs all quotes with a huge bibliography in the appendix at the end.


Her main point? The current landscape of American liberalism is a building, dangerous 'mob' with direct comparisons to horrible and violent ideology of atrocities of anarchy throughout history. She camps out in the French Revolution (in direct opposition to the American Revolution) and the criminal activities of social activists in the 60's.

Coulter highlights the premise with quotes and activities of liberal voices within mainstream/cable media outlets today.

What does Coulter prove? She proves there is a difference between being right and being 'dead right'. She proves that you can take truth and use it like a weapon, bludgeoning people and leaving a bloody pool of hurt in the process.

Now,  I know that this is how some folks get traction in a society of dysfunctional cynicism and discordant cacophony of voices. But does any of the ramped up rhetoric help?

Do we realize that our young people are watching? Do we understand that their young hearts tend to be more sympathetic to the hurting or maligned?

Let me add a second example. I taught Bible for 7 years in Nashville, from time to time we hit hard areas: Biblical warrants for divorce was really hard, for example, because the pain is so real. I had to learn a gentle approach that honored the truth but did not unnecessarily hurt the wounded.

When we talked about homosexuality- I could tell that high school students were upset that there 'appeared' to be harsher treatment of that activity compared to heterosexual adultery which was of greater pain to their personal experience.

This is all a precursor to how the gospel confronts the conservative.

1) Judeo-Christian tradition does not guarantee Gospel impact. In fact, if we are not careful- the traditional values can masquerade itself as gospel understanding. I believe it is better soil- but it is not the seed.

2) Harsh condemnation of sin toward the world is not gospel focused. Paul made the distinction of 'in-house' expectations and worldly realizations (I Corinthians 5:10). We preach Christ crucified as proof of God's love. We teach Christ's resurrection as proof of God's justification to those who believe and repent. We expect rejection and worldly sin. We patiently persevere in promoting the message and trust God to move as He decides.

3) Things are always in a state of decay- gospel impacted believers should not be apathetic- we should be active servers and sharers. The Lord does not want us to sit back and watch it burn- he wants us to engage, love, work, heal, procreate, and emancipate.

I have always thought of the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 to be an indictment of spiritual passivity:

24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’”


4) A final confrontation- Christian conservatives should be careful of buying into political activity as the best hope of social change.


I loved Jerry Falwell and Jim Kennedy when they expounded on the Scriptures. I was fine that they supported Biblical values as good and wholesome. I would wince when it seemed forced or political.


I was having coffee yesterday morning with a United Methodist minister when he brought up the same point. He remembered a Dr. Kennedy sermon during Christmas using the birth of Christ to preach an entire sermon about abortion. I don't know if that was the full topic of the sermon or not- but we need to be shrewd and innocent in our discourse.


The bottom line? There is forgiveness in Jesus Christ!  When we lose our way and by fighting for the faith and lose our lotion of love (meditate on Revelation 2:1-7) there is grace at the cross! There are more ways to miss the truth than we can ever imagine.... isn't it good that it is dependent on our Father and not on us. Isn't is awesome to know that you are saved by Christ's righteousness and not your own?


It frees you up to humbly say 'I'm sorry'- it frees you up to pray for others- it puts the refreshing water of God's mercy on your lips- the conversation should begin anew.... today!

The Gospel Confronts the Liberal

"We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive."   C. S. Lewis

Just to use the term 'liberal' in a post conjures up the probability of 'fightin' words' due to the current climate of our social rhetoric. A quick check of my profile, a short perusal of my past blog posts, an educated guess concerning my background and faith will likely put me in a category of "HARD DOUBT" as to my fair treatment of anyone who labels themselves as progressive or democratic or liberal.

Growing up through the late 60's and becoming more socially conscious in the late 70's and early 80's- my political leanings were formulated during the dawn of the Reagan presidency and the emergence of talk radio and the EIB rants of Rush Limbaugh.

This era had a huge impact on my parents as well. As far as I can tell, we were blue dog democrats in the early years. My dad was a Birmingham firefighter and I remember him expressing that the democrats took care of the working man. When you are 8 or 9 years old, you could care less. You hear, it registers, but I was quickly back to my Evel Knievel stunt cycle and Nerf Football.

My mom was the first one to even breathe that she was now more of a 'republican' and she was really into Rush. But it was more than that, President Reagan not only inspired a new nationalism and pride, he painted the term 'liberal' like it was almost a disease.

In 1988, George Bush made Michael Dukakis wince as he painted him an extreme liberal and a 'card carrying member of the ACLU'.

But there was something else going on as well. It was much deeper than politics. The term liberal seemed to align more and more with a set of social values that were very different than what was represented in my church, around my coaches, even among my peers. It was especially frustrating to see the unhidden social agenda pushed in mainstream media outlets. As much as I enjoyed television and movies- it was apparent in almost every new broadcast or premier, there was a group pushing the envelope of a different value system.

I strongly believe that this is why Rush Limbaugh and conservative talk radio took off- It is why Fox News grew out of relative obscurity into the power player it is today- the values being represented did not represent what was most prevalent in our neighborhoods. The heart strings of most people growing up in the State of Alabama come alive to God, Country, and Football.

I'm going to get to the heart of how the gospel confronts the liberal- and I will also balance it with how the gospel confronts the conservative. But I did want to take a quick side trail and talk about the impact of progressive media entertainment and having a largely liberal press on our country.

My belief is that the spirit/heart of the country has been dominated by conservative social values from the founding fathers until the dawning of the 21st century. Remember that it was shocking for Rhett Butler to say "Damn"in 1939. Elvis was controversial in 1956.

I am not saying that society was as innocent as 'Leave it to Beaver' or 'Father Knows Best'- but the larger community assented to a high standard of propriety in terms of what was presented or what was assented to. Our household wasn't free from profanity or vulgar language, but we all would confirm that it was NOT RIGHT, even if we did it from time to time.

But a lot has changed. I was 14 years old when we got cable TV. I was so happy that we were going to have more than the 2 1/2 channels that I watched when I couldn't go outside. I say 1/2 because one of the stations was very blurry and only synced up in good weather. The stations would play the national anthem around midnight and then a high pitched beep would play continuously to colored bars all night long until Country Boy Eddy came on the air around 4:30 AM.

So I sat in a chair in our dining room, looking at a 14 inch black and white TV, and was ecstatic! 14 channels! Some all night! We had TBS out of Atlanta, WGN out of Chicago, one channel made the TV into a fireplace, and the big one...HBO.

We watched the old version of "Bad News Bears" with Walter Mathau and Jodie Foster and then it happened. Over the TV, I heard a curse word in front of my mom. I had seen the movie in the theater, but for some reason, having my mom there.. OH Boy. She got quiet and said "Oh MY" and the tension was pretty thick. Have times changed?

But I want to point out one other change.

60 minutes and CNN introduced another big culture changer. These shows began to take on controversial social topics: abortion, homosexuality, 'family values'... and the format was to present the opposing views EQUALLY. Pro choice advocates were given 30 seconds of soundbites and Pro life debaters were given 30 seconds of soundbites.

Even if the culture represented a 90% agreement with pro life issues, the minority view was given a weightiness. And it all became LOGOS- and the liberal social agenda had fancy slogans and hard hitting soundbites.

Over time- this has caused major shifts in social atitudes and mores. I believe the country is still largely conservative (look at the red vs blue states) but it is a softer conservatism as far as values are concerned. In fact, we always placed so-called 'family values' within a Judeo-Christian world view. It seems like today, the values are argued according to pragmatic social contexts and not whether there is a universal standard of right.

This is all a prelude to say that if the goal of liberalism is cultural change- then I would say that American progressives have had great success. If you start in the late 60's- we have moved the standards a LONG way. The ACLU mindset has created a secular marketplace... more so than Europe. British schools pray and even teach Bible (it hasn't helped them hold on to a God awareness or national faith, but that is another topic).

Progressives have even moved conservatives. The ultimate American value is now 'freedom'- it is what we say we want to export to the world. But a careful reading of the founding documents of our country do not put freedom as the highest American value. The founding of our country was a freedom from tyranny based on the standards of the Creator. American freedom was never ultimate freedom, it was a mutual accountability to restrain human evil. The American dream was to make men free, but realize that  humans are more prone to extremes and brutality- especially when they gain ultimate power. The greatest distrust was a government that was not accountable to the governed.

So what does the gospel say to the progressive? It encourages and confronts at the same time.

The positive aspect of the Christian gospel to liberals is to commend their heart for the downtrodden. It is to the liberals credit that there is an unwillingness to rest until there is found justice and provision for the hurting. Some who found a home in progressive circles were those who walked out of churches after being turned off by a status quo and cold response to issues like racism and poverty.

However, the gospel confronts the liberal in two major sins.

The first, and most deadly, is the jettison of absolute truth and embrace of relativism.  If there is no agreed upon standard..there is no standard. You can go all the way back to Europe and the 19th century Romantics like William Blake and William Wordsworth who threw out the baby with the bathwater. In rejecting the cold religion of the Cathedrals, they abandoned God as He had revealed Himself- especially the revelation in Jesus Christ.

The second major sin is to view the state as the savior and provider for social justice. God set up the church as His minister and the government as His sword. Because we are using men (jars of clay), these structures will suffer decay and impotence until the master comes back- but the message of the gospel is good news ... even in the failures.

As soon as liberals turn to the state as the provider and preach tolerance as the standard of morals- the stage is set for take away and turnover.

Even though everyone gives lip service to our commitment to being a nation of laws - the current movement of our nation is toward lawlessness (doing only what you want to when you want to) and tyranny (the powerful group of elitists who will emerge to get everyone in line).

The message to the liberal? Please turn the the Christ of the Bible, find forgiveness in Him, and lead us back to standards of love, and humble service to the Creator. You have more power to do that than the conservative does.

The next chapter will show us how the conservative has sins to repent of as well..... but to all of us- the gospel is not too good to be true.. it is the only good truth. And it is founded upon the GOOD TRUTH.... the shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. It is a good and secure hope!

The Gospel Confronts the Skeptic

“The riddles of God are more comforting than the answers of man.” G.K. Chesterton

I have been reading, writing, and teaching in the field known as Apologetics (defending the faith) for close to 20 years now. My research has led me to investigate the charges and arguments made throughout history against the existence of God.

There are some good natured skeptics with honorable concerns and doubts- they don't get the following or the press of the hard core, sarcastic, bomb throwing elites who pack auditoriums and sell millions of books. The popular atheists have become bolder and colder in their attack of all religion and the Christian faith in particular.

I feel like when someone discounts God on the basis of reason, they are doing the most foolish thing of all. When the Bible speaks of the ‘unforgivable sin’ and ‘blasphemy of the spirit’- it has to be this. When someone says, “There is no God, no angels or devils, no heaven or hell” they are lifting their life experience and powers of reasoning to a god-like status. ‘I must become God to kill God’- Nietzsche understood this.

I’m thankful that I am under-educated enough to keep a healthy self-suspicion of my intellect. Is reason trustworthy enough to gamble on eternity?

What does the Bible say about our ability to reason?

Romans 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.


Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.


I Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.


So a legitimate question is: Does the gospel confront the skeptic? And my answer is that it keeps coming on every breath, in every heartbeat, indeed in every argument those who fight the knowledge of God with every fiber in their being.

My guess is that- the truly hardened skeptic will best be able to respond to the issues of faith as their own body begins to wither and as the doorway of death begins to appear. There are so many urban legends surrounding the deathbeds of famous skeptics and it is impossible to sift through the spin- but my hunch is that after years of intellectual protection and high minded arguments- the closer that mysterious realm grows, the more intense the gamble is waged.

There will be harsh punishment for men who have used intellectual arguments to lead others to jettison any belief in God.

Matthew 18: 6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.7“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 

And maybe this realization works against them- they feel like they have to keep their loyalty to the many years of fighting faith. Maybe they think that they have already sealed their destiny and willing to leap into the great unknown with a determination of mind. They have a defense in their hand- "You didn't give me enough evidence!"- but I'm afraid they will fall to their knees in regret before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Satan whispers to them: 'God has let you down' and at the same time 'It is too late to pray'.

But the gospel is still good enough to forgive the waywardness and damage done by the skeptic. As has been mentioned and will continue to be emphasized: anyone who comes to their senses and sees their sin before the Holy God, and turns to Him in repentance, and trusts in the sacrificial death of Christ to atone for that sin WILL BE SAVED- but that process is a miracle...impossible by the persuasion of man.

No one comes to Christ because they lost a debate. The skeptic will only turn after a healthy self suspicion of his intellectual limitations and his heart disposition to resist. And that act will only happen as God moves- but we must keep praying and serving and loving even the boldest skeptic. As long as the skeptic is breathing- the door of mercy is open.

Yes- the gospel is that good!

“The heart has reasons that reason cannot know.” Blaise Pascal

The Gospel Confronts the Cynic

(this is a chapter in a book called The Gospel Confrontation) 

In the last chapter, we saw the gospel confront the addict. The addict needs to feel that he is forgiven. He has to be Holy Spirit invaded with the promise of God's unconditional love. The addict approaches the throne of grace already broken by his powerlessness over addiction.


The cynic is a different story. He has varying degrees of pride covering the access to his heart. His heart is protected within a fortress of complex self protective mechanisms.
The cynic has to be broken by God's wrath before he can be healed with God's love.



An addict that is healed is a true miracle. The cynic is even more miraculous- it's just that we never see it. Why? I think it is because we do a wonderful job selling God's love- but we never feel the pressure of His holiness and wrath. The 'good Lord' is an easy sell- the angry God is intolerable.


Go throughout the body of Christ today and your heart will be warmed with teary-eyed former addicts who are washed in the blood. But be careful, there are a number of unrepentant cynics walking the halls of a lot of churches who might rip you to shreds if you get out of line.


Who is the cynic? Where do we find him? And how does the gospel confront this pervasive heart type in our culture today?

Luke 15:¹⁷ “When he (The lost/prodigal son) finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, ¹⁹ and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

 ²⁰ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. ²¹ His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

 ²² “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. ²³ And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, ²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

 ²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, ²⁶ and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

 ²⁸ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, ²⁹ but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. ³⁰ Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

 ³¹ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. ³² We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!

For years and years I have pondered this parable and the one immediately after it (The dishonest manager) and find some immediate observations. The beginning of the parable (There was a man who had 2 sons)- the all important middle (But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him), and the abrupt ending (unhappy elder brother).


I also noticed what is written after the stories are done- "The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed Him."


Do you see an ebb and flow of God's heart..? Compassion for the humble.. the downtrodden (Psalm 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.) and harshness for the arrogant (I Peter 5:5 God resists the proud).


When I speak of the cynic- it is a rather large category that I will deal with in later chapters. It is a person who spolis and hardens by degrees. Anger to bitterness to hatred to callous skepticism. The cynic can be a moralist, a religious zealot, a proud Pharisee, a jaded venomous sarcastic critic, a bitter old fool, or a mocking young bully.


Remember Psalm 1? Blessed is the man who:
Walks not... in the council of the wicked
nor stands... in the way of sinners
nor sits.. in the seat of scoffers.


Walking-standing-sitting indicates a pattern that gets well worn over time until a person is thoroughly tracked for destruction.


Even our sinful human hearts show compassion for the humble addict and contempt for the arrogant oppressor. Do our hearts hint at God's heart as well?


Everything I have written in this chapter seems so harsh. But I can tell you from personal experience- a cold heart is only made alive by grieving. My story leans more to the cynic and less to the addict. Early in life I did all I could to avoid shame. It drove me to be the best. I had to be the strongest, the toughest, the best. I craved adult adulation and attention and I achieved acceptance by 'winning'. An unintended consequence of this quest was to shut my heart down. I avoided any pain of loss by vowing to never feel hurt or loneliness. I would hurt others on the way to 'victory' but felt no pity. On the outside I was the high achieving all-american boy.. on the inside I was a cold, calculating, manipulative machine.


The gospel was important to me and I did find a conversion experience going into my junior year of high school. But it was a head decision, a logical choice made to win the ultimate end game. It wasn't until I got married that I realized how cold my love was for others. All my effort to be excellent doesn't work to keep a relationship healthy. Any problems in my marriage was that my wife was broken and needed fixing so she could operate according to my plan.


Thanks be to God that I began to see her hurt and it helped me find a brokenness in spirit- she wasn't the problem. In fact, I was lucky that she was persevering in spite of my cold demeanor and quiet insecurity. I was helped when she let me have it from time to time- to this day, I am so thankful that I did not marry a mouse- God knew I needed someone to look me in the eye and say, ' This isn't easy to say- but you are selfish- and worst of all- you never seem to care."


Going through trials, enduring in prayer, and finding healing in the pain has helped me come a long way. I still have a tendency to withdraw into a shell- but my faithful friend of 23 years knows how to creatively draw me out. And that understanding of gospel forgiveness keeps us renewed inside!


But there are some tragic stories out there. Sadly, the addict sometimes evolves into a cynic. After years of addictive behavior- the years take their toll. The young party boy is now hurting. The dancing is now straight shots at a lonely bar. No more wine, women, and song. But there is no humility, there is only a bitterness. There is an anger at God while seeds of disappointment turn the addict's heart to stone. He sees himself as a victim and is mad at the world. This is Satan's most fiendish trap of all. 


But to that man all alone, it is OK to grieve. Romans 6 asks "What benefit therefore are the things which you are now ashamed? The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ." It is never too late- when you feel that God has finally broken you- reach out to Him and watch Him rescue you in deeper love and acceptance than you ever imagined!


Remember that we prayed for the addict to 'come to his senses'. The prayer for the cynic is almost sadistic..."Lord, you are going to have to break him." Now, we have to be SO CAREFUL here. It is up to God to sovereignly introduce the pain. A cynical heart has almost no feeling at all. So God orchestrates pain to produce mourning. (Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn.)


Pain is a tool in the hand of The Surgeon.


When you talk of good news to a cynic- the seeds are bouncing off of a hard rock. It is a hard cold winter and the heart has no use for that seed of God's Word.


So what does God do? He crushes it. It is the same tough love He portrays in Christ. Isaiah 53- "It pleased the Lord to CRUSH him." 


Now here is where we do the cynics such a dis-service. It would be better for us to deliver the warning and pray that sinners would repent from such terrible news. We need to read the passages of warning and judgement- especially the wrath that is coming on the oppressive ones in the world.


Instead, we bounce little cotton balls of "The good Lord" off of the cold, dead hearted cynics- we sit back and wring our hands, we hide behind a shrug and say "Oh Well God's will"- we watch the skeptics eat our children for dinner because a word about 'Hell" might offend them.


Then God crushes them to dust and they have a right to say, "Why didn't you tell me?".


For every sermon about God's love... for every kind word about free grace- there ought to be an equal treatment about God's wrath on sin. In Romans, the greek word is "Orge' and it literally means God has revealed His ANGER toward unrighteousness. His judgement stands firm and unassuaged by EVERYTHING except the blood of His Son.


Does God hate sin? Look at the cross! Does God love sinners? Look at the cross! But to only share one side of the story actually waters down the significance of the story.


Why is the gospel so uncompelling to our young people today? We have taught that God is a big Santa Claus, this life is fun on the beach, they are born sick, but a Jesus shot will cure their ills. "Just be a good boy and the good Lord will make your dreams come true!"


The Biblical view is that God is the Holy Creator of the Universe. He is Holy and will destroy all that is aligned against Him. Life is a war against deadly enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. And man is born dead meat- aligned as an enemy- but the crushing death of Jesus Christ stands as a covering for sin and rebellion. Nothing insignificant about that story!


Peter Ditzel uses this story as illustration:

Suppose all of the citizens of a certain city in a certain kingdom wickedly rebel against their king. The king then brings his forces to reestablish his kingdom in the city, lays siege to the city, and conquers it. The conquering king sends his herald to announce his terms of peace to the citizens of the city. The herald tells them that, without exception, every one of the citizens of the city deserve death for rebelling against the king. But he also has good news. Any citizen who repents of his rebellion, submits to the king, and pledges his allegiance to him will receive the king's free and undeserved pardon.
Be clear on this point. Any citizen who repents, submits to the king, and pledges his allegiance to him still deserves death for rebellion. The law does not take repentance into account. Only a free and undeserved pardon from the king will save. Several citizens grasp the grace that the king has offered, and they repent, submit to the king, and pledge their allegiance to him. Their repentance, submission, and pledge of allegiance do not buy them the king's pardon as it cannot be bought. The punishment for rebellion is death, and the law does not take into account repentance, submission, and a pledge of allegiance. Turning from wrong and doing what is right, and submitting and showing allegiance to the king are merely what is expected of all citizens. It is what they should have been doing all along. By doing these things, they do not obligate the king. By doing these things, they have not paid for their pardon. By doing these things, they have not fulfilled a condition that legally results in their pardon. They could very well do these things and still be executed. The king would legally be in the right if he still executed them. The king's pardon is completely free and undeserved.
This is very similar to the situation between God and humanity. Humanity is in wicked rebellion against God. Everyone deserves eternal death. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, God has conquered the world (the Greek word translated "overcome" in John 16:33 means "subdued" or "conquered"). God has sent His heralds into the world to announce His terms of peace. These terms are: Everyone deserves eternal death for rebellion. But those who turn from their wickedness, believe on Jesus as their Savior, and submit to Him as their Lord, He will freely pardon. Nothing they do can make them deserve this pardon. They should have been doing these things all along. The law makes no provision for repentance, belief, and submission to reverse a sentence of death. These things are not conditions of the law that, if met, will earn pardon. Nevertheless, those who repent, believe, and submit will receive the free and unmerited pardon of God.
But, you may ask, if God will only pardon those who repent, believe, and submit, isn't that really a works salvation? No, it is not because the law makes no provision for these works to merit anything. They count for nothing. Besides, God gives repentance, belief, and submission as a gift to us. I say "a gift" because repentance, belief, and submission are really just aspects of the same thing. When we believe or trust in Jesus as our Savior, we are turning from our rebellious ways and submitting to Him. The Bible usually calls it faith, belief, or trust (all the same Greek word), but sometimes breaks it down finer into repentance, belief, and submission to Jesus as Lord. So, God gives us this gift which merits nothing with Him but through which we receive His pardon or salvation and which, by the way, also identifies to us who we are—His elect.
I hope this makes clearer that there is really no contradiction between being saved totally by grace through faith and needing to repent and submit to Jesus as our Lord.

I appeal to anyone out there who is weary of this glorious gospel. Don't be too cool to care or too casual to respond. Cry out to God to help you humble yourself under His mighty hand. At that point drink in His good grace. If you continue to oppose Him, it may not be pretty. Stop judging others in your self righteous indignation... ask God to help you find a heart to receive all things and people with thanksgiving! Don't be a pessimist- find an attitude of gratitude! This is the fruit of the gospel.

I will elaborate on this type later as we deal with skeptics and Pharisees... but the time for repentance is now.

The Gospel Confronts the Addict

(this is a chapter in a book called The Gospel Confrontation) 


The next two chapters are a result of working with Rev. Bill Delvaux, Head of a Bible Department at a Nashville Christian School. Bill's teaching and ministry was a huge inspiration to me and pushed my relationship with Christ more into the heart and less about the head.


Bill categorizes people, for ministry purposes, as addicts or cynics- using the parable of the prodigal son (actually 2 sons) as a backdrop (Luke 15). He says that we tend to find ourselves as either the addict, filling the heart,- or the cynic, killing the heart. He has a great series of teachings about the heart and the route out of both conditions.


Though I am using similar language and passages, I am going to approach the confrontation of the gospel to the cynic and addict in a little different way, not opposing Bill's points, but affirming his ministry of which I am a benefactor. 


John Calvin is often quoted as saying, "the human heart is an idol factory." Throughout Scripture, man is shown to elevate things of the world, even good things, and place them in such high regard and dependency that they become god replacements.


Is there a difference in the idolator and the addict? The Book of Romans paints a clear picture of our default mode. Paul's argument is that we know God is there by way of His creation- but in hardness of heart, without a spirit of gratitude, man 'exchanges' the truth and glory of the true God and worships the creature. This is a downward spiral where God actually allows man to follow these foolish and dark desires, growing ever more dishonorable and impure and foolish. God gives man over to his pursuits and the consequence is built into the activity itself.


The idolator becomes an addict- a heart that has a capacity for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11) has to have more and more. Before long the desire has become the master and man its prisoner. An addict is an idolator who has become a slave to his idol of preference.


Do some people have a more addictive personality than others? It seems so- but the degree of addiction is often linked to the power of a heart's capacity for passion. The addict's heart is still alive and hungry while the cynic has almost silenced his heart in callous anger or despair. The addict is an unregulated heart- wide and burning- needing more and more with a payoff of less and less.


The best addicts learn to juggle the addictions in such a way to prevent social indignation. Over the years I have registered a few quotes in my mind that connect to this maze of misery. "We have an infinite appetite for distraction" and "A life of activity can be confused as a life of meaning".


The difference between a cocaine addict and a golf addict may not be as different at the heart level as we might initially believe. Obviously, there are huge differences to how it plays out in society and the recovery of each or the penalty of each is different- but all addictions have at the core what God chastised His people about in Jeremiah 2:12. "My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water; to make for themselves broken wells which hold no water."


We think we know the addict. We have stories of friends or family members who have experienced the ravages of alcohol addiction or heroine addiction. We understand the high cost of these lifestyles, including death.


But is the gospel a route out? Is it that good? How does the message of new life in Christ help the addict? How does the confrontation play out?


In the case of the addict, we are praying for a miracle that can come only from God Himself. An addict has years of gospel rejection working against him. The addict has taken the good things of God and his common grace and said' "I don't want God, I don't need God- to me He is only an expedient." And the issue is that God will never allow Himself to be an expedient. He allows for the withdrawal of light and the heart of the addict refuses to seek help. C.S. Lewis said it well, "Hell is a prison with doors that are locked from the inside."


The addict is a prisoner and the chains are heavy. The evil one compoundes the issue by keeping the fog thick and deceptive. In the early stages there are great highs and encouraging companions. The party is fun and intense. The hook is set before the junkie knows it- and the mind is too cloudy for reason.


Attempts to quit seem useless. If an addict has spent years numbing pain- then as the pain comes in- it creates panic and retreating from the reality of that existence is life and death.


My experience with the addict though has uncovered a more hideous problem. An addict's worst habit is lying. Successful addicts lie so well that they even deceive themselves. Because gospel confrontation begins in truth telling, the addict is often DOA when it comes to true recovery.


See what I mean?.... the rescue of an addict is always a miracle. But miracles DO HAPPEN!


The route out always begins with a realization that reflects reality. Luke 15:17 "But when he (the prodigal) came to himself, he said....". How do we pray for the addict? We cry out to God to have him come to himself. He needs the fog to lift. He needs a flicker. He needs to see himself as he is. And the picture is never pretty- it can be dark and devastating.


Have you ever watched the show, 'Intervention'? It is always interesting to me that when the loved ones join together with one stern voice of love- the addict has a breakthrough of reality... this is it.. this is serious. Sure, it can result in anger or denial- but a well thought out, guided by professionals, supported by loved ones, intervention can be that 'awakening' that allows a gospel confrontation.


I was in a men's group many years ago. You know what a men's group is? It is where a few men meet together and after 6 months they start telling the truth.


So in this group, we finally started getting real. And it happened. One day- a successful businessman, father of young boys, a leader in the church and community- came to himself. "I'm addicted to online pornography."


Every man in that group was changed in that one transparent disclosure- and the gospel of Christ was ready to set the captive free. 


It was a rather easy process- he allowed us to be his accountability partners. He told us his M.O. How and where and when and we set a game plan to 'help'. 


6 weeks later, he had a believable testimony to the power of Christ to end an area that was killing him spiritually and robbing his life and marriage of joy.


What was the key? In his case it was two things: 1) The admission/confession to a group of brothers who loved him without condemnation and 2) the powerful message of forgiveness through the cross of Christ.


He explained that as his sin became more frequent he found that Satan had equipped it with a 'stinger' of shame and regret. It wasn't long before he was getting further into his addiction because of shame. He felt Satan telling him- "you are a worthless hypocrite"- and "God is through with you- in a short time, He is going to destroy you". He believed the lies and his guilt drove him deeper into the activity.


This is the 'worldly sorrow' that the Apostle Paul writes of in 2 Corinthians 7. It is a terrible existence. The addict feels shame, hurt, guilt. He wants out. The addiction is no longer stimulating, it is not fun, it is a burden. He can't tell anyone. So without hope or help he turns once again to the addiction. More and more. Less and less relief. He is a slave.


But then a gospel confrontation happens. Does God care? Is it too late? Is my sin too great?
II Corinthians 7: 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.


Then the Holy Spirit confirms the message of grace. The cross is proof of God's love. 


Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


The addict's most sincere prayer: "Help me God, I'm in trouble."


And recovery begins. Sure, a long up and down process, but God stands by His promises.


Our friend still had some slip ups. He went back a few times. He did this off and on for a year or two. But the gospel had taken Satan's stinger out. He would fall and get up quicker. God's Word begin to teach him to see with new eyes.


The greatest testimony of deliverance was when my friend stated, "I'm so saddened by the industry of pornography. It is so fake. I hate what it does to women. I hate what it has done to society. I hate that it has cheapened something beautiful that was created by God. I want to share the gospel to others, I want others to hear my story, I want others to find newness in Christ!"


I can share these stories of victory over and over. I have a brother who is living proof of deliverance from  drug addiction who is teaching  and helping others.


Does the saved addict still suffer consequences. Sadly, yes. There is always a cost.  
The old saying goes: 
Sin will take you further than you want to go. 
It will keep you longer than you want to stay,
and it will cost you more than you want to pay.

But the reality is that the message of Christ is so good that joy overcomes the loss. And once the truth takes root, the addict can agree with the puritan, Thomas Chalmers- There really is "The expulsive power of a new affection." Once you experience the depth of Christ's love, you gladly participate in the new 'exchange' where Christ takes your sin and you take His righteousness. 

He has set the captive free! It makes you break into singing and praise!

So, one brother is healed... we now turn to a harder case... the gospel confronts the cynic....

How Can "Good News" Be a Confrontation?

No doubt the title of this book can be startling or upsetting. To use the word 'gospel' and 'confrontation' appears oxymoronic in every application.


But the beginning of the 'good news' is very bad news. The glory of the gospel is elevated only after the carnage of our weakness is exposed. The gospel I see in the Scripture is glorious because it is sought and bought by the Savior- the only thing I add to my salvation is sin, failure, and brokenness.


Why does this gospel message seem so hidden? I see the reality of Richard Niebuhr's famous critique of the growing liberal and social gospel when he wrote: "A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross."


My personal response to Christ's offer of forgiveness has always been a response to my sudden awareness of deep and dark sin. My shame is the shadow of my heart. God's holiness is an affront to my selfishness and pride. My cold dead heart has disappointed me one more time. It is then and only then that the beauty of Christ's atoning death and free offer of grace causes my heart to leap at that hope. Though an enemy deserving of death, the Holy God of the universe still loves me and offers not only to justify me- calling me innocent- he also wants to adopt me as His son!


And this is not a one and done reality. Indeed, my gospel experience has been now 30 years of incredible re-discovery that it is all about Him. His mercies are new every morning. The Holy Spirit process of sanctification has not made me feel more holy over the years- it has made me more sin aware and more God loving. Please do not mis-understand- this is not a license to sin more- it is a firm reality that I am way more sinful than I ever realized- but God's grace is still better that I ever imagined.


There have been times that I have dreamed about writing a book and really laying it on the line. Going back and truthfully exposing my fraudulent ways- letting everyone see how many people I have let down over the years, how many wicked thoughts I have entertained, how many times I have manipulated and served my selfish will- And then I laugh because A) there is NO WAY I could REALLY do that without leaving the country and B) I would only use it to make me look good in the end. The ultimate self protecting mechanism is "I am better than you, I care more than you, look at me- don't you wish you could be as good as me?"


For the last two years in particular, God has shot me with a gospel gun that is so amazing, it is almost like a 'high'. But even after basking in the glow- it fades as quickly as Moses shining face. There is something about the gospel that is a mystery, it leaks out of us or we drift from it. I find myself squarely in the middle of gospel springs, flowing with energy, newness, loving power and prayers- but a short season later I am languishing in stagnant pools of legalism or licentiousness.


I have learned to keep the stagger from being so exaggerated by doing a daily gospel awareness. It begins each morning with a prayer from Gal.2:20  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

And everyday ends with a beautiful gospel reality- Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

So yes- the gospel- as sweet as it is- as glorious and beautiful as the reality is- as world changing as it is- begins with a daily confrontation. I CAN'T and I WON'T- and that reality is so painful that I hide from God just as Adam did in the garden.

I cringe behind a locked door- and I hear my Father's knock. I think He is coming in with a belt and looks of disdain- but he wants to eat with me and fellowship with me (Rev. 3:20).

Jesus confronted in shocking ways. He had sharp barbs for the self-righteous and compassionate healing for the downtrodden.

So in the next few chapters we will see the gospel confronting the stereotypical icons in our society. The surprise is this: these are the only words of hope we have left. This is the only way of hope we have left.

Ultimately there are only 2 choices: we give our pitiful performance to God or we accept His performance for us. Listen and feel the gospel confrontation.......

The Fruit of Dreams, Sweat, and Sacrifice- A 4th of July Celebration

I put together the lyrics to "America the Beautiful" and interwove it with the letter that John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail right after he signed the Declaration of Independence (letter- July 3, 1776). The letter is in red and the hymn is in blue- may we never forget the blessings of God and Liberty!

America the Beautiful

Words by Katharine Lee Bates,
Melody by Samuel Ward

 

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee 
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea! 

Yesterday the greatest question was decided, which ever was debated in America, and a greater, perhaps, never was or will be decided among Men. A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony "that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be,free and independent states, and as such they have, and of right ought to have, full power to make war, conclude peace, establish commerce, and to do all the other acts and things which other states may rightfully do."

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law! 

You will see in a few days a declaration setting forth the causes which have impelled us to this mighty revolution and the reasons which will justify it in the sight of God and man. A plan of confederation will be taken up in a few days.

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine! 

When I look back to the year of 1761 and recollect the argument concerning writs of assistance in the superior court, which I have hitherto considered as the commencement of the controversy between Great Britain and America, and run through the whole period from that time to this, and recollect the series of political events, the chain of causes and effects, I am surprised at the suddenness as well as greatness of this revolution. Britain has been fill’d with Folly and America with Wisdom, at least this is my Judgment. Time must determine. It is the will of Heaven that the two countries should be sundered forever. It may be the will of Heaven that America shall suffer calamities still more wasting and distressing yet more dreadful. If this is to be the case, it will have this good effect, at least: it will inspire us will many virtues, which we have not, and correct many errors, follies, and vices, which threaten to disturb, dishonor, and destroy us. The furnace of affliction produces refinement, in states as well as individuals. And the new governments we are assuming, in every part, will require a purification from our vices and an augmentation of our virtues or they will be no blessings. 

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea! 

The people will have unbounded power. And the people are extremely addicted to corruption and venality, as well as the great. I am not without apprehensions from this quarter, but I must submit all my hopes and fears to an overruling Providence, in which, unfashionable as the faith may be, I firmly believe.

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea! 

It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
Whose stem impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through
wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee! 

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States.

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free! 

Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee! 

John Adams---------------------------------------------------

Philadelphia

July 3, 1776

On the great day of celebration- may we never forget the joy of the dream- and may we never forget the God of the dream- may we find unity in the heart of the dream. When it is time to stand, this nation is worth it......