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theology
Like caffeine: it picks us up, so we don’t stop to think about its source. But hope isn’t neutral. There are many things we hope in that end in huge disappointment and even painful consequences. They leave people feeling hopeless. Or they’re afraid to hope for fear of being let down. Is cynicism the answer?
In the rush to gain an audience, churches can rebrand themselves in ways that “feel good but aren’t as good for you.” They can offer “fast-food Christianity” that is palatable but lacks much substance. And so many doctrines can be thrown away that churches cease to be churches entirely.
There’s a belief that New Testament prophecy may contain a kernel of truth even if there’s a husk of error. Something can get lost in the translation. There’s also an appeal to what I’ll call humble prophecy. Instead of saying, “Thus says the Lord,” people are encouraged to say things like “I feel God wants me to tell you this.” All of this seems well-intentioned. But is it biblical?
The message seems to be that adding God’s authority to your own words is so dangerous to the people of God that the prophet had to be permanently silenced. If you were going to claim to speak for God, the words that came out of your mouth had to be as true and reliable as God Himself.
Many people “love” their Roomba because it’s programmed to clean their floors for them, but we wouldn’t celebrate that kind of love. Someone with an unflinching dedication to a hopelessly malfunctioning and even defiant vacuum cleaner would stand out. Through the fall, we see a God who loves the unlovable. And we can know Him in a way that wouldn’t have been possible without it.
At first, the idea of a trendy God seems like just what we need. But how long would you follow Jesus if He wore skinny jeans? We need a classic God, not a trendy one. A God who keeps up with the times is like a dad who tries to talk and dress like his teenage son. God makes no attempt to keep up with the times because He exists outside of time. But because God doesn’t change, you can be confident that He won’t change His mind, and so you can rely on what He says.
Brevard Childs published a book in 1975 that set the entire theological world talking. His basic thesis was that the Bible is a book and God intended for it to be read as one. That may seem obvious to you, but the academic world is still coming to grips with its implications, and you probably haven’t considered them.
We hear sin talked about in terms of its eternal consequences and the wonder of Jesus’ forgiveness so much that we can start to think that there’s nothing more to it. The problem with that is that it can make us feel as if there’s no reason to deny ourselves. In a moment of weakness, Christian grace can feel like a hall pass that nullifies all the consequences of sin. That’s not helpful.
Most people read the Bible and look for the “practical parts.” We want to see how the Bible applies to our lives. In the process, we often end up skipping over the passages that show how God gives us the strength to apply those practical passages. The result can be frustration or hypocrisy. One of the areas of Scripture that we need to come to terms with if we want to grow is the theme of identity. Let me explain.
In 1505, Martin Luther was returning home after having started studies in law, when he found himself in a thunderstorm that made him fear for his life. He sought shelter by a large rock and famously cried out, “Help me, Saint Anne, and I will become a monk.” Luther was spared any harm and he returned home, had a party with his friends, and entered a monastery never to study law again. He later came to reflect on this moment and was convicted that he was wrong in treating Saint Anne in a way that he was convinced only God should be treated. This remains a point of disagreement between Catholics and Protestants to this day.
