Paul's Passing Thoughts

I don’t know if the Potter’s House gang is sick of messages on justification yet, but at any rate, we will soon be putting the same effort into the subject of Christian living; ie., sanctification. It will be two more messages before we delve into sanctification by entering into the 12^th chapter of Romans. Undoubtedly, our journey will unravel the confusion around, practicality. Pragmatism: does it encourage self-sufficiency? Does it draw people further away from God, or closer to him?

One of the many issues that is not dealt with in the Christian church is the reality that good ideas work for the lost as well as the saved. There is hesitancy among Christians to be involved in the improvement of secularism through good ideas. Are we just making people more comfortable on their road to hell?

No doubt, the metaphysical viewpoint of the Reformers that happiness is found in eradication of any attachment to the world and replaced with gazing on the glories of heaven saturates the Western mind and theology. The initial climax of escape often occupies the mind of a newly saved person such as myself until wisdom partners with exhilaration. As a young Christian, armed with enough theology to be dangerous, I was surprised to learn that Christians had funerals. What for? They are no longer here but with the Lord, what’s the point? Trust me, my association with the well-seasoned Pastor Richard Peacock was part of God’s plan for my life. However, imagine if I had been in a different camp where such a one-sided metaphysical view of life is revered? In essence, a Heidelberg Confession worldview. A much wiser musing can be found in the words of the late Steve Jobs: “Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there.” Hence, Jobs was probably a better advocate for the Rapture than most Christians who think cheating death is unspiritual.

The subject of sanctification not only teaches us how to live life, but it teaches us how to look at reality. Does biblical wisdom just make the world more comfortable in its damnation, or does it qualify us to be listened to? Are people impressed with life or death? Is the world not infatuated with better ways of living? Are you aware of what is on TV these days? You ever heard of Oprah?

Look, the Reformers thought, and still think, that their way of death and escaping the world is better than any other way because it has the Jesus label. Ultimate life through progressive death. But the world is not lacking in escapism philosophy and often these philosophies also bear the Jesus label as the avant-garde. The gospel according to Moses seemed to be ultimate life through progressive life: “I put before you this day death and life, choose life!”

Does a wiser life with good results qualify us to be heard by the world? Does it adorn the gospel, or hinder the gospel? Believe it or not, such basic questions pervade the American church and confusion abounds.

Well, as humble as our little Potter’s House is, I can tell you that while the debate rages in regard to the question, “What is the gospel?” we know what the gospel is. And soon, we will journey into the true significance of Christian living.

paul