Amazing Grace

"All . . . were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips." (Lk 4:22). Grace is amazing in every age. Share some today!

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Humble Orthodoxy: Holding the Truth High without Putting People Down

John"s gospel describes Jesus as displaying the glory of God the Father by being "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). In his short book, Humble Orthodoxy, Joshua Harris offers helpful instruction in our pursuit of these qualities as followers of Jesus Christ. Our human tendency is to focus on one to the exclusion of the other. However, we must view these as equally valuable virtues to be constantly held in tension. Harris admits: "There is a fine line between contending for the truth and being contentious."

In our culture that is set on challenging many of the foundational truths of the Scriptures, Harris insightfully lists some of the wrong reactions. Some christians, "Driven by a desire to reach lost people, cross the line from trying to reach our culture and start trying to impress our culture." When this becomes one's motivation, "Very quickly all that God has to say becomes, instead of precious truth, a hinderance. The christians who go this way become slaves to the trends, values and ideals of a spiritually lost culture."




The other extreme that other christians adopt is that "They turn their back on culture altogether. They lock themselves in their little christian sub-culture, move into their little christian ghetto and make their focus impressing people within their little christian clique. They might love truth, but to them truth isn't about God changing lost people, it's about them proving themselves right on any given issue." The biblical stance in relation to truth is not about trying to please people, rather, it's about seeking the approval of God (2 Timothy 2:15). When our motivation for living becomes what people think of about us, then we are in danger of being pulled to either extreme regarding how we handle truth.

The recent banning of Phil Robertson by A&E from the popular TV program Duck Dynasty, has stimulated a strong response from the christian community. I am troubled by a christian perspective that is surpised by opposition to truth and responds with a demanding attitude that a christian should have the freedom to say what he believes without being rejected. This sense of entitlement is foreign to the teachings of our Lord who said those who would follow him must deny themselves and take up his cross (Matthew 16:24). Further, he invited us to, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart." (Matthew 11:29).

Harris challenges us with some probing questions: "Are we giving as much energy to obeying and being reformed by God's word personally as we are to criticizing its detractors? . . . As we lose the esteem of our culture, as we see false teachers gain ground, what will we do? Will we grow bitter, angry and vengeful? Or, like Jesus, will we continue to love our enemies even as we suffer? Will we keep praying? Will we keep praying for God to open others' eyes?"

I highly recommend this short book to all who seek to be like Jesus by embracing the truth while living humbly. It can be read through in a few hours and concludes with a study guide for individuals or groups who desire further relflection and application. I am thankful to my pastors who passed it along to me.


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Location:Tom Mboya Avenue,Mombasa,Kenya

The Good an the Bad

Pride is insidiously deceptive. I have discovered that even when I do what is good and right I am prone to self-centeredness. This reality was graphically illustrated to me recently while listening to Robert Lewis Stevenson's The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In reflecting on my own life, it turns out that the case was not so strange after all.

Dr. Jekyll comes to the self-discovery that he has two opposing impulses at work within him: good and evil. Furthermore, his bad nature is holding his good nature back. And so, he develops a potion that can separate the good from the bad. His intention is to free the good self from the influence of the bad self and then he will be able to accomplish all of his good goals. However, upon taking the potion, he comes to the realization that his bad side is far more evil than he expected and he is irresistibly drawn to the evil more than the good. He says,

"I knew myself, at the first breath of this new life, to be more wicked, tenfold more wicked, sold a slave to my original evil; and the thought in that moment, braced and delighted me like wine . . . [Edward Hyde's] every act and thought centered on self."

Dr. Jekyll's confession reminds me of the Apostle Paul's struggle and my own: "I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. . . . I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." (Romans 7:14-15, 17-18).

Jekyll, determined to overcome his evil inclinations of self-centeredness and pride, resolves not to take the potion anymore. He devotes himself to charity and good works in an attempt to defeat his selfish nature and atone for the wrong Edward Hyde has done.

However, something strange happens while he is alone on a park bench reflecting on all the good he has been doing and how much better a man he was than most people.

"I resolved in my future conduct to redeem the past; and I can say with honesty that my resolve was fruitful of some good. You know how earnestly, in the last months of the last year, I labored to relieve suffering; you know that much was done for others. . . . [But as] I smiled, comparing myself with other men, comparing my active good will with the lazy cruelty of their neglect . . . at the very moment of that vain-glorious thought, a qualm came over me, a horrid nausea and the most dreadful shuddering. . . . I looked down. . . . I was once more Edward Hyde."

For the first time Jekyll becomes Hyde without the potion. This realization that he is unable to control his transformations leads him to despair and suicide. Why would Jekyll become Hyde without the potion? Like so many of us, Jekyll knows he is a sinner, so he tries desperately to cover his sin with good works. Yet his efforts do not actually diminish his pride and self-centeredness, they only aggravate it. They stir up within him prejudice, self-righteousness and pride. The transformation occurs because of his goodness.

The good news is that there is a powerful principle available to overcome the deceitfulness of self-righteousness - it is through the renewing power of the Spirit of God. Jesus Christ has broken the bondage of sin and death upon our lives by his death and resurrection. By grace he has imparted his righteousness to us by the presence of his Spirit in our lives. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2).

If I Had Only Known You Better

Lord, I crawled across the barrenness

To You with my empty cup

Uncertain of asking

any small drop of refreshment.

If only I had known You better

I'd have come running with a bucket.

Nancy Spiegelberg & Dorothy Purdy in Fanfare: A Celebration of Belief