Sanam Doctrinam

With all of our justified slamming of all things emergent, post-evangelical, et. all, I was wondering, “Is there any place for mystery?” I believe that if we are being Biblical we need to leave a great deal of space for this.

Here is what I mean. I believe that what God has revealed about Himself, He has done so purposefully, so that we can understand Him. I think any plain reading of the Scriptures will render God as what most orthodox theologies say He is and what He does. There is no question that God is revealed in the pages of Scripture exactly how He wants us to know Him, and that the things we don’t know about Him are consistent with those we do know (this I will explain later.)

From this understanding, as we piece all of these elements of what we understand about God (both His character, makeup, and actions), we begin to categorize or systematize.

I have no problems with this. But I do believe that this is what “post-evangelicals” react against, when they speak of mystery. They take the post-modern rout which says, if we do not have all of truth, then we must admit, what we call truth (which is only partial) may not be truth at all. The “post-evangelical” takes this and tries to attach it to Christianity, saying in other words, “If God has not fully revealed Himself, then we may have systematized Him into something He is not, and therefore, we must look at all of Him or His Words as a ‘mystery’.”

I disagree with this use of the word mystery, because it betrays any fundamental understanding of anything. I may not have all the inner-workings of a plane figured out (trust me I don’t), but I still have no problem stepping on one and flying half way across the world.

It is not wrong for us to know that we have some things about God nailed down; not because of our cleverness or ingenuity, but because of what He has plainly revealed about Himself in His Word.

So you may be asking the question, “Where then does your idea of mystery come in, if at all?” I think the key verses in all of this discussion are found in Romans 11:33-36 (NASB 95).

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

First of all Paul is not saying that we can’t know anything about God. Paul has just finished describing God’s sovereignty over the salvation of men and God’s unbroken covenant plan for Israel. What Paul is saying; however, is that after all of this explanation, (which by the way God is inspiring him to write, thus, God is revealing Himself not only to Paul, but to all of us as well) there are just aspects we are not able to figure out. There are questions that will go unanswered and we should not question God, but rather thank Him for what He has revealed to us about Himself! This is the mystery of God. It is what He has not revealed about Himself, that we will spend all eternity getting to know.

I think in our justified reaction against all things “post-evangelical” we do not want to discount “mystery”, but embrace the fact that God has not revealed all to us, while at the same time upholding the truth, learning and teaching and worshiping the God who has revealed what He has.

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”

John 14:27

Of all the promises the Savior gave during His earthly ministry, today’s verse must rank near the top. When we consider the historical context in which Jesus delivered it, we can understand exactly how timely it was.

Jesus had become the center of His disciples’ world. He was their Teacher, Provider, Master, and Friend. They had come to depend on Him, to hang on His every word, and trust His spiritual instruction as from God Himself. And they were right to do so. Jesus, however, unbeknownst to them, was about to give His life as payment for the sins of the world, and then return to the Father. They didn’t grasp this. Jesus knew they would need comfort after having the props kicked out from underneath them, so to speak. That is why He gave them the encouraging words of John 14:27. His words would bring them comfort and strength after His departure.

Specifically, Jesus promised His disciples peace. Peace is one of those words that is better understood through experience than through description. Peace is that deep-down, settled sense that everything is okay in the deepest part of who we are. The world may be falling apart around us, even our own life may be falling apart from an observer’s point of view, but all is well within our hearts because we have a confidence that God is sitting as Sovereign over our circumstances. That’s the essence of peace.

What I find delightful, and quite frankly a little bit intriguing about today’s verse is Jesus’ addendum, “not as the world gives do I give to you.” If you’re like me, that statement raises the question in your mind about how the world gives. It seems to me that the world does give a brand of peace. That peace comes in the form of material things, more than anything. The world says, “You aren’t feeling contented? You need more stuff in your life.” Trying to achieve peace through the acquisition of material objects is impossible. It’s as if we are trying to fill a bottomless pit. Any of us who have gotten something new and experienced the excitement that brings, and then have sensed the newness wearing off, can identify with the fruitlessness of trying to find lasting peace through things of this world.

Jesus offered something different, however. He said He did not give peace in the manner of the world. The peace Jesus offered (and offers) is lasting and real. The peace the Lord Jesus gives makes the world’s peace cheap in comparison.

How do we take hold of this peace? I think the answer is in the text. It is Jesus Himself. When we recognize Jesus fully for who He is—the sovereign, reigning Ruler over our every circumstance—we will have the privilege of enjoying His peace, a peace unlike anything the world can give.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons;
you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

1 Corinthians 10:21

Even the most gentle and submissive person eventually runs into conflict. There are those in this world who, because of their strong personality or desire to insist on their perspectives, seem to induce conflict wherever they go. Oftentimes, the only way to navigating decision making with this sort of person requires a great deal of compromise. Compromise involves two parties both making concessions to the other in order to settle their differences. Compromise can be a useful tool as we make our way through life.

While compromise enables us to navigate interpersonal relationships, it is treacherous in our spiritual lives. When we talk about compromise in the context of our spiritual life, it refers to the idea of making concessions to our flesh—that inner predisposition to sin.

Today’s verse deals very directly with the issue of spiritual compromise. It seems that in the church at Corinth—believers in Christ—were going to feasts held in honor of idols. They wanted to keep one foot in pagan idolatry and one foot in the church. Paul said that this was an impossible compromise for believers. In effect, he told the Corinthian church that they couldn’t have it both ways. They needed either to choose Christ or choose idol worship. Paul’s words weren’t that different from those of Joshua in Joshua 24:15: “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve.” Basically, Paul told the Corinthians who were participating in idol feasts to get off the fence.

It would be convenient if spiritual compromise was limited to contexts in which we are tempted to participate in idol feasts. However, it’s not. Spiritual compromise confronts us at every turn. It beckons to us in our entertainment choices, our relationships, and our business dealings. There are a variety of areas in our lives in which we can compromise. Each of these areas contains a multitude of opportunities. The question for us, of course, is how will we respond when we are presented with these myriad chances to compromise?

This question is one we each must answer. Scripture presents us with a compelling reply: We must not compromise in those areas where God has made Himself clear. When we compromise, making concessions to our flesh, the result is that greater concessions become easier and easier. We wind up on a slippery slope. Compromise adds its own momentum. In extreme cases, we can forget what we believe altogether. Compromise reduces clear lines of biblical morality to indistinct shades of gray. Spiritual compromise is never worth it.

Compromise is a wonderful thing when it comes to stubborn people coming to an agreement. It’s tragic when we open the door to it in our spiritual lives. Those things that are right in Scripture we must pursue with great perseverance. Those things that are clearly wrong, we must avoid with equal earnestness. That’s how we slam the door on spiritual compromise.

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.

Psalm 84:10

How’s your prayer life? For many of us, that’s a question we would prefer not to be asked. Prayer can feel like a necessary routine, something similar to brushing our teeth, especially to those of us who have been believers in Christ for a while. There is an aspect to prayer that involves labor. In fact, in Colossians 4:12 we read of Epaphras, who labored in prayer. But the idea that prayer is drudgery or a spiritual hurdle that must be surmounted is a tragic fallacy.

As I was talking with my wife, Julie, yesterday, she commented how someone had said that it’s good to tell little children, “Let’s talk to God.” When we tell our two-year-old daughter, Grace, that it’s time to pray, she dutifully folds her little hands and waits until we’re finished praying. Perhaps, however, she doesn’t understand that prayer is talking to God. In fact, she probably doesn’t. But those of us who have been living in “church world” for some time might have not much advantage over little Grace. After all, it’s hard to say who is in the better position: someone who doesn’t understand what prayer is, or someone who has forgotten what it is. I believe a number of us fall into that latter category.

Prayer is talking to God. It’s nothing more. It is not an incantation, a magic formula, or a religious duty. Prayer simply involves conversing with our Creator. There is great freedom and delight when we recognize that.

When we recognize prayer as the privilege and opportunity of talking to God, it becomes something we want to do. This sentiment was certainly echoed by David in today’s verse. Were we to ask the old king where he would most want to be, he would tell us, “As close to God as I can get.” For David, that involved being in the courts of God’s tabernacle. Even though God is omnipresent, He told Israel that He would dwell among them in the tabernacle, and later, the temple. The delight of being as close to God as possible is what drew David to that special tent.

I think that there is a good deal we can learn from David’s example. From him we learn that it is a delightful thing to be in close contact with God.

I believe part of the problem that causes us to take a dim view of prayer is that we relegate it to special times of the day. We think that God only wants to hear from us when we have something of religious significance to bring to Him. Instead of viewing our God as a trusted friend, we think of Him as a disinterested monarch. While Scripture is clear that God is great and glorious beyond our human conception, Scripture also portrays Him as a dear friend to us (Job 29:4). As a friend, He delights to hear what we have to say. As a Father, He bends down to listen.

Is prayer a duty? No, it’s a conversation with someone who is more loving than we can imagine. David wanted to stay near God. In prayer, we have just that privilege. He delights to hear everything, from the jar lid we cannot remove, to our pain over a strained relationship. It is little wonder David that loved to be in the courts of His God.

Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD,
He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.

Deuteronomy 4:39

Can you remember where you were and what you were doing on September 11, 2001? I remember that my girlfriend (who is now my wife) called me and told me that the World Trade Center had been destroyed. I remember turning on the TV in my Dallas apartment and watching as an airliner crashed into the towers.

The response to the tragedy was remarkable. I lived in a house with other seminarians. I will never forget our next-door neighbors, whom we had never met, knocking on our door and asking us to pray with them. We gathered, then and there, on the lawn in front of the house and prayed for our nation. Something even more curious followed 9/11. In front yards across the nation signs popped up. Bumper stickers appeared. Billboards heralded the phrase. The words became almost ubiquitous: “God Bless America.” I was amazed. I fancied the thought that America might be experiencing wholesale spiritual revival. Perhaps it was just my cynical view, but I believe that I’m not too far off base to suggest that those who displayed the phrase had different interpretations of its meaning. Specifically, these divergent interpretations concerned the understanding of the single word “God.”

“God” means so many different things to so many people. Although the quote has been attributed to different people, it is totally true that, “God made us in His image and we’ve been returning the favor ever since.” “God” can be anything to anyone. Quite often it seems that traditional understandings of God fail to satisfy. People prefer to forge idols in the fires of their imagination when it comes to God, whether or not these understandings correspond to the traditional perspective of any world religion, much less Christianity.

The bottom line is that today’s verse doesn’t fly in our world. It’s far too narrow-minded and provincial. Yet Moses beckoned the children of Israel to face reality. He called Israel to “know” and to “take to heart.” He wanted a single reality to be fixed and certain in their perceptions, namely that Yahweh—and Yahweh alone—is God. He is God in heaven and earth. That’s a figure of speech called a merism that uses things distantly separated to include everything between them. Its resultant meaning is that Yahweh is God anywhere you go. Lest someone get confused as to whether there might be another Creator lurking in some dark corner of the universe, Moses sealed the idea by saying, “there is no other.” We can look high and low. We can explore different philosophies and religious beliefs. We can look deep within ourselves for our personal perceptions. None of these things perturbs the reality that Yahweh alone is God.

It’s important that we understand Yahweh in the totality of who He is. Yahweh is as the Bible presents Him. He is one God revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As such, He is Jesus Christ. John the apostle reflected upon what Isaiah wrote when He saw the glory of the Lord Jesus (John 12:41). John 12:42 makes it clear that John 12:41 was talking about Jesus. When we turn back to the passage in Isaiah John references as the time when Isaiah saw Jesus (John 12:40 – Isaiah 6:10), we find that the one the prophet beheld was Yahweh Himself (Isaiah 6:5).

We are not free to make God into whoever we want Him to be. We must boldly and unfailingly proclaim God as He is revealed in His holy Word, nothing less. There is no other.