Category: Blogs

Is This the Normal Christian Life? Part 8

The many factors I’ve been surveying all tend to marginalize the Lord’s voice. Because we’ve been trained to think God is distant and not intimate with us, we don’t expect Him to “show up” in His presence and power. Moreover, we have inherited our predecessors’ suspicion of religious experience. Plus, we have God’s complete, special revelation (Scripture). If these are so, why expect God to speak intimately to us now?

I am afraid these factors train us to nearly disregard God’s voice. Yet, there might be a biblical reason not to expect God to “show up” in His presence and power. I am thinking of views about the “miraculous” spiritual gifts like cessationism (miracles, prophecy, and tongues ceased with the apostles’ passing and the canon’s closure). There’s also open-but-cautious: we should be open to miraculous gifts, but they are not the norm, in contrast to gifts of applying truth and works of service.

Cessationism is based on good concerns. The canon of Scripture is closed, so there’s no more Scripture being given by God. Thus, if God still is speaking, those words seem to be Scripture-quality; after all, they’d be spoken by God. But, that adds to Scripture. Plus, such claims to more words from God can create confusion, chaos, and lead people astray. Moreover, Scripture is our final, complete rule and authority for doctrine, faith, and life.

Let’s consider these concerns. If God had something specific to say to someone today, would that add to Scripture? For one, the Spirit superintended the writing of Scripture, but that is not guaranteed with anything else. For another, consider how Scripture itself indicates that God spoke in various situations, yet it does not record what He spoke (e.g., Ex 33:11; Luke 6:12; Mark 2:2, 10:1). So, it seems God can speak other words yet not add to Scripture. Nor would any more words today, for canon is closed. Moreover, God gave Scripture universally, applicable to everyone. But, a given word applicable to an individual in context would not meet that universality criterion.

Consider also these observations. God has given us access to the very mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). But, why? It seems like overkill if all we need to know is in Scripture. Moreover, in Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3). Yet, so often today Christians do not think of going to Jesus for knowledge. In part, that is due to the “fact-value split,” but also because we don’t expect God would speak to us today.

Now, the Bible is God’s universally applicable, inerrant, infallible word.  Where it does teach, it teaches authoritatively. But, it is not intended to be a textbook on many subjects, e.g., science, philosophy, art, political science, etc. So, at least for the aspects of our lives that Scripture does not address directly, what should we do?

Yes, we are to have renewed minds and live in dependence upon Him. We also are to ask Him for wisdom (James 1:5). But, God never intended for us to live out aspects of our lives in which we did not depend upon Him and His mind/knowledge. Jesus is to be Lord of all aspects of our lives. This suggests that God wants us to come to Him, seek and listen, and expect Him to speak into our lives. And, I have seen Him do this several times in my scholarship and service to Him.

In light of these evidences, I appreciate that the “open-but-cautious” people are open to God’s “showing up” in His presence and power. Nonetheless, in practice they may be closed because the position denies the same phenomena from the apostolic period are normative now. Even if “open,” I think expectations of God being intimate and actively, powerfully present in our lives is relatively low on this view.

So, what more might we see from Scripture about its expectations of God’s being intimately and powerfully present in our lives? I will look at Ephesians in my next blog, where I think we will find some amazing reminders for us.

Is This the Normal Christian Life? Part 9

Ephesians has remarkable themes, but one that seems neglected is the fullness of Christ. Through it, we can see some expectations Paul had for the normal Christian life. I’ll use the Amplified Bible Classic version.

First, God loves us deeply (1:3-13) and desires we live in the richness of our new life, to enjoy “[deep and intimate] knowledge of Him” (1:17). God wants us to know intellectually and experientially His surpassingly great power (1:19). To illustrate, Paul appeals to a miracle, Jesus’ resurrection.

Second, the body of Christ is “the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself]” (1:23, emphasis mine). Jesus is present in the church in all His person and power.

Third, Paul expands on Christ’s fullness (3:14-21). It includes His indwelling us (v. 17) and His power (v. 18), so that we’d experience His love (v. 18). Then, Paul blows us away. God wants us “to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God – [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!” (v. 19). Paul knew the intimacy and power of Jesus.

Imagine Jesus was living on earth now. What would He do? I think He’d preach the gospel, make disciples, live in unity with the Father and in the Spirit’s power, and, out of compassion, do miracles (cf. Matt 14:14). But, Jesus is living here in the body of Christ (Eph 1:23). So, I think we’d see Him doing these things through us, including miracles and addressing peoples’ specific beliefs which have blinded them to God.

Now, that raises a question: are the miraculous gifts for today? So, fourth, Paul addresses the gifts in the context of fullness of Christ (3:14-4:13). We are to become mature by attainting to “the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ.” Moreover, the gifts are God’s plan to manifest Christ now (1 Cor 12:7). Since Christ is to be manifested in all His fullness through His body, and He’d be speaking truth to us today in our contexts, and showing His miraculous power, it seems the miraculous gifts (miracles, prophecy, etc.) are critical today.

Without them, it seems Jesus won’t be fully manifested. Yet, often, that seems to be the case. I think this shouldn’t surprise us. Many evangelicals believe the miraculous gifts have ceased, or they are very cautious, or even skeptical, about them. However, Paul commands us to be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18). For Christ to be manifested fully to the world, we should not refuse the full measure of Him. According to Ephesians, that seems to require the miraculous gifts.

Fifth, consider the fullness of Christ in relation to God’s armor. We are to be strong in Him (6:10). Now, most of the armor is treated as defensive, and 1-2 as offensive – the word of God (v. 17), and prayer (v. 18). However, this treatment might neglect Christ’s power. Jesus went on the offensive against demons. He cast out demons by the Spirit’s power (e.g., Luke 11:14-26), and not just prayer and Scripture. Yet, I wonder if U.S. evangelicals may not stress this because they don’t expect God to show up in supernatural power.

Yet, couldn’t someone reply that the foundation of the faith (i.e., Scripture) already has been laid (Eph 2:20)? Since canon is complete, there’s no need for miraculous gifts. Yet, I think this misses God’s plan throughout all of Scripture. He wants to be present intimately in power in His people. Knowing and obeying the written word of God is essential. Yet, God didn’t intend it to substitute for Jesus, the living Word.

If these things are so, it seems Satan has divided and withered the body by sowing discord over the gifts. Yet, we need fullness of truth and fullness of Spirit.

Is This the Normal Christian Life? Part 10

In this series, I have surveyed a range of factors, some cultural, historical, philosophical, and even theological, that I think have shaped our expectations of what the normal Christian life should be like. I have tried to show that biblically, the normal Christian life is to be a supernatural one, one that is to be marked richly by the presence and power of the risen Lord. Yet, these various factors have been tools the enemy has used to lower our expectations and even sow unbelief that God really would manifest Himself intimately and in power today.

However, God and Scripture have not changed. Instead, we westernized Christians have changed away from what Scripture teaches, in terms of our outlook on, and expectations of, the Christian life, and those mindsets reflect sin in our attitudes and actions. We have been deeply naturalized, or de-supernaturalized. The result is that the body of Christ in the west (and particularly my home country, the U.S.) is anemic and divided, which cannot stand. This condition, and the factors that have precipitated it, are things from which believers in the U.S. must repent urgently, before it is too late. Jesus clearly told us the intention of our enemy; he does not come to toy with us, or just marginalize us, but to steal, kill, and destroy us and all that God is doing (John 10:10).

Moreover, if am right about the spiritual gifts, then it seems Satan has divided and withered the body by sowing discord and distrust over them. Moreover, he has been very successful in dividing our hearts and minds from the Lord through the other factors we have surveyed too. Yet, God wants us to live in the fullness of Christ, and that requires both the fullness of truth and the fullness of Spirit, just as Jesus lived. If we do not live in the fullness of the Spirit, then we likely will not have fullness of truth, either, for we’d be tending to rely on our own understanding. Alternatively, if we don’t have fullness of truth, then we likely won’t have the fullness of the Spirit, for we’d tend to follow our hearts’ desires. However, the Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and we must worship Him in Spirit and truth.

Further, we need to live in deep unity with God’s heart and His mind, all in the life and power of the Spirit, just as Jesus did. This is to be like how we are to live in marriage too – in deep unity of heart and mind with our spouses.

In light of these shaping influences, I suggested in an earlier blog that we place a great emphasis upon the mind. But, I am afraid that to far too great an extent, many evangelical leaders have been trained to place such stress upon the mind that they nearly disregard the importance of being in deep heart-unity with the Lord, as well as listening to the Spirit’s voice (1 Kings 3:9, AMPC). But, if so, we thereby will tend to worship our flesh – and that is sin, which God cannot bless. Such thinking can lead subtly to thinking we are okay positionally because we are justified by faith in Christ; however, we will lack His promised power and intimate presence.

While there clearly are many problems facing the body of Christ in the west, I think this might be the most crucial one, for it reflects that we have left our first love, thereby becoming lukewarm, weak, and all-too-fleshly. Yet, God has not given up on the U.S. or the west; but we believers need to repent, so that revival may come by the outpouring of His Spirit.

Is This the Normal Christian Life? Part 10

In this series, I have surveyed a range of factors, some cultural, historical, philosophical, and even theological, that I think have shaped our expectations of what the normal Christian life should be like. I have tried to show that biblically, the normal Christian life is to be a supernatural one, one that is to be marked richly by the presence and power of the risen Lord. Yet, these various factors have been tools the enemy has used to lower our expectations and even sow unbelief that God really would manifest Himself intimately and in power today.

However, God and Scripture have not changed. Instead, we westernized Christians have changed away from what Scripture teaches, in terms of our outlook on, and expectations of, the Christian life, and those mindsets reflect sin in our attitudes and actions. We have been deeply naturalized, or de-supernaturalized. The result is that the body of Christ in the west (and particularly my home country, the U.S.) is anemic and divided, which cannot stand. This condition, and the factors that have precipitated it, are things from which believers in the U.S. must repent urgently, before it is too late. Jesus clearly told us the intention of our enemy; he does not come to toy with us, or just marginalize us, but to steal, kill, and destroy us and all that God is doing (John 10:10).

Moreover, if am right about the spiritual gifts, then it seems Satan has divided and withered the body by sowing discord and distrust over them. Moreover, he has been very successful in dividing our hearts and minds from the Lord through the other factors we have surveyed too. Yet, God wants us to live in the fullness of Christ, and that requires both the fullness of truth and the fullness of Spirit, just as Jesus lived. If we do not live in the fullness of the Spirit, then we likely will not have fullness of truth, either, for we’d be tending to rely on our own understanding. Alternatively, if we don’t have fullness of truth, then we likely won’t have the fullness of the Spirit, for we’d tend to follow our hearts’ desires. However, the Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and we must worship Him in Spirit and truth.

Further, we need to live in deep unity with God’s heart and His mind, all in the life and power of the Spirit, just as Jesus did. This is to be like how we are to live in marriage too – in deep unity of heart and mind with our spouses.

In light of these shaping influences, I suggested in an earlier blog that we place a great emphasis upon the mind. But, I am afraid that to far too great an extent, many evangelical leaders have been trained to place such stress upon the mind that they nearly disregard the importance of being in deep heart-unity with the Lord, as well as listening to the Spirit’s voice (1 Kings 3:9, AMPC). But, if so, we thereby will tend to worship our flesh – and that is sin, which God cannot bless. Such thinking can lead subtly to thinking we are okay positionally because we are justified by faith in Christ; however, we will lack His promised power and intimate presence.

While there clearly are many problems facing the body of Christ in the west, I think this might be the most crucial one, for it reflects that we have left our first love, thereby becoming lukewarm, weak, and all-too-fleshly. Yet, God has not given up on the U.S. or the west; but we believers need to repent, so that revival may come by the outpouring of His Spirit.