“Fridays are for Newpaper Articles”

Here, yet again, is my weekly offering in the Canyon Lake (TX) Times-Guardian:

                  “The Decision of a Lifetime” 

            I am writing this article on the eve of what is now being called “Super Tuesday II.”  Since I live in Texas, that means that voters here (along with those in Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont) will be voting in the presidential primary tomorrow. 

            Perhaps it is mere overstatement, but many are saying that this could be the most important election in a generation.  And, frankly, it is fairly easy to make a case for that contention.  Just between what to do about the war in Iraq (if not the war against terror in general) and the economy, the outcome of the election this Fall could be huge in determining the direction of the United States for quite some time in the future.

            Sadly, not everyone sees the importance of the election.  I have met recently what seems to me to be an unusually large number of people who claim that they are not going to vote.

            Now, I am not referring to those who just don’t think about going to vote because they are preoccupied or absent-minded.  Instead, I mean those who are fully aware, but still are not going to vote for one of two reasons: 1) they simply don’t care enough to do so; or 2) they are so upset with the system that they are refusing to vote as a “protest.”

            Sadly, “the right to vote” also includes the right not to vote, for whatever reason.  Whether you choose not to vote out of apathy or anger, it is still a choice and a “vote” of a sort.  It is a vote for irresponsibility because it is a decision to leave the responsibility of voting in the hands of whoever does vote and not take it yourself.  Whether the decision is basically passive (i.e., “I don’t care”) or angrily active (i.e., “I’ll show them!”), it doesn’t matter.  A responsibility that is a great privilege—which most of history has not had and much of the world today still does not have—is being avoided.  It’s as simple as that.

            While we are talking about huge decisions, let’s consider another one that is even bigger in its ramifications.  It is, in fact, the biggest decision that any person can ever make in his or her life.

            To what am I referring?  It is the decision as to whether you will trust Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.  And, even more than the decision of a lifetime, it is a true “life and death” decision.

            You see, we all are in a deadly fix without Jesus.  As Romans 6:23 makes clear “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  And, since “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), that means each and every one of us is up the spiritual creek without a paddle without faith in Jesus.

            Thus, it doesn’t matter if you are too busy, you just don’t care or you are angry with God for any of a thousand short-sighted reasons, if you don’t “vote yes” for Jesus through faith, you have sentenced yourself to an eternity separated from God. 

            When the dust settles, there is only one sin that will keep you out of heaven: unbelief.  Yes, all the other sins you commit are what will send you to hell.  But, all of that can be overridden in an instant in time by you choosing to have faith in Christ.  So, please do not fail to vote for Jesus.  As important as it is that you take the responsibility to vote in the various elections going on this year, it is eternally more important that you choose Jesus as Savior of your life.

 

Coming Monday: “Without Love… (1 Corinthians 13:1-7)”

The Holy Spirit and the Southern Baptist Convention Today (XXIX): “The Reality of the Body of Christ and Its Implications for Spritual Gifts”

The Apostle Paul put two and two together after his experience on the Damascus Road.  After being knocked flat on his back and blinded, the man who was still being addressed as Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?”  The eerie answer was, of course, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5, HCSB).

In later reflection, Paul undoubtedly looked back at that episode as formative to his theology of the church.  After all, he had thought he’d been persecuting the church (8:1; 9:1), only to be corrected by the risen Lord. 

But, he must have wondered, “What if it is both/and instead of either/or?”  In other words, what if he had been persecuting a spiritual entity that included an inseparable relationship between Jesus and His church, a relationship very much like that of the head to a body?

In my opinion, this is the most probable background for the figure of the Body of Christ developed in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26.  But, the Body illustration becomes even richer as it is applied to the area of spiritual gifts.  See whether you agree with me on that!

In the immediately preceding context (12:4-11), the emphasis has clearly been on diversity.  But, the introduction of the figure of the Body now shifts the focus to unity (“the body is one”) in diversity (“and has many parts”; 12:12, HCSB).  This points to the balanced emphasis that we should always have in regard to spiritual gifts: the variety of gifts do not exist for their own individual attention (i.e., self-glorification), but for the overall good of the Body.

This emphasis also seems to prepare for the second list of gifts in 12:28-30, which is quite different from the first list in chapter 12 (vv. 8-10).  While the gifts mentioned in the initial list were apparently those most in the spotlight in the Corinthian church, they would not promote the unity of the Body if they were focused on as ends in themselves.  Also, if the less spectacular of the gifts (e.g., “helping” and “managing” in 12:28) were not appreciated for how absolutely crucial they are to the proper working of the Body, things are terribly out of whack spiritually!

Paul’s examples in 12:15-19 are very helpful.  But, perhaps it will be helpful to take things a little further for the sake of this discussion.

For an additional example, let’s look at the average SBC church ministry.  Yes, they want a gifted preacher/teacher and/or evangelist.  These gifts are all like the “mouth” in a human body.  But, what would happen if everyone was a mouth and there were no legs or arms, etc.?  Obviously, physically, the reality would be a monstrosity.

More commonly, though, the focus is on the gifted “mouths,” while the “less honorable” (12:23, etc.) arms and legs gifts just do their jobs faithfully, allowing the mouths to “mouth off.”  However, Paul says that this is a completely wrong outlook: “God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, so that there would be no division in teh body, but that the memebers would have the same concern for one another” (12:24, HCSB).

This spotlights a huge problem we have in the hero-worshipping atmosphere of the SBC.  Lifting up the gifted “mouths” of the Body actually creates spiritual division, whether we come within a thousand miles of intending to do so, or not.  Focusing on the most attractive gifts to the exclusion of an equal emphasis on the rest of the gifts is very short-sighted spiritually.  Thus, our fellow believers who faithfully employ the gift of “helping” in our midst deserve every bit as much recognition as the greatest teacher.  If that is not the case, then the spiritual reality of the Body of Christ that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 12:12-16 really does not mean very much at all to those in our churches.

How do you see it?

Coming Friday: “Fridays are for Newspaper Articles”

The Holy Spirit and the Southern Baptist Convention Today (XXVIII): “What’s So ‘Spiritual’ about ‘Spiritual Gifts’″

(Note: This is going to be short and sweet.  I was out of town most of the latter half of last week… and sick to boot.  I don’t have much wind in the sails to write today.  So, for all of you who don’t think I’m capable of writing short, the following will at least serve as a blip against the grain, if not fully convincing.)

What’s so “spiritual” about spiritual gifts?  In a very real sense, if we are honest, at least in Southern Baptist circles, that is the “800-pound gorilla in the room” question in this whole area.

What do I mean by that very strong statement?  Think about it: in the SBC, in recent times, there has been so much energy applied to arguing the legitimacy of certain spiritual gifts that almost nothing has been forthcoming on the origin and purpose of the gifts, as well as the spiritual state of those using the gifts.

So, with no further beating around the bush, let’s get into: 1) why the gifts are “spiritual”; and 2) what difference that should make in how we view them and use them.

First of all, the gifts are spiritual because they are given by the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 12:7, 11).  Even if, as some believe, certain gifts were natural abilities that a person had before he or she became a believer, they certainly are both magnified and given a previously-absent spiritual dimension when a person is saved.

Second, spiritual gifts are spiritual because they are designed to be used in spiritual service.  That is true even if the gifts are service or helps.  That service has a spiritual dimension to it that other abilities used in other realms do not possess.

Third–and bridging to the question of the purpose of the gifts, the spiritual gifts are spiritual because they are intended to be used under the control of the Holy Spirit (i.e., exhibiting the filling and fruit of the Spirit; see Eph. 5:18ff. and Gal. 5:22-23).  Sadly, some of the most supremely gifted of believers also appear to be the most fleshly in their attitudes and behavior (Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 3:1-4).  Thus, it appears to be a ‘mixed blessing’ reality that spiritual gifts continue to minister even if the gifted person is not walking with the Lord.

Why is it a ‘mixed blessing?’  Because the people being ministered to are indeed blessed (e.g., getting saved or taught).  But, because it may not be readily apparent to the audience that the gifted person is acting in the flesh, that person can, on occasion, get away with it for quite a while before someone calls his or her hand on it (if they ever do).

Besides the obvious, the problem with this kind of fleshly use of spiritual gifts is that it is self-centered–egotistical to the max!  By contrast, the purpose of spiritual gifts is to be “…that in everything God may be glorified…” (1 Pet. 4:11).

If you have never thought about it this way, please now see the problem in praising certain SBC luminaries as “great leaders” or “great preachers” or “great evangelists” or “great teachers.”  No, instead, if we are to be biblical in our approach to this key area, it should be “What a great God we serve, who would so graciously gift certain leaders in our midst!”

Bottom line: As far as I can see, from God’s perspective, spiritual gifts are “spiritual” because they were given by the Spirit, to be used in the power of the Spirit,to glorify God by building up the Body of Christ.

What say ye?

Coming Wednesday: “The Reality of the Body of Christ and Its Implications for Spritual Gifts”