Truth Process Session IV, Lesson 11

Our conversation in class last week centered on current events, specifically the “outrage” over the payment of $165,000,000 in retention bonuses paid to executives at AIG. Unless you just awakened from a coma, you are aware that AIG is the recipient of over $170 Billion in “bail out” money from the government. That’s $170,000,000,000. The government now has a substantial ownership interest in AIG. Interesting times we live in…

When we take the time to look closely, we see that God has stamped His image on the “Social Spheres” within our culture. These spheres are God & Man, Church, Community, Family, Labor, and the State. As we explore the design of these spheres as presented in The Truth Project, we see the character and nature of God reflected in the design, and find scriptural support for each sphere in God’s word. We cannot discuss these social spheres without addressing the concept of “sphere sovereignty”.

The person most associated with this term is Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920). Although he began in the parish ministry he moved on to become editor of two periodicals; to found the Antirevolutionary Party the first Dutch political party and the first Christian Democratic party in the world; and to establish the Free University a Christian university established on Reformed principles. He was first elected to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament in 1874 and eventually served as Prime Minister from 1901 to 1905. Kuyper's thought was introduced to North America in 1898 when he delivered the Stone Lectures at Princeton Seminary.Although Kuyper was not an academic political theorist he nevertheless laid the foundations for a highly original approach to politics that would come to be labeled "Kuyperian." Its originality consisted in the fact that he sought to articulate a consistently Christian view of the place of politics in God's world free from the distortions of various non-christian ideologies.The most characteristic feature of Kuyper's political thought is the principle of “soevereiniteit in eigen kring”, usually referred to in English as "sovereignty in its own sphere" "sovereignty in its proper orbit" or simply "sphere sovereignty." Sphere sovereignty implies three things: (1) ultimate sovereignty rests with God alone; (2) all earthly sovereignties are subordinate to and derivative from God's sovereignty; and (3) there is no mediating earthly sovereignty from which others are derivative. We can conclude that each of the spheres addressed by The Truth Project is subordinate to and derived from God’s sovereignty, and therefore has no claim to sovereignty over any of the other spheres. For example: The State has no sovereignty claim over the Church. This is so because the Church’s sovereignty is subordinate to and derivative from God’s sovereignty. If the State begins to impose it’s will upon the Church, the State has intruded upon the sovereignty granted to the Church by God Himself.

Within our culture, it is possible to identify many examples of this type of “sphere intrusion”, and it is quite often the State which is guilty of the intrusion. The State now owns 70% of AIG, and the Attorney General of New York (an agent of the State) has demanded disclosure of the names, job descriptions, and performance reviews of the executives who received the bonuses which caused so much outrage. Job descriptions, performance reviews, and bonus compensation These are issues which belong in the sphere of Labor, not in the sphere of the State.

Current events should not surprise us if we recognize and accept the reality that we live in a post-Christian culture in which the State no longer recognizes that ultimate sovereignty belongs to God alone, and that the State’s sovereignty is subordinate to and derivative from God's sovereignty. Observation of the operation of the State seems to indicate that the State itself now operates from a position of ultimate sovereignty, and the Civil Magistrates (our elected officials) are far removed from the religious principles and morality of our founding fathers. The reason we keep electing such officials is related to another current event discussed in class last week: ARIS 2008. Our Civil Magistrates are being put in office by an electorate which is becoming less and less religious.

The American Religious Identification Survey 2008 disclosed that America is becoming a less religious country. Most religious groups in the USA have lost ground since 1990, while those who claimed to be atheists, agnostics, or of no religious affiliation increased by 15%. Do you see how this is connected to the operation of the sphere of the State? As the citizenry becomes more secularized, it’s decisions (including those in the voting booth) are no longer based on a firm understanding of what is right and wrong in God’s eyes. Is it any wonder we have such a cultural mess on our hands?

So what are we to do?

We have three options:

Abandon the culture, confront the culture, or transform the culture.

Abandoning the culture means we throw up our hands and walk away. We let the culture run its course while we hide out in our Christian caves. Nowhere in scripture can we find any justification for this. Although it may be tempting at times, abandoning the culture would be a profound act of disobedience. Aren’t we supposed to salt and light? (Matthew 5:13-16)

Should we confront the culture? Certainly there are times when we must be confrontational. (For an excellent example of the violation of sphere sovereignty and courageous confrontation, see 2 Chronicles 26:16-23) When we find ourselves in circumstances where we must confront, we must be very careful. Too often the confrontation becomes adversarial and charged with anger. When I find myself acting in this manner, it’s a safe bet that it has become about me, and not about God. Think of the example of Jesus Christ. He confronted sinners on a regular basis with love and compassion. The only “harsh” confrontations I can recall are those with the false teachers and money changers in the temple.

The proper and best response to a culture in decline is to transform it. I’ll be the first to admit that this appears impossible. Note that I said “appears”, not “is”. What appears impossible to us is clearly possible with God. (Matthew 19:26) This is true no matter how daunting the task.

Have you ever had a project which was so large and complicated that you had difficulty seeing how you could ever get to the end of it? With projects like this it’s easy to get caught up in trying to figure out everything that will have to be done to get to “complete”. It’s possible to get so bogged down in this process that we fail to clearly identify the first thing that needs to take place. It can be this way when we think about transforming the culture.

Think about this: If we are to be God’s agents in transforming this culture, what is the first thing that needs to take place? The answer is obvious isn’t it? I MUST BE TRANSFORMED! How can I be effective ambassador for Jesus Christ if I have not allowed Him to transform my own life? If I submit and allow God to change my heart, my mind, and my will, I will find myself far better equipped to respond to those around me who have been taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies.

My dear brothers and sisters, this is where it all begins. We do not have to figure it all out. The sovereign God of all creation, who knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) has already done that! What we need to do is be sure that we are relying on His transforming power to work within us.

Less of us. More of Him.

In Christ –

John

Soli Deo Gloria

Truth Process Session IV, Lesson 10

Carrot Cake and Spiritual Dissonance

This past Saturday, Fran and I took our son Jason and his lovely wife Janine to dinner in celebration of Jason’s 34th birthday. Afterwards we returned to their home for the traditional singing of “Happy Birthday” and a slice of delicious carrot cake, which Janine had baked. The moment I took the first bite of the cake, I experienced what might be referred to as “Dietary Dissonance”. Let me explain…

A few weeks ago, I resolved to lose some weight. Over the last ten years or so, I have gradually added “a little here, a little there”, and found myself about ten pounds heavier than I should be. For someone with high blood pressure and a family history of heart disease, this is not a good thing. I have been aware of the extra weight for some time now, but it took me a while to reach the point where I was willing to actually do something. What I decided to do was to conduct myself in a manner consistent with a fundamental truth regarding caloric intake and expenditure: “One must take in fewer calories than one expends, in order to lose weight.” This is a well known fact – a “dietary truth claim” of sorts, and I believe it to be true. Starting a few weeks ago, I began to ACT according to this truth, and I started to pay attention to my caloric intake vs. caloric expenditure. I have been tracking calories, and for the most part keeping the intake less than the expenditure. Not surprisingly, I have lost some weight.

Note what happened here:

First, I resolved to lose weight.

Then, I connected with the truth (One must take in fewer calories than one expends, in order to lose weight) and I believed the truth.

Then I made my actions consistent with the truth and my belief.

“Dissonance” is defined as “inconsistency between one’s beliefs and one’s actions”. This is why I say I experienced “Dietary Dissonance” last Saturday. By the time we reached the dessert phase of the evening, I knew that I was already well over the desired caloric intake for the day. I knew that cake tends to be high in calories. I ATE IT ANYWAY. My action (eating the carrot cake) was not consistent with my belief (one must take in fewer calories than one expends, in order to lose weight). Here is how I rationalized this inconsistency:

“It’s Jason’s birthday.”
“Janine went to all this trouble!”
“It’s the weekend.”
“One time won’t hurt.”

For most of us, there are times of “Spiritual Dissonance” in our lives – circumstances where our actions are not consistent with our Christian beliefs. I know in my own life this happens far too often. In fact, there are times when I amaze myself in how drastically different my actions can be from my beliefs. Sometimes it seems like the harder I try, the worse it gets!

I do not understand this “Spiritual Dissonance” in my life. For the most part, I know the truth. I believe the truth. I resolve to live in accordance with the truth. But it seems that there are times when I just can’t do it! I am reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 7:15-21:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 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. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Do you think Paul was experiencing “Spiritual Dissonance”?

Paul possessed a divine perspective on this matter that I, and perhaps you, often lack – he understood the reality of his sin nature. He said, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.” (v.18) My guess is that our lives would look much different if we would consistently reconnect with this truth claim. This is absolutely essential in our quest to live as God’s ambassadors.

My problem is that I follow the same process in trying to live a Godly life that I follow in trying to lose weight:

First, I resolve to grow and develop spiritually. Then, I connect with the truth, and I believe the truth. Then I try to make my actions consistent with the truth and my belief. This is where it all falls apart, because “I” am too small and ill-equipped for the task.

This isn’t counting calories. It isn’t about whether I can and should say “no” to carrot cake. This is about the epic spiritual battle in which you and I are engaged every minute of every day. When I walk onto that battleground, and all I bring is my will, my discipline, and my resolve, I bring something else with me. I bring my sin nature, and I find that even though “I want to do good, evil is right there with me.”

So what are we to do?

In anguish and frustration, Paul cried out “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Then he shares with us the answer to his question: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25) Rescue from the sin nature comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Note that Paul didn’t say “through Jesus Christ.” He said “Jesus Christ our Lord.” When Jesus is Lord of our lives, He is the master and we are in the position of a submissive servant. The submissive servant recognizes the master’s rightful place of authority, and humbly ranks himself under that authority. It is from this position that we find ourselves equipped to live in a manner consistent with our Christian beliefs.

When I am not in a position of humble submission to God, I experience a lot of “Spiritual Dissonance”. This is because my pride has taken over as I attempt to operate on the basis of my strength and my will. I wonder when I will learn this simple truth: There must be less of me. More of Him.

In Christ –
John

Soli Dei Gloria

P.S. I had another piece of carrot cake on Sunday.

Truth Process Session IV, Lesson 9

Time and Priorities

“Opportunity Cost” is a financial concept. In basic terms, it could be explained like this:

No one has an unlimited supply of money. (Please refrain from any comments regarding our government). Since the supply of money is finite, choosing to use money in one area precludes the opportunity of using it in a different area.

Let’s say a person chooses to spend $30 a month on soft drinks. Assume he has access to a local credit union which will pay 2.5% on deposits. Since this person has a finite money supply, his $30 a month cannot be deposited in the credit union, where it would have grown to $365 over 12 months. This is the “opportunity cost” of his choice to spend $30 a month on soft drinks.

Two weeks ago we discussed the importance of spiritual balance. Last week we talked about the role of perspective in maintaining balance. The perspective we speak of is relevant to two significant areas of life – our time, and our priorities. Time – like money – is finite, and there is an “opportunity cost” associated with the choices we make regarding the use of our time.

“Time” is an interesting concept, isn’t it? Although it is precise and measurable in terms of seconds, minutes, weeks, months, and years, it can also feel somewhat nebulous as it seems to slip away from us. I think of scooping up a handful of sand on the beach and watching it run through my fingers. Without paying extremely close attention, I cannot be sure of how many grains of sand have slipped away. Nor can I be certain of how much remains in my hand. So it is with time.

It is important to think about time because it is within the parameters of time that we perform God’s work, executing the duties of the ambassador for Christ. Scripture makes numerous references to time, but the one that began to grab my attention several years ago is found in Psalm 90, especially verses 10 and 12 –

The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.(v10)

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.(v 12)

Somewhere around the time I was turning 50, our former senior pastor, Bob Hopper preached a message in which the central theme was Psalm 90. It got my attention as I was just beginning to realize that when it comes to years, they do indeed “quickly pass” (v 11). I was also going through the rather painful process of learning that my own wisdom and view of life was badly flawed and deficient in many respects. I was discovering that God would need to teach me (v 12) to make good use of my time (and my life), because I obviously couldn’t figure it out for myself. My life was way out of balance because I wasn’t standing on the Rock. As Andy put it, I was “trying to stand on myself”.

That was nearly ten years ago. I wish I could say that I have “gained a heart of wisdom” and now “number my days aright.” Although my perspective on time has changed as I grow older, the truth is that this is still a work in progress – a metamorphosis.

Can you relate?

As I think about what how most people choose to use their time, it seems to me that our priorities are a primary driver of those choices. This is another area where proper perspective is critical.

During our class discussion, I shared with you a metaphor involving a container, large rocks, gravel, sand, and water. The container represents our lives. The large rocks represent the important matters of life (priorities). The gravel, sand, and water represent the rest of the matters of life ranging from the less important to the meaningless.

The imagery of this metaphor is clear and powerful. If the large rocks are placed in the container first, there is still room for the gravel, some of the sand, and maybe even some of the water. But if the container is first filled with gravel, sand, and water, there is no room for the large rocks. Unfortunately, this can happen in our lives when the less important and sometimes meaningless demands of life crowd out the most important and most meaningful priorities.

As ambassadors for Christ, our role is diminished when we fail to identify the most important and meaningful priorities – the “large rocks” of life. In reality, the large rocks have already been identified for us by God himself on His divinely inspired word. Here are just a few of the priorities of which scripture speaks:

Love God
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)

Love your neighbor
Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31)

Study and meditate upon His word
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. (Psalm 119:97)

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Pray
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

Because the believers’ priorities are fairly obvious, I find it far easier to identify the priorities than to order my life by them. This is probably, at least in part, because I don’t think about them enough. When I don’t think about them, I don’t treat them as priorities. Instead, I treat them as “when I have the time” items. In other words, my life gets filled up with gravel, sand, and water, and I just can’t seem to fit the rocks in.

Can you see how closely time and priorities are related?

Bear with me as I state the obvious: Everything we do takes time. Thinking about priorities takes time. Reading and studying takes time. Praying takes time. Loving your neighbor takes time.

Since each of us has a finite amount of time to work with, there is an “opportunity cost” associated with our use of time. We can choose to use it first for the “large rocks” of the believer’s life, or we can choose to use it first for the gravel, sand, and water.

We all have a choice.

What’s it going to be?