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Lessons from Habakkuk: Part 2 (Habakkuk 1:12-2:1)

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | October 27, 2010

As I wrote in part one of this study, I have developed a serious love for the Old Testament book of Habakkuk. Since it has been my experience that most people (even Christians) have never heard of, nor read, this book, I have unofficially labeled it as “the best book of the Bible you have never heard of.” In the first post of this series we studied verses 1-11 and read of Habakkuk’s complaints to God concerning the sins committed by his fellow Jews. In a tone that is remarkably similar to that of Christians today, Habakkuk asked God why there is no justice in the world. God responded by telling Habakkuk he would be amazed by God’s plan for judgment where the nation of Judea was concerned. Just as He has used the Assyrians to judge Israel, God had raised up the army of Babylon to levy judgment upon the people of Judea. In light of this revelation, Habakkuk has further complaints.

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

12 O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. 13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? (Habakkuk 1:12-13)

Now that Habakkuk is aware of what’s in store for his people, he has serious reservations concerning God’s plan. Habakkuk is stunned that God would use a people as evil as the Babylonians to execute His will. In Habakkuk’s mind, this only serves to complicate the issue as, once again, the wicked are prevailing. As stunning as it seems, God’s revelation to Habakkuk reveals two things concerning the methods He is willing to use to advance His will: First, in God’s sovereign authority over the entire world He is not above using wicked people to advance His will. Secondly, God will use people whether they realize it or not. Certainly, the Babylonians had no clue they were serving the will of the one true God as they advance against Judea. It has been my experience that God still works in this fashion today. As a believer who came to Christ at the age of thirty, I can look back to my days before Christ and recognize the moments when God was working in my life even though I didn’t know it at the time. How amazing it is to serve a God who will “ordain” people to serve Him; even if they fail to recognize and admit it – or even object to it.

Habakkuk then continues his plea to God:

14 You have made men like fish in the sea,  like sea creatures that have no ruler. 15 The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. 16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. 17 Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy? (Habakkuk 1:14-17)

Habakkuk’s plea with God strikes at the very nature of mankind. Within this complaint, there is a veiled accusation; Habakkuk asserts that God has made men like fish in the sea; running about with no direction and at the mercy of the wicked. Habakkuk then astutely observes that the wicked exercise their power over the weak without mercy to the point that they eventually begin to worship their own power and military strength. It is a plot that has been played out throughout history. Wicked rulers accumulate military might for the sole purpose of unleashing it upon the weak.

The last verse in this passage (verse 17) is especially poignant. In his Commentary of the Whole Bible, Matthew Henry writes, “The prophet, in the close, humbly expresses his hope that God will not suffer these destroyers of mankind always to go on and prosper thus, and expostulates with God concerning it?”

Henry continues to compare Habakkuk 1:17 with Psalms 74:22, “Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.”

What Habakkuk does next is a lesson for all of us:

1 I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. (Habakkuk 2:1)

Habakkuk removes himself from others and waits in solitude for God’s answer to his plea. Consider the imagery in this verse. “Standing watch” and “stationing himself on the ramparts” elicits images of the night watchmen diligently looking out for the ensuing army. In Judea, ramparts were mounds of earth outside the city walls where watchmen would stand guard as the first line of defense against invasion. In this verse, Habakkuk is intentionally placing himself in a quiet, solitary place in order to hear from God. Despite his complaints and pleas, Habakkuk is expressing incredible faith in his God. He has asked a question and he expects an answer. The prophets actions in this passage are not unlike the Messiah’s who frequently sought out solitude to pray and communicate with the Heavenly Father:

12One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. (Luke 6:12)

In addition, Christ advised that the rest of us follow suit:

5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (Matthew 5:7)

There are so many distractions in today’s world that compete with God’s voice for our attention; music, television, computers, cell phones. If we truly expect to hear from God, we must model Habakkuk’s behavior and seek solitude and quiet.

Principles for our Christian Lives from Habakkuk 1:12-2:1

  • We should recognize God’s will cannot be resisted: God uses many methods to execute His will; He is not above manipulating the wicked and the ignorant. The Lord is in control!
  • When seeking God’s Word, we should intentionally seek solitude and quiet: As believers who are save by Christ, we should be confident that God wants to communicate with us. This communication will often necessitate that we seek solitude and quiet our minds in the confident hope that God will speak to us.

In the next lesson, we will study God’s response to Habakkuk’s plea.

Related Post: Lessons from Habakkuk: Part 1 (Habakkuk 1:1-11)

----> Clark Goble is a disciple of Christ, a husband, father, student, and writer. He welcomes your comments and encourages you to leave one here or email him at cdgobleATgmail.com. You can follow his twitter updates at http://twitter.com/#!/CDGoble
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A Study of the Davidic Covenant: 2 Samuel 7:1-17

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Clark Goble| 2 Comments
By Clark Goble | September 17, 2010

The “Davidic Covenant” can be found by opening your Bible to 2 Samuel 7:1-17:

Chapter 7 of 2 Samuel opens with David contemplating the housing of the ark of the God. David muses to the prophet Nathan, “Here I am living in a palace of cedar while the ark of God remains in a tent” (2 Samuel 7:2). What follows David’s idea that he should build a temple is known as the “Davidic Covenant” and was communicated from God to David through the prophet Nathan.

God’s opening statement to David is as follows, “5This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar? (2 Samuel 7:5-7 NIV)”

This opening statement on the part of God is important because it makes it clear that God is in charge and in control. He will not sit idly by while David makes plans for where to house the ark. God had a plan for David that included being a ruler but not a temple builder. God provides three reasons why David’s plans did not fit into God’s. First, there was no urgent need for a temple to be built since God had resided in a tent since leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Second, as of yet God had issued no explicit command for His people to build a temple. Finally, David was an inappropriate choice to build a temple since he had spilled so much blood during his military career (See 1 Chronicles 22:8). This lesson is ripe for practical application if for no other reason than to serve as a reminder that our plans and God’s will are two different things. The discerning reader will notice that rather than dwelling on the fact God rejected his plans for a temple; David embraced the covenant initiated by God by adjusting his own plans to match God’s will, “And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised” (2 Samuel 7:25).

Once God has rejected David’s plans, He clearly establishes the provisions of His covenant with David. There are four such provisions:

1.    David’s name will be made as great as the greatest men on earth (2 Samuel 7:9)

2.    Israel will be provided a homeland (2 Samuel 7:10)

3.    Israel will be provided undisturbed rest from all her enemies (2 Samuel 7:10-11):

4.    David’s house and Kingdom will be made into a dynasty that will endure forever (2 Samuel 7:11-16)

These provisions are important because they suggest that the Davidic Covenant is being incorporated into the Abrahamic Covenant. God’s promises to David are all part of His bigger plan and as such had been planned from the beginning of time. It is mind-boggling to understand that David’s role in the restoration of mankind had been planned by God from the very beginning. God’s promise of a Davidic dynasty is important because for the first time in Israel’s history a dynasty is established. It seems evident that by establishing a dynasty God is promising that His role in the restoration of mankind will continue in the future far after David’s death.

Further significance can be found in the provisions of the Davidic dynasty by those of us living on this side of the cross. Before laying out the covenant, God lends David confidence by reminding him what He had done for him in the past; God took him from the pastures and established him as Israel’s king (2 Samuel 7:8) and had cut off all of David’s enemies before him (2 Samuel 7:9). In the same way, Christians can have confidence in the restoration available in Jesus Christ by examining the covenant God made with David. As God promised; David’s name has been made as great as the greatest on earth, Israel has been provided a homeland, and David’s line will live on forever in the name of Jesus Christ.

While the Davidic Covenant is an “outgrowth of the Abrahamic Covenant,” more importantly, it is a foreshadowing of the reign of Jesus Christ. There are five major implications concerning the future that can be found in the Davidic Covenant:

  1. God must preserve Israel as a nation.
  2. Israel must be brought back into her land.
  3. Jesus Christ must rule over the land of Israel.
  4. Christ’s Kingdom must be an earthly one.
  5. Christ’s Kingdom must be everlasting.

While Christian’s may disagree at times with how many of these provisions have already come to pass and how many are in store for the future, we can all take hope in the promise that God’s plan that was established with the Abrahamic Covenant and reaffirmed with the Davidic Covenant has and will culminate in the presence of Jesus Christ as was planned from the very creation of the earth.

Sources Consulted

Constable, Thomas L. “Notes on 2 Samuel.” 2010. Web. 15 Sep. 2010.

http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/2samuel.pdf

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Leviticus Capters 16 & 17: Shadows of the Cross

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | September 3, 2010

Before reading the following commentary the reader is advised to Read Leviticus Chapters 16 & 17 from the Bible.

How do the regulations of Lev. 16 (Day of Atonement) and 17 point the Christian to the Cross?

Leviticus Chapter 16 presents the regulations by which the High Priest (Aaron) of the Israelites would conduct the annual Day of Atonement. The most striking stipulation was that the Priest couldn’t simply approach The Most Holy Place whenever he wanted. The ceremony was only to be conducted once per year. Even then, the Priest had to take great care in how he approached God. With great care, the Priest was instructed to bathe and adorn himself in special garments before the ceremony. He then began by making a sin and burnt offering to atone for his own sins. After he was clean of sin, he would then intercede for the Israelite community by making a blood sacrifice to atone for their sins. In an interesting element of the ceremony, the priest would then confess the communities’ sins over the head of a goat and then send the goat far away from the dwelling place of God. This “scapegoat” provided a clear representation of God casting the Israelites sins far away. At the conclusion of the ceremony, all participants bathed once more and changed clothes in order to be clean enough to once again mingle with the community. In Chapter 17, God’s instructions shift from formal ceremony to the everyday life of His people. God places restrictions on the sacrifices His people made. Rather than making sacrifices on their own, the Israelites were instructed to present their sacrifices to the Priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. This was to prevent sacrifices being made to false gods and idols. In this chapter, God also prohibits the ingesting of blood as blood represents the life of the body and is only provided for the purposes of atonement. In addition, God forbids the eating of animals that had died by means other than the hands of the Israelites.

The similarities between the regulations found in these two chapters of Leviticus and the redemption found in Christ are striking. Dr. Constable writes that while “the Day of Atonement is not something Christian’s observe, we can learn the nature of sin, the need for atonement, and the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice by reflecting on this Jewish ritual in the light of Calvary” (Constable 64). The first noticeable similarity is that sin must be dealt with. The pervasive sin which had overcome the Israelites had to be dealt with on every level. The Priest was forced to make atonement for his own sins, the sins of the community, and even for the sin that had invaded the Most High Place itself (Lev. 16:16). The same is true for those of us living on this side of the cross – sin is pervasive. Paul writes that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). The presence of sin is just as grotesque in our lives as it was in the lives of the Israelites and it must be dealt with. Thus, there is a universal need for atonement. God will not inhabit any place where sin is left unchecked. By imputing those sins to a scapegoat and sending them far away into the desert, the Priest was cleansing God’s chosen place of dwelling. The same is true with our redemption found in Christ. The Holy Spirit’s chosen place of dwelling is within each Christian; however, God will not exist where sin is left unchecked. Our need for atonement is exactly like that of the Israelites. Through the redemption found in Christ, our sins are cast as “far as the East is to the West” (Psalm 103:12). If we wish to abide in God, we must accept the atonement found in Christ so that God will abide in us.

There are other amazing similarities as well. First, there are the unavoidable regulations in these Leviticus passages concerning blood. God makes it clear that blood is “the life sustaining fluid of the body” (Constable 68) and is provided for atonement only (Lev 17:11). It is the life fluid of the body being “poured out in bloodshed” (Constable 68) that makes atonement for our sins. Just blood had to be shed in the sacrifices carried out by the Priest; Christ’s blood has to be shed on the cross. It was Christ’s life draining from His body in the form of blood that makes atonement for our sins. There was no other way.

In the Leviticus regulations, God made it clear that all sacrifices had to be directed towards Him in the right spirit. Not only did He ban sacrifices that were carried out in the names of false gods and idols, He made the stipulation that all sacrifices must be brought to the Tent of Meeting and presented to the Priests. Once the sacrifices had been presented, the Priests then had a prescribed set of rules for how the sacrifices would be carried out. On the Day of Atonement great care was taken to ensure the Priest approached God in His prescribed fashion. The same is true concerning the redemption found in Christ. Mankind is constantly trying to find new ways to approach the divine and yet Christ says that He is “the way, the truth, and the life and no one approaches the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). If we are going to approach God and seek His forgiveness for our sins and invite Him to be a part of our lives, me must do it in His prescribed fashion. Much like the Israelites, we simply can’t follow our own paths. The Book of Leviticus says that those Israelites who made sacrifices to false gods or ate animals that were killed in ways other than God’s prescribed fashion would be cut off from their people. The same is true in Christ. We can attempt to approach God through false religions and false ritual but unless we accept His prescribed method of relationship (Christ) we will be cut off. Just like the Israelites, we must humble ourselves enough to approach God in His prescribed manner.

Despite these similarities, several differences stand out. The most glaring is the effect of the atonement. The atonement found in the sacrifice rituals in the Book of Leviticus was temporary. The ceremony was ordered to be carried out once per year by God.  In Christ, our forgiveness is permanent. One needs to accept the atonement offered through the cross only one time. While the goats offered in sacrifice by the Priest were innocent, they were also oblivious to what was happening. Christ was a perfect example of innocence and willingness. He knew what was going to happen on the cross and yet He chose to follow through with His Father’s plan for our redemption anyway. Thus, our redemption is Christ is permanent. Other differences are also apparent. The Priest in the Leviticus ceremony was ordered to cleanse himself before approaching God. The stipulations were clear. The Priest was to bathe and adorn himself in clean clothes. In Christ, the reverse is true. We are invited to approach Christ while still wrapped in our filthy rags of sin and allow His blood to wash us clean. Constable points out that it is Christ’s blood that ironically points us to yet another difference between the restrictions found in Leviticus and the redemption found in Christ (Constable 69). In Leviticus, God warned the Israelites not to ingest the blood (life force) of animals. In Christ, we are invited to symbolically ingest His blood in the act of Communion. This may seem ironic, yet it is designed for us to symbolically infuse ourselves with the life force of Christ, just as we are literally infused with the Holy Spirit upon our acceptance of Christ.

In summary, while there are many similarities to Christ that can be found in the ceremonies prescribed in the Book of Leviticus, they are really just shadows of our Savior that should serve to point us in the direction of the cross.

Sources Consulted

Constable, Thomas L. “Notes on Leviticus.” 2010. Web. 1 Sep. 2010.

http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/leviticus.pdf

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Are We Really Speaking the Truth in Love?

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | August 9, 2010

Are we really speaking the truth in love?

It appears that most Christians are familiar with Paul’s direction to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Unfortunately, we often misconstrue these words as license to say whatever we want to whomever we want whenever we want. Regardless of how callous and insensitive our words are, we justify it by saying we are “speaking the truth in love.”

Is this really what Paul had in mind? Was Paul suggesting that it is okay to hurt someone’s feelings because we’re convinced we are correct? As often is the case when we take small snippets of Scripture out of context, Paul’s words seem to be misapplied by many of us. A deeper study of Scripture is required for us to truly understand what Paul is (and is not) saying here.

The first question that we need to ask ourselves is what “truth” Paul is speaking of. For many of us, we use his words to justify arguing with one another over trivial misunderstandings. It is important for us to realize that Paul was speaking about doctrine in Ephesians 4:15. In the verses proceeding verse 15, Paul writes that “once we are mature in our faith and knowledge of Christ, we will no longer be like little children tossed about by the winds and waves of false teachings contrived by the cleverness and cunning of deceit” (Ephesians 4:13-14 paraphrased). Paul is writing about our training into the works of Christ’s ministry (Ephesians 4:12). Some of us are called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (verse 11), but all of us have a responsibility to be fully trained so that we may speak the “truth” [concerning Christ] in love so we may grow to be more Christ-like and assume our roles as properly functioning members of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:16).

In his commentary, Matthew Henry writes, “The best method we can take to fortify ourselves against such [false doctrine] is to study the sacred oracles [Scripture], and to pray for the illumination and grace of the Spirit of Christ, that we may know the truth as it is in Jesus, and be established in it. That we should speak the truth in love, or follow the truth in love, or be sincere in love to our fellow-Christians. While we adhere to the doctrine of Christ, which is the truth, we should live in love one with another. Love is an excellent thing; but we must be careful to preserve truth together with it. Truth is an excellent thing; yet it is requisite that we speak it in love, and not in contention. These two should go together – truth and peace.”

For us to rip the words “truth in love” out of its context and apply it to every disagreement we have with others is to misapply Paul’s words. We should always speak the truth in love when it concerns the Gospel of Christ as taught by the apostles and recorded in the Holy Scriptures. In trivial matters, even when we think we are right, it is often best for us to keep our mouths shut.

How should we treat others outside of the context Paul is speaking of in Ephesians? The fifth chapter of Paul’s first epistle to the church in Thessalonica is a wonderful place to find guidance concerning how we are to live with one another. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says that we should be concerned with encouraging and edifying one another. This attitude is mirrored in Colossians 4:6 where Paul writes that our “speech should always be gracious and seasoned with salt.”  Paul continues in 1 Thessalonians to say that we should be at peace among ourselves, warn those who are lazy, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with one another, and see to it that no one repays evil for evil (1 Thessalonians 5:13-15).

There are some questions we must ask ourselves when we find ourselves at odds with others.

Is the point of our contention a matter of doctrine essential to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as presented in the Scriptures?

As the great poet Kenny Rogers once wrote, you have to “know when to hold them and no when to fold them.” Basically, some things are worth fighting for and others simply aren’t. If you find yourself at odds with another person, you must ask yourself if the point of contention is really worth fighting for. I love debating and standing up for the Word of God. 1 Peter 3:15 directs us to always be ready to give defense for the hope others see in us. Defending the Gospel of Christ and the directives found in Scriptures is a worthy cause provided we do so in love. Fighting over trivial issues; however, detracts us from the Truth.

Am I violating the word of God in my response to others?

We must honestly search our hearts when dealing with others … especially when we find ourselves at odds. Are we trying to edify our enemy or tear them down? Often times we know the answer to this question; however, we don’t take the time to ask it. We know our hearts. We know our motivation often times before we open our mouths.

Do I fear God enough to sacrifice my right to be right?

Let’s face it. Many times we are correct when someone else has slighted us. We know we’re right and we want the immediate gratification of proving it. Yet God has shown us another path. God has told us through His Word how we should respond when slighted. Christ Himself said that sometimes we are to turn the other cheek. Where does the strength to turn the other cheek come from? It comes from a faith in Christ and a reverential fear of God. Paul wrote in the Book of Romans, “Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead leave room for His [God’s] wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me [God]; I will repay, says the Lord, But if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in doing so you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good” (Romans 12: 19-21).

Do we trust God enough to live at peace with one another, keep our tongues in check, and allow Him to avenge us? Is our belief in Christ strong enough to encourage us to love the unlovable (Matthew 5:44)?

In closing, we should keep in mind that Paul writes our troubles in this world are slight afflictions when compared to the incomparable eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Choose your battles wisely and love one another. Amen.

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Anne Rice’s Dilemma

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Clark Goble| 3 Comments
By Clark Goble | August 3, 2010

Anne Rice’s Dilemma

Approximately ten years ago, Anne Rice (the insanely popular author of The Vampire Chronicles and other books) publicly rededicated herself to the Catholicism of her youth. It was a big moment for Christians. Christians everywhere stumbled over one another to claim her as their teammate. There’s something encouraging for a Christian to be able to claim someone like Rice as a fellow believer. Rice’s popularity transcends race and religion. Her books are loved by people of all walks of life; so when she set aside her normal genres to begin writing fictional accounts of Christ’s life, Christians were thrilled.

Currently, Rice’s faith has again garnered some attention. The author recently announced on her Face Book page that she giving up Christianity in the name of Christ. Rarely does an author of Rice’s status engage her fan base in the way that Rice does. Her announcement was followed by several engaging dialogues between her and her readers. Basically, Rice’s position is while Christ is still the center of her life; she can no longer tolerate Christians themselves.

Rice has levied serious charges the Church. In her announcement, she claims that Christians are a “quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group.” Specifically, Rice is refusing to be associated with a church that is “anti-gay,” “anti-feminist”and“anti-artificial birth-control.”  In the comments that followed her announcement, Rice made it clear she wasn’t speaking of just the Catholic Church, but rather the global Church that includes Catholics and Protestants alike.

The reaction to Rice’s announcement has been mixed. Some Christians have responded with love and understanding and, quite frankly, others have responded in a way that seems to validate her point. Non-Christians have reacted much in the way Christians did ten years ago when Rice became a Christian – they have stumbled over themselves to rub it in the faces of all those Christians they know. In their opinions, Rice has put into words what they were thinking all along.

Does Rice Have a Point?

Does the Church deserve the charges that Rice has levied against it? Personally, I don’t think so. She is not the first person to make such charges against us and she certainly will not be the last. Outsiders have been quite vocal about the Church’s perceived hatred of homosexuals, women, and close-mindedness. My response is that outsiders are really in no position to make such generalizations. I’m a church insider. I have gone to church the vast majority of Sundays over the last ten years or so, I am pursuing a graduate degree at a conservative Christian college and seminary, I teach Sunday school and engage with Scripture on a level most people probably never will and I can attest to the fact that the charges Anne Rice has made (and others agree with) are not coherent with the reality I see on a day to day basis. It simply isn’t true that most Christians are close-minded, hate gay people or prefer weak, docile women. There are no secret meetings where we discuss our hatred for those who believe differently from us. In fact, most of the time we are far more concerned with how we can love people better. My point is, however, that those on the outside of the church (those who don’t spend their Sundays learning the Word and hanging out with Christians) aren’t in the position to pronounce such a judgment. In my line of work, my fellow employees and I are evaluated by our supervisors on a yearly basis; the most common complaint in response of these evaluations it that the supervisors spend very little time actually evaluating our performance. I’ve even been evaluated by supervisors I had never actually met prior to the evaluation! I wonder sometimes if these outsiders have made a genuine assessment of Christianity or if they are simply pronounce us all guilty based on a small sample.

Here’s the problem. Deserved or not, the perception is there. For most people, perception is reality. Also, if we are being honest, there are some Christians who are guilty as charged. Christians such as Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church may be in the minority, but they manage to make us all look bad. The Church needs to recognize and apologize for the hate that exudes from such people. In the face of such criticism, we need to love louder than ever before!

How should the Church respond?

  1. 1. With love: The Christians job on a day to day basis is to love the people that God created. Too often, we condemn the lifestyles of those outside the church without ever expressing our love for them. Scripture tells us to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). I’m not suggesting we turn our backs on the truth of Scripture, but I am suggesting that far too often we overlook the love. Paul taught that the comfort of Christ was supposed to fill us up and overflow to others (2 Corinthians 1:4). More than anyone we should realize that, as sinners, none of us are saved except through the grace of God and the act of Christ on the cross. God’s offer of grace is extended to everyone – even those with lifestyles we don’t agree with. In most case, we should love now and preach later. Or better yet, leave the preaching up to those who are trained to do so. If we focus on love, the world will respond.

  1. 2. With Integrity: Last Sunday, my Bible study class explored the concept of integrity. Too often, charges of hypocrisy are warranted. We so quickly judge others yet fail to practice what we preach. Paul writes that we are to be the “Fragrance of Christ” among the saved and unsaved (2 Corinthians 2:14-17). In the same passage Paul writes about how God often puts His followers on display. This is a frightening concept for all of us who aren’t living as we should. How are unbelievers to respond if we don’t live as the Scriptures say we should? We should be aware at all times that we may be the only Christian someone knows as well as the only Bible they ever read. God puts us on display for these moments and it is in these moments we can shape a person’s perception of the Church. We need to strive at all times to exude the scent of Christ to a world that needs Him. Not just on Sundays and every other Wednesday … always.

  1. 3. With Knowledge: We need to study God’s Word. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to always be ready to offer a defense of our faith to those who ask. Quite frankly, too many of us have no idea what the Bible says or even what we believe. We go to church for the entertainment, the prestige, or because our mothers told us we should. We need to learn what the Bible says. Not just in bits and pieces but as a complete narrative. We need to understand that the Bible tells a story of Creation, Fall, and Redemption.  We need to understand how our belief in Christ fits into this story. How can we ask any unbeliever to embrace the Word if we haven’t done it ourselves?

Basically, Rice’s accusations should serve as an impetus for a personal inventory. The Body of Christ needs to examine itself to see where we fall short. We should strive to walk closer to Christ than ever before. To some degree I can identify with what Rice is saying. When I was a new believer I boldly told people that while I followed Christ I did not consider myself a Christian. I was afraid to be associated with how the world perceived my religion. I didn’t want to be associated with the shortcomings and the failures of those Christians who had come before me. As I matured in my faith; however, I realized that if I walked away from those failures, I was walking away from an amazing story of redemption. In the midst of such human stupidity there are amazing examples of Christ-likeness within the body of His Church. It is edifying to be associated with such people as Mother Teresa, C.S. Lewis, Abraham Lincoln, and … well, I could create quite the list. My point is this – no Christian is perfect. The global Church certainly isn’t perfect. We have made many mistakes that the world often refuses to overlook. Who can blame them when they are simply mirroring the attitudes that far too often we display ourselves? If we want the world to take us seriously, we must love them as Christ loved them; we must extend His comfort, forgiveness, and love to a world that does not know Him. We must live with integrity and exude the scent of Christ everywhere we go. Finally, we must study His Word and know what it is we believe.

Maybe then, the Anne Rice’s of the world will feel comfortable calling themselves Christian.

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