95 Theses and Luther's theology of the cross

It's reformation Sunday this coming Sunday (must watch the Luther film again!) which prompted me to read the 95 theses again.

Though Luther's theology is developing at this stage, it seems to me that one of the primary motivators of his blast against the power and efficacy of indulgences, is an understanding of glory which doesn't involve any suffering. Glory which is not cruciform glory.  He develops this in detail in the Heidelberg Disputation the following year, but right there in the famous 95 theses, he reveals this dislike for a theology of glory.

That a Christian could buy an indulgence without having any guilt, repentance (in the right sense), without the gospel and sufferings of Jesus and just pop themselves or someone else out of purgatory seems odd to Luther. He contends that those indulgences promise glory without suffering, but the bible promises glory after (or better, through) suffering. True glory is always cross shaped. Hence 92-95:

92. Away then with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "peace, peace" and there is no peace!

93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ,  "cross, cross" and there is no cross!

94. Christians are to be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, death and hell.

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations, rather than through the false assurance of peace. 

So already Luther is thinking through a theology of the cross vs a theology of glory. I wonder too if there is a thought to the Freedom of Christian here too, in that our pardon is not just a legal fiction, but by dint of our union with Christ and actual suffering with Him and in Him.

A Diabolical View of Mission

David Robertson found this wonderful article in Tabletalk magazine and blogged it over at his blog (HT Michael Luehrmann). So, having seen that it was good... here it is on my blog :-)

Devilishly perceptive!

This is an article that was published in Tabletalk magazine – obviously shamelessly borrowing from CS Lewis’s Screwtape Letters. What might a senior devil advise a junior one about discouraging mission?!

My Dear Diabolos,

 It is clear that you have not quite got the hang of this temptation thing.   Take the matter of what the Enemy calls ‘Mission’.  We understand what this is – to bring the dreadful news of His Son with all the spiritual weapons that we find so appalling.  However you are making a major error when you try to take all thoughts of Mission out of the mind of your client.  That is too obvious a tactic and one that often just does not work.  Perhaps you will allow a more senior expert to give you some instruction.

Encourage your client to think about Mission.  Allow just enough guilt and awareness that it is what he is supposed to be doing and then let him assuage his conscience by giving some money, attending a few ‘missionary’ meetings, and in general feeling ‘positive’ about mission ‘over there’.  These last two words are the key.  Let your client always have in his mind the impression that mission is something that occurs in a faraway land, that is always done by superheroes, and that it is usually tied up with circumstances that are well outside his own personal experience – pictures of emaciated children in a third world country are always good both for a guilt trip and taking his mind of the real Mission.  Let him think that giving a few dollars more is real ‘Mission’.

Let me give you one true example of how this ‘over there’ mentality works beautifully in our favour.  There is a large city church which regularly gave to mission in China.  When the new minister arrived he noticed that despite there being tens of thousands of Chinese in the city, there were none in the Church.  He ‘borrowed’ some Chinese from a local evangelical seminary to welcome people.  As a result of this twisted tactic Chinese people started coming to the Church (and you know how easy it is for them to turn from Our Father – after all they have had years of ignorance).  But there were complaints from those who are supposed to be the Enemy’s servants.  They were happy to send money and people to ‘convert’ the Chinese ‘over there’, but they were not prepared to have the Chinese in ‘their’ Church.  Wonderful!

My dear Diabolos, this is what you must aim for.   Let your client always see mission as something ‘over there’ and he will never consider how he is supposed to do mission wherever he is.  For the Enemy, there is no ‘over there’.  He thinks it is all His, and that it all needs Him.  As long as we can convince his servants that where they are is not the needy place, we need not fear,

Yours in Bad Faith,

B…

Repentance and Faith - thinking out loud

I wonder just how different repentance and faith both are.

I know that there are dictionary definitions, and traditions and expectations and shibboleths around both, that's not what this is about.

Faith is wrapped up in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Thinking about Hebrews 11. Looking forward to His incarnation (if you are an OT saint) and to his cross-work. Looking forward to the future that is secured through His saving acts (resurrection and new-creation). Looking beyond all that this world affords and looking to Jesus. Moses considered disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater worth than all the riches of the global superpower of the day, Egypt. That was faith. In Christ. Against the world. Despite all that the world can offer.

When Peter is walking on water he is looking at Jesus. As soon as he stops looking to Christ and starts to stare at the foaming abyss, the storms around, thinking of his own safety etc, he starts to sink and Jesus says to him, "you of little faith". When *our* concerns draw us away from Jesus, and sure, they may be BIG issues (like drowning!), we look away from salvation and safety.

Post ascension for us today, it's more or less the same. Faith is looking back to His incarnation, life, cross, resurrection and ascension and looking forward to His return and new creation. Faith is in Jesus. In His life before the Father, His intercessions, His worship, His atoning death, His resurrection victory etc.

And as soon as we look away... trouble.

So, we could say a biblical definition of faith is, turning away from self, from the sin that so easily entangles. Turning away from religion, works, false gods. Looking away from the storms of life and the abyss of death... and turning TOWARD Jesus.

Repentance isn't something separate to faith in Christ is it.

The bible says it's impossible to please God without faith. I wonder what kind of turning away from bad stuff could actually please God if it was kinda separate to Jesus. Filthy rags springs to mind.

Trinity, church and the image of God

Well, this Saturday, I'm being commissioned at Worthing Tabernacle to the work of Pastor.  I'm going to be making some pretty epic promises before the Elders lay hands on me and pray. Most appropriately, these begin with the Trinity - do I believe in One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and do I trust Him for my salvation.

I'm glad that is the first question. There is no question more important than that one.  Everything gets undone if I don't say yes to that. Theology, faith, salvation, gospel, preaching, prayer, pastoring, evangelism... Without Trinity, it all falls apart.

Jesus says in John 17:24 that before the foundation of the world that the Father was loving Him.

Think about it. Before there was *anything* to rule, before there were rules, before there were any objects of wrath, before it all, there was a loving relationship - the Father pouring out His love for His Son, eternally giving Him life.

God, fundamentally, is a giver of life. He is a lover. He looks out to Another, his desire is outside the one Person and always focused on the other Person. He wants to impart life, fellowship, goodness, and love upon His Son.

And so we read, in Genesis 1 and 2 that man is created in His image (let US make man). Male and Female He created them and the two were echad - one flesh. Multi-person oneness. The woman came from the bosom of the man, out of his side. She was of one being and substance with the man - equally human and the two become one.  The first command that the Living God gave them (note, before any command to have dominion, subdue, rule etc) was to be fruitful and multiply. Give life. Make life. Overflow with life. Be like me - multi-person, fruitful, life-giving, other-loving oneness.

Now, what is going on here is basically church. God's children are assembled and are hearing from Him. There is an outward love, one to another - a fellowship that flows out of God's own life. They are listening to His Voice (God said to them...).  Here in the first assembly of the children of the Living God, the first church if you like, you see the image of God in man. Persons loving each other.  They are one, just as the Father and the Son are One (which is what Jesus is actually praying for in John 17).

You see why Trinity is essential for pastoring? What church is, who we are, who God is, what mission is - it's all bound up in that most beautiful doctrine.

And so on Saturday I will reply to the question - I do so believe and trust.

St Patrick's bad analogies

HT to Michael Lueharmann for this one!

Precious death.

We (I) tend to assume that death is a bad thing.

It hurts, we miss the people we love. It can be traumatic, violent.  Jesus snorted with indignation at the presence of death as He stood by the tomb of Lazarus. He sobbed and mourned. That's good. We need to mourn. We need to remember that death is the final enemy.

But we Christians believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and of course, He raised Lazarus. Jesus has defeated death. He swallowed it up in His own death.

I'm reminded of E.V Hill's *incredible* sermon that he preached at his wife's funeral (the last 5 minutes never fail to bring the tears). In his address, Pastor Hill mentions how beautiful his wife was and describes a beauty which is more than skin deep. She did sound like a top lass. But in his epic crescendo, it is if Hill was lifted from his own perspective of grief and loss and was stood in the very throne room of God, seeing "Baby's" death now from God's perspective.

He speaks of a moment in the hospital chapel where he was in prayer and conveys a kind of conversation between himself and the Holy Spirit.

"You think she was pretty, but ahhhh Hilll, you just wait until you see her again. Just wait till I get her out of this earthen vessel and put her in her heavenly garment. Just wait till you see her as she is. No more sickness, no more sorrow, no more pain."

Psalm 116:15 says "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints".

This is the plan. To take us in Christ through suffering and into glory. Not to patch us up, not to heal, but to resurrect. To remake. To beautify. And it's a delight to the Living God to see that moment when His beloved child is released from the curse.

It's such a comfort to think of the death of a Christian from the perspective of heaven.

"Welcome my child, I've longed for this precious day".

We're here!

Heyup!

We've been here a couple of weeks now, with a spot of camping and plane watching in between.

We got moved in really well thanks to a completely epic effort from the removals guys (Pollards, based in Huddersfield I think - recommended!). Ruth's parents took the children from our leaving bash at City, and kept them entertained until the Thursday after the move, which was such a big help. Great for the kids to come to a house with their rooms all ready for them.

Ten days of camping was a blessed relief from all the boxes and unpacking. A bit of simple living was just what the doctor ordered. We chilled out, took in a few sights, met up with Glen and Emma and watched *many* planes at the Airbourne festival. James loved the Eurofighter Typhoon, Hannah seemed to love the Tucano T1 for some reason. My favorite was the Belgian F16 - the noise was incredible, and we all loved the Red Arrows - nobody does display flying like those guys.

Work at the Tab begins on September the 8th, so I've been using the opportunity to visit some other churches locally to connect with them and their ministers. Having said that, we went along to the Tab last Sunday as it was (interim) Pastor John's final preach. I was glad to be there and be reminded that the joy of the Lord is like "indelible ink" sealed by the Holy Spirit in our hearts. It can't be taken away. Even if we are as low as can be, the Lord was lower still. His righteousness is mine, which brings peace and hence joy. That's the kingdom of God.

Ruth got to go to the evening service (her first, and for a good few months at least, probably the last time she'll get along). There were two baptism during the service which is such a massive encouragement.

The Tab is such a fantastic church. There is a palpable love for Jesus and so many passionate people who love Him and serve Him. The warmth of the church family is fantastic too. A lovely lady came up to me on Sunday morning saying how she is praying and praying for me, and pleading that the Lord will do wonderful things in my ministry.  Having prayers like her is what brings the life and fire.

There is a 'ripeness' at the Tab... dunno how else to describe it. So much excitement, anticipation, readiness for change. It's a huge challenge for me, but I'm confident in the Lord's plan in bringing us to Worthing. I preached from Jeremiah 1 at the Tab a couple of months ago (with a view- whatever that means!) and it was a timely exhortation for me as much as anyone else. I hope I won't be as reluctant as Jeremiah, but a healthy amount of that fear and anguish would be a blessing.

Although work proper doesn't begin till the 8th, there is a stack of preliminary and preparatory work to do which will keep me plenty busy. Ruth is getting stuck into all the boring admin stuff - registering for the Doctors, changing address etc. James starts school a week tomorrow. It's a lovely school and had it not been so far away, we'd be delighted. There are 12 closer schools. We're happy though and sure that the Lord has something for us (and James!) at his new school. Hannah's nursery is just round the corner and she starts in a couple of weeks. She's very excited that she can play outside with water.

My induction... commissioning... installation... service is on September 21st - 3pm (I think!) at the Tab. If you can come - amazing! If not, then pray for me, Michael and those others involved. We're hoping to get a Skype link for City folk who can't come. We'll keep you posted on that. If you are coming and need accommodation, then please get in touch with the office at the Tab. Also, if you could let Ruth know if you are coming (ruth owen email AT g mail dot com) we can help the team here to know about catering etc.

We miss City, Leeds, Yorkshire... the North.

Si thee later.

Rich, Ruth, James and Hannah