The Gospel, Work and Rest

In the same material from which I posted this quote earlier in the week, I found this one:

Apart from the gospel people remain restless in their work and labored in their rest. The gospel enables people to rest while working because the work that justifies them was accomplished in Jesus -- they don't need to work to give them significance any longer. The gospel also enables people to truly rest while not working, because they know that God is always working -- they don't have to worry that their lack of work will stop the world from spinning.

Answering Rob, Part 2

As promised, here is an answer to Rob's question on the post concerning whether God delights in non-Christian art. He wrote:

Can we use the word "please?" There are things that are done in the world by non-Christians that "reflect" something about God Himself, but do they actually "please" Him? How do you explain it in light of Hebrews 11:6 "Without faith, it is impossible to please God..."?

Here's my attempt at an answer:

Basically, I think Rob's question could be stated another way: does Scripture teach that God can take pleasure in a "product" that is the result of human sin? I think the answer is yes, and the most vivid demonstration of this is the cross.

Isaiah 53:10 says that God was pleased to bruise His Son (not all translations use this language, but the NASB does). There was a sense in which God took pleasure in the crushing of His Son, as it was God's way of vindicating His righteousness, so that He might be just and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus. Because His glory was displayed at the cross, God delighted in it.

But the death of Jesus came about through human sin. It is not that God took pleasure in the cowardice of Pilate, the jealousy of the Jews, or the cynical mocking of the Jewish soldiers. These are evil acts which God hates and will be punished. But the end result of it was still something that brought pleasure to God, when viewed from the wider perspective of how God was glorifying Himself at the cross.

Of course, the cross is not exactly the same thing as a poem, novel or jazz riff created by a God-belittling atheist. But I think there may be a principle there: in His wisdom, God can use the evil acts of people who hate Him to produce something that He delights in.

Perhaps not all will agree with me on that, and that is fine. But still, every Christian ought to reckon with how/why they enjoy works of culture produced by non-Christians. Whether it's music, a movie, a home run, an exotic dish, or an iPod, it is a nearly universal experience for Christians to use and enjoy products created by people who hate Jesus. Is this a deep flaw in us that needs to be repented of, or is our delight a reflection of God's image that is stamped on our hearts? Or is there another way to explain it?

With regard to the Hebrews 11 passage that Rob quoted, I would say this: I don't believe that Reinke said that God is pleased by non-Christians; he only said that God can and does delight in things that they produce. If you concede that non-Christians reflect God's image, and you concede that God loves His glory supremely and takes great pleasure in the display of Himself wherever it is found, then it seems plausible that God does delight in the displays of Himself that He sees in non-Christians. It is not a delight in them, as sinners; it is a delight in His own glory shining through them. It's a delight in Himself. If God were not to delight in His own image reflected back to Himself, He would be unrighteous.

I think the context of Hebrews 11, and the entire letter as a whole, reveals that in writing 11:6, the writer has no intent of informing us about God's attitude toward art. He is warning a drifting church in danger of reverting to legalism that God's people have never pleased Him through their works, but always through faith. When he speaks of pleasing God here, I believe he's speaking of pleasing Him in a salvific (yes, that really is a word) way. So I don't know that this verse necessarily has any bearing on the issue. Perhaps I'm wrong about that though.

Thanks for stimulating my thought on these matters, Rob. This is obviously a matter way outside the innermost circle of core Christian beliefs, so it's an area where I think Christians can have differing views. I only posted Reinke's article and my own reflections because I desire that all of us who love Jesus work hard to think in a God-centered way about all of life. And that includes our love of art.

Since leisure and art is such a big part of everyone's life, I figure it's a good thing to think through. Whether you arrive at the same conclusions as me or not (and my thinking is certainly still in process), hopefully God will be honored by our diligent thinking.

If anyone has made it this far, I would certainly value your adding in your thoughts on this matter!

Work & Rest

As I finish up my vacation, I thought I'd post a sermon I listened to awhile back on the theme of work and rest. These are topics which, though they occupy such a large part of our lives, are often neglected by pastors in their preaching.

This sermon by Tim Keller was a blessing to me when I listened to it. Let me know what you think of it if you choose to listen...

Chill Out -- Postscript

Evidently, the quote I posted the other day about how the gospel frees us to chill out has caused a bit of a commotion over at JT's blog (155 comments as of my last check). To clarify why he posted the quote, JT wrote this.

Then today, Kevin DeYoung weighed in on the commotion with a post on his blog. He's a sharp guy, and I appreciate his insights on most everything I read from him. Here's an excerpt:

The fact is some Christians do need to chill the heck out. There is such a thing as pathological seriousness. It is possible to be too intense. Young Christians, especially when they are getting meaty theology and God-centeredness for the first time, can be prone to manic bouts of self-flagellation, spurts of judgmentalism, and unhealthy hyper-watchfulness. I know because there have been times in my life when I’ve been prone to all three...

I’m not arguing for careless exhortations, nor do I espouse moral relativism of any kind. But discernment is not the same as selling out. If you don’t need to chill the heck out, don’t. But some people do. And if you don’t think any Christians are wound too tight or introspective in unhealthy ways, then I’m concerned for you. Just like I’d be concerned if you thought the gospel was essentially about taking it easy.

I think that's very well said. Read the whole post here.

The pursuit of humility is serious, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun too

Jesus said in Matthew 23:

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

That makes the pursuit of humility an incredibly serious matter. But that doesn't mean a person can't have any fun while pursuing humility.

A few weeks ago I had a good lesson in this while playing a game of Hoopla with some friends from church. There's something humbling about trying to "act out" Mount Saint Helen's without using any words. It's hard to do that well while being consumed with a lust for looking good in front of others.

I don't like games where I have to "act things out". Hoopla would have been my last option of what to play on this particular "game night." After reflecting on that emotion, I realized that I feel that way because I don't like looking foolish in front of other people. Or to put it another way, I'm a proud man (and I don't mean that in a good way).

If a person can't laugh at himself from time to time, he's probably not very humble. And because I desperately want to be humble, I'm glad there are games like Hoopla. Even something fun and trivial can be an instrument in the deadly serious business of destroying pride.

Good advice for vacations

'Tis the season for vacations, and from reading the Gospels, it seems like this is not a subject Jesus is silent on. In Luke 5:16 we're told of Jesus,

"But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray."

So Jesus is pro vacation. That is, He often withdraws to desolate places for times of rest and refreshment. But what does He do for refreshment? It wasn't just board games and movies for Jesus; He prays. This is true rest for the soul.

Don't get me wrong, I think God takes pleasure when His people enjoy all the good gifts He has given (including board games!). But if you've got a vacation coming, look at Christ's example and make some extra time in prayer a priority.