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Half a Person

"Paul says a man 'will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh' (Eph. 5:31). This is more than a reference to the physical union of a man and woman in marriage. The language puts before us the Lord's creation plan to make us whole persons. God created the wife to complement and complete the husband (Gen. 2:20-24). Lest this sound demeaning of her, think of what it connotes for him. The man is ever incomplete, incapable of realizing the divine potential God intends for him in this life, apart from the ministry of his wife in his marriage."

- Bryan Chapel, Each for the Other

Five years ago today, I stood inside Bethany Christian Reformed Church in Bellflower with a silly grin on my face as she gracefully entered the sanctuary to Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring performed by Ellen Lee and Joy Kang (now Joy Lee) on piano and cello. The only moments that can even compare with the excitement and joy I felt that day are the days when each of my three children were born, and the day I was ordained as a minister.

Today I am humbled and grateful for my wife, who is among the greatest of God's gifts to me. Christians are often careful to place God above family in the order of importance, as if our relationships exist in some ascending pyramid of significance. Yet the Bible declares to me that in God has given me my wife as a living Gospel. I am half a man without her, and through her God ministers to me, covers me with steadfast love and faithful grace.

She is able to do this because Jesus is her redeemer. She is able to bear with my stubbornness, laziness, and selfishness. She is able to forgive me when I wrong her, and devote herself to my good when I am needy and demanding. Her love and forgiveness is more precious than the love and forgiveness of anyone else because she lives with me and my sins day in and day out, and despite my shortcomings she works out her covenant bond to love and cherish me day by day.

My wife is not God, she is not Jesus, she is not even the Holy Spirit; yet the redeeming grace of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work in her and through her to make me whole. In fact, my marriage to her is a reflection of Christ's marriage to his church and through my wife I am drawn more and more to see and cherish the love of God for in Christ.

Happy anniversary baby. I love you.

Two Ways to Abolish the Law

In his book UnChristian: What a Generation Really Thinks About Christianity, David Kinnaman sites the top three negative perceptions of Christians as: (1) Antihomosexual; (2) Judgmental; (3) Hypocritical.

How should Christians respond? Should Christians lighten up on their beliefs and be more accepting of the beliefs and lifestyles of others? Or should Christians just become more entrenched in their beliefs and write off these perceptions as the misinformed postmodern views of a godless people? There is a third way in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Problem with Relativism

During the "Sermon on the Mount" in Matthew 5, Jesus makes some strong statements about his life's purpose. Starting in verse 17, Jesus says, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

It seems that the perception that people had about Jesus was that he was a relativist. They thought that he stood for "abolishing the law." When we read the Gospels, we can certainly understand why. After all Jesus spends significant time with people of irreputable character (corrupt officials, prostitutes, loose women, drunkards, etc.).

The problem with abolishing the law with relativism is that this means we can have no hope outside ourselves. Right and wrong hang in the balance based upon who we are here and now; and who we are here and now in this world is all we will ever be.

Jesus says, "For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

The kingdom and heaven does not stand on relativism, but on the perfect righteousness required by the Law of God.

The Problem with Moralism

On the other hand, Jesus clearly declares that moralism is not the answer either. Jesus concludes this portion of his sermon saying, "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

When we hear Jesus speak so strongly about the importance of the Law, we might think that the answer is that we must simply try harder to live moral lives. Jesus addresses this potential misunderstanding right away by pointing to the most moralistic people living in Israel: the Pharisees. Jesus is saying that moralism is not enough. The Law of God requires a righteousness that surpasses the most moral people among us. This is a righteousness that surpasses the Mother Teresas, the Mahatma Gandhis, the Dalai Lamas, or the [insert your model of morality]. How much morality is enough? The Law of God requires morality that does not "relax one of the least of these commandments" nor "teaches others to do the same."

In the end, moralism abolishes the law just as much as relativism. For moralism brings the law's requirement for perfect righteousness down to a human scale. Moralistic people consider themselves moralistic because they consider themselves more moral than others. Not even the most moral among us would dare say that they are morally perfect (unless they are delusional).

The Friend to Sinners who Fulfilled the Law

Jesus says all this to point out that he is different from us. Jesus does not abolish the law with relativism or with moralism. Jesus fulfills the Law. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ all of the Law is accomplished. You would think that such moral perfection would make Jesus into a very judgmental person. Yet he was a friend to sinners. In fact, he was so close to sinners that people perceived him to be a relativist.

What we see here in Jesus' sermon is not a call to action as much as it is a call to faith. He is calling us to see that we really have no hope to imitate him. Jesus is not giving us a model for Christian life as much as he is presenting himself to us as our Savior. He wants us to see that we are the sinners - whether we lean toward relativism or moralism - we have all in our own way abolished the Law.

Jesus Christ, the God-Man, fulfilled all the Law of God in our place so that all who believe in him can say that through union with Jesus they too have fulfilled all the Law of God. He drew near to people like us, law abolishers, to live, die, and rise again for our salvation. This is good news for antihomosexual, judgmental, hypocrits. It is good news for a generation that thinks poorly of Christians. This news humbles us, makes us compassionate, inspires us to befriend and care for people who need this Jesus as much as we do, and it stokes a fiery love for the goodness of God's Law that exposes and restores us from our hypocrisy.

Office Hours

My alma mater, Westminster Seminary California has a new podcast featuring interviews with its distinguished faculty. One of the things that I loved most about my seminary education was the freedom I had to drop by and chat about theology, ministry, and life with my professors in their offices. So much of who I am today as a minister was shaped by time spent talking, praying, and studying under the godly, pastoral, and deeply pious faculty of Westminster. I am thrilled that the seminary has produced this podcast and I commend it to you. The seminary is giving away five gift packages to listeners during the first season of the podcast. Go to the Heidelblog for more info.

God and Money in Tough Times

The New York Times did a short piece on the ministry of prosperity gospel "evangelists" Kenneth and Gloria Copeland. The Copelands are a dynamic husband and wife ministry duo whose message has been characterized as a "prosperity gospel." The article opens with a description of one of their recent meetings at the Southwest Believers' Convention in Forth Worth, Texas:

"Onstage before thousands of believers weighed down by debt and economic insecurity, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland and their all-star lineup of 'prosperity gospel' preachers delighted the crowd with anecdotes about the luxurious lives they had attained by following the Word of God."

Journalist, Laurie Goodstein, observes that even during this severe economic downturn, people are coming out in large numbers to hear these evangelists of "wealth and prosperity." There is a strong appeal to this message of a prosperous life. But the "prosperity gospel" in all its forms offers nothing but an empty and false hope. It is no gospel at all. Here are some of its biggest problems:

1) The "prosperity gospel" is based on works not grace: the promise of wealth and prosperity is given to those who are faithful and more specifically, who faithfully give. There is no grace here. God's blessings in the "prosperity gospel" are not free and unmerited, but earned and well deserved (Eph. 2:8-9). The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is absolutely unnecessary to receive these worldly blessings.

2) The "prosperity gospel" offers empty promises: faith in Jesus Christ does not lead to a prosperous and comfortable life, but a life of suffering. The pattern of Jesus' life is suffering in this world, glory in the next. As a people united with Jesus, we must participate in His sufferings in order to participate also in his glory (Rom. 8:17).

3) The "prosperity gospel" preys on the weak and shows partiality to the strong: those who are under financial hardship are told that they must become wealthy in order to fully participate in the blessings of God. Those who are wealthy are held up as examples of those who are blessed by God (James 2:1-7).

While I absolutely reject this so called "prosperity gospel" I have to admit that I myself am tempted to look for more tangible blessings from God in the here and now rather than finding contentment in what is in store for me in the hereafter. At its essence the "prosperity gospel" reverses the already but not yet of the gospel.

The cross and empty tomb declares to me that I already possess the richest spiritual blessings from God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But the "prosperity gospel" declares to me that I do not yet possess these blessings until I am wealthy and prosperous here and now. The death and resurrection of Christ declares that I have not yet entered into glory so I must bear my cross and follow where my Savior tread; persevering by faith. But the "prosperity gospel" declares to me that I already can possess glory I can see with my eyes through worldly weath, power, and influence.

I am disgusted by this "prosperity gospel" especially because I see how strongly it appeals to me. I often long to forego the not yet suffering of the gospel and experience the already prosperity of the false gospel. I am not looking for a financial windfall. I am just looking for fewer tantrums from my toddlers, a little more financial stability so I won't have to struggle with living on a budget, a little more free time to do things for myself, a little more impact in people's lives so I can validate my gifts as a minister. None of these things are bad in themselves, yet they subtley rob me of my deepest spiritual treasures in Christ. I can not lust after the so-called blessings that are already in the prosperity of this world without giving up the blessings that are already mine in Christ.

As C.S. Lewis puts it, my desires are not too strong, but too weak. Lewis writes, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imaginge what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Whare are some ways that you have found the "Prosperity Gospel" infiltrating your life?

Vampire Lust

Apologies to the one or two of you out there who have been following this blog for the long hiatus. Most of my "spare" time has been diverted to family, church, and my other blog this past month.

I came across this thoughtful piece written by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan in today's NY Times. The writers opine about why our culture is obsessed with the subject of vampires in film, television, and literature. It struck a chord with me because my wife recently discovered the Twilight trilogy of books. We've been discussing the books almost every night. The concept of vampires stuck in an unending undead existence as teenagers tickles us.

Tracing the modern legend of vampires back to 1816, Hogan and del Toro identify some similarities between then and now. The birth of the vampire legend came out of a time of famine when people were deprived of basic needs and faced with a sense of their mortality. As Hogan and del Toro trace the social conditions behind the birth of vampire lore, they observe:

"in contrast to timeless creatures like the dragon, the vampire does not seek to obliterate us, but instead offers a peculiar brand of blood alchemy. For as his contagion bestows its nocturnal gift, the vampire transforms our vile, mortal selves into the gold of eternal youth, and instills in us something that every social construct seeks to quash: primal lust. If youth is desire married with unending possibility, then vampire lust creates within us a delicious void, one we long to fulfill."

The New Testament Greek word for "lust" is epithumia, "over-desire" (Gal. 5:16). This word describes a desire that controls us. According to the Bible, our "over-desires" do not fill a void; they create one.

One common theme in vampire lore is tragedy. The tantalizing promise of immortality in these tales comes with a heavy price. The truth is that an immortal existence with nothing to occupy us than our obsession with our own desires does not a satisfying and peaceful life make. The answer is not in the rejection of all desire either. Desire is truly a human emotion.

The good news is that God has provided us with someone who can satisfy all our desires through eternity: himself! While vampire lore encourages us to fantasize about the nearness of immortality (anyone can be bit by a vampire), the Bible shows us that immortality is far beyond the reach of the best of us. Yet God came down from heaven, was born as a man, not to become a vampire who feeds on human blood, but to become the God-Man who dies on the cross and rises again so all who believe in him can feed on him in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper (Matt. 26:26-29). Jesus reconciles us with God, renews and strengthens us by his word, spirit, and sacraments, and he will bring all who believe in him into eternal glory to enjoy him forever.

I don't think I will stop watching vampire movies. They're just so entertaining! But I find deep comfort in knowing the difference between fantasy and reality. I give thanks to God that the good news offered to me in Jesus Christ is not the stuff of myth, but the counter-intuitive message that exposes human mythology for what it is.

On your baptism

My wife and I have a tradition of writing a letter to our children when they are baptized. Here is the letter we wrote for our daughter Lois on her baptism, June 28, 2009.










Dearest Lois,

You are sleeping quietly in your bassinet as I write this. Tomorrow you will be baptized. Baptism is a holy sacrament. What is a sacrament you ask? A sacrament is a sign. Tomorrow Pastor Joshua Lee will sprinkle water over your head. This water is a sign of your death and resurrection in Christ (Romans 6:4).

Lois, your baptism shows you that you belong to Jesus. He lived the life of perfect obedience, devotion to God, and love for his neighbors that you could never live because you have a sinful nature. You were born guilty. You are your father's and mother's daughter. We are guilty sinners too. We come from a long line of guilty sinners say back to the first father and mother. But God rescued us by sending us Jesus. When Jesus died for our sins, he died not only as the perfect human being. He died also as God. In his one death, he paid for all the sins of his people: past, present, and future. When Jesus rose from the dead, he rose not only as God, but also as our Savior to give us eternal life.

Your baptism shows you that because Jesus died for you on the cross, you have already died with him. It has only been sixty days since you were born, but death has no power over you now. The sting of death is gone. Your death is in the past, nailed to a cross over 2,000 years ago. You have been buried with Christ. You can not die again.

Your baptism also shows you that because Jesus was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, you have also risen with him in his resurrection. You are only two months old, but you can already taste the benefits of eternal life. Your life is hidden with Christ in God. You have been seated with Christ in the heavenlies.

A sacrament is also a pledge of God's Covenant of Grace. The water sprinkled over your head is God's promise that he will truly save you from all the guilt you ever feel, all the mistakes you ever make, all the misery you ever experience, all the troubles of this passing evil age, all for the sake of Jesus Christ. God's salvation is a free gift. He promises through baptism that it is yours only by believing in Jesus and turning away from your sins.

Some people only receive baptism after they have already come to fully understand and believe that Jesus is their Lord and Savior. God has come to you in this baptism before you could clearly understand or believe. It is a powerful reminder that you will not find your greatest hope within yourself, but outside yourself in God. God has been pleased to bring you up in a Christian home with two Christian parents who are deeply flawed and sinful but saved by his grace. Lois we pledge to love and nurture you as a precious daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords. We will pray for you and with you. We will teach you from the Bible. We will share our faith in Christ with you through all of life's joys and sorrows. Today, you are also joining the Body of Christ. From this day forward you will always have a spiritual family in the Church. Beloved Lois, our greatest dream for you is that one day we will worship Jesus together with you in full sincerity and faith through all eternity.

Love,
Daddy and Mommy