Christian Living
The Simple, Bare-Bones Secret to Radical Faith
Back in the early 19th century British Protestant missionary to China C. T. Studd said:
“Too long have we been waiting for one another to begin! The time for waiting is past!…
“Should such men as we fear?
“Before the whole world, aye, before the sleepy, luke-warm, faithless, namby-pamby Christian world, we will dare to trust our God,..and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts.
“We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only in our God than live trusting in man.
“And when we come to this position the battle is already won, and the end of the glorious campaign in sight.
“We will have the real Holiness of God, not the sickly stuff of talk and dainty words and pretty thoughts; we will have a Masculine Holiness, one of daring faith and works of Jesus Christ.”
A manly, near-reckless faith. Where does one get that? Great question. First, let me explain what I’m doing this week.
Here’s the deal: I want to devote the entire week to what I started yesterday as a review of David Platt’s book Radical.
That book is simply too rich to compress into one 1,000 word post. And simply too valuable to drop after just one day.
We need to expand. So let’s go.
Resisting Typical Expectations
Arguably the best chapter in Radical is the second to the last: “Living When Dying Is Gain.” That chapter can be summed up like this:
The stories we hear about believers who are hated, beat and killed in distant countries are stories about people who’ve found a desire deeper than the basic human will for self-preservation: the desire to serve Christ and be his witness.
This desire even trumps the fear of death.
In fact, death isn’t viewed as an enemy and a coffin as a rot box. They’re viewed as a reward and a launching pad. This is the essence of what Jesus taught in Matthew 10:38-39:
And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Thus, when talented young men and women dismiss the expectations and promises of the world to live in filthy Palestinian refugee camps on the outskirts of Egypt…
Or in dilapidated section 8 housing in dangerous urban neighborhoods to share the gospel with the people who live there…
Only to die in obscurity a few months or years later…
Their lives are not a waste and neither are their deaths a tragedy. Rather, those lives are treasures and those deaths rewards.
Let me explain what I mean by that.
Death Is Dead to Me
The Bible teaches us that the instant we die we are ushered into the presence of Christ.
In that instant we glimpse God’s glory and unimaginable majesty. Remember, this is the great reward of the gospel: God himself.
But WAY too many Christian’s have lost that vision. A vision confiscated by the American Dream.
See, when we accept the reality that death is nothing more than a line we cross between life and God’s presence, something happens to us: We embrace a near-reckless devotion to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is the way Paul puts it:
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
Death has been conquered. And victory secured. What do we have to fear?
Don’t Make This Mistake
Some people bristle at the notion of setting our minds on death and the afterlife because they believe it makes us worthless here on the earth.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The person who sets his mind on heaven knows that his destiny is secure and glorious. He’s free to live the most radical life of love and sacrifice here on earth.
Listen. The hope of safety in the afterlife cures us of timidity, fear and hopelessness. It releases a radical, risk-taking love that baffles skeptics and forces them to ask for the reason for the hope that is in us.
When you invest emotional and mental equity into the hope that death is reward and the doorway to our savior, you’ll be set free to live a fearless, near-reckless life of love and sacrifice.
That’s the kind of believer the modern church should be training and churning out. What can we do to make that happen in our own churches? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
A Christian’s Approach to the Mind, Death and Persuasion
Not long ago Annie Dillard wrote, “Strange seizures beset us.”
By seizures she meant motifs.
Themes.
Ideas that haunt [whether for good or bad] a writer.
For me, those themes boil down to this: the mind, death and persuasion.
In our culture, anti-intellectualism dominates.
Death is feared.
And persuasion is reframed to mean “manipulation.”
What is a Christian to make of these three topics? Let’s explore.
A Sanctified Mind
I love learning. I love facts. I love knowledge. And doctrine. But there are enormous problems with a “cold, speculative, unsanctified head-knowledge of Christianity.”
It’s bound to feed you enough rope to hang yourself.
No.
That head knowledge must be sanctified. And your mind must be matured in Christ because the mind is important to God. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.”
The moral: Use your mind to love the things of God.
In the book of Romans Paul writes, “Do not any longer conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
In other words, your mind must be dominated by the Spirit. Romans 8:6 says, ”For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Only then can we understand spiritual truths. Only then can we make sense of heavenly wisdom.
Even in the Old Testament we see an emphasis on the mind: God said to Isaiah, ““Come now, let us reason.”
It takes a mind to reason. A mind nurtured on biblical truths. Mature in spiritual wisdom. Your mind has a purpose. It’s to be worked out. For Christ. Use it.
A Sanctified Death
Susan Cheever said, “Death is terrifying because it’s so ordinary. It happens all the time.”
Perhaps this is why Kierkegaard said that death is the single most important philosophical topic known to man…
It is knowledge that separates us from God. We must make meaning of it.
Yes, death is a metaphysical issue. It goes beyond the physical. But it is real. And it haunts humanity.
An unsanctified mind might treat death as a sleepless demon bent on ruining your life. Or a bony clown who can drink you under the table.
For the Christian, though, death is stripped of it’s power to terrorize.
John Wesley, paraphrasing 1 Corinthians 15:55, said about death, “Thou art now robbed of all thy spoils; all thy captives are set at liberty.”
In the end, death is the gate to the garden of our Lord.
A Sanctified Persuasion
As a writer, I’ve got a particular investment in being understood. And getting people to believe me.
That means I appeal to reason. I use wisdom. Much in the same way a lawyer tries to persuade a judge that a person is innocent.
Like the mind, persuasion is a tool we MUST use for the cause of Christ. But first it must come under Christ.
An unsanctified mind will pervert persuasion and use it to seduce and deceive. To accumulate wealth and conquer woman.
To push God-denying ideas.
Before Christ, I adored the mind. Was spellbound by death. And toyed with persuasion to gain an advantage on other humans.
After Christ, these things came under Christ. But that doesn’t mean they lost their allure to tempt in unbiblical ways.
To pride. To fear. To greed.
I’m still dogged by the baggage of being an intellectual snob. Occasionally haunted by death.
For whatever reason, these are my motifs. Topics I churn regularly. In the end, whatever I write will be used to glorify God.
What I wrote before Christ will glorify by demonstrating his justice and judgment on a deliberate rebel.
When I write after Christ, I will glorify him by demonstrating his mercy and faithfulness, power and glory.
So tell me, what themes possess you? What haunts you? Dogs you–whether good or bad? How have you seen those things sanctified after conversion?
Looking forward to your thoughts. Brutal and all.
Death Lessons: What You Can Learn When Someone Dies
Seventy years from now more than likely you will be dead.
Don’t worry: So will I.
Some of us will die earlier than others [before we reach fifty].
Some will live longer [well after we turn ninety].
See, as humans, we all share this in common–death.
But we also share something else: When we are dead all of the things in our head–our thoughts, dreams, ideas, feelings–will be gone from this earth…
Lost forever to this world. And the people we leave behind.
Why the Morbid Mood?
Yesterday I learned about the death of a distant uncle. A man who I hadn’t seen in twenty years, but for good reasons meant a lot to me.
During a brief time of vulnerability, he took me, my mother and sister into his fold. But during that brief time he taught me how to work hard, hunt and think.
He even gave me a beautiful rifle.
Unfortunately, after a short period of time we parted ways and I never spoke to him again.
I regret that.
And so this morning I found myself a bit tired, wistful and nostalgic. A wee bit indifferent to the world but profoundly interested in hugging my children and embracing my wife.
It’s a classic introvert defense to news heavy on the death of people close to you.
Furthermore, streaming through my thoughts this whole time is an acute sense of our mortality–and the selfishness of living in one’s own head…an introvert’s favorite place to be.
12 Lessons We Can Learn from the Death of a Loved One
So in order to combat that, here are some reflections–commands, really–on how to indulge in the little time we have left in this world–whether you are an extrovert or introvert–and make the most of the time you have with your people.
It applies to us all. Enjoy.
Talk. Nurture deep conversations with meaningful people like your spouse, children, best friends and neighbors. Do this relentlessly.
Journal. Record your thoughts, feelings and ideas. Document tough questions. Sketch out your answers. The point: Be liberal so people can learn something about you when you die.
Pray. Nurture a deep, never-ending conversation with God. Pour out your soul to Him. Ask him for help. Plead with him to teach you how to be more like Christ.
Confess. Shed secret sin by rehearsing the gospel daily, pleading with God for forgiveness and asking an exclusive set of godly men and woman to hold you accountable.
Blog. Share your thoughts, feelings and ideas with a wider audience. Or keep it private and simply share it with family you are geographically separated from.
Contemplate. Think about your past. Evaluate your present. Plan your future. And once you contemplate, share it with others–in a conversation, on a blog or in your journal.
Write. Lubricate lines of communication with a regular letter or email. For times when you can’t pick up the phone or sit down in front of someone. Do this daily.
Slow Down. Resist invitations to do more. Simplify. Enjoy life. Enjoy your spouse. Your friends. Your children. Your home. Your car. The path through the woods. The lake. The clouds. The cross of Christ.
Create. Take those thoughts and ideas and give them life. Write songs. Sculpt statues. Paint portraits. Design cartoons. Build houses.
Play. Go sledding or fishing. Rock climbing or wind surfing. Teach your son to throw a ball. Twirl with your daughter in the den. Uncork a bottle of wine with your wife and watch her trounce you in a game of Scrabble.
Obey. Do when the Holy Spirit nudges. Don’t hesitate. Call that friend. Skip work and run away with your children to the beach. Visit that dying uncle. Share the gospel with a shop clerk.
Love. Grieve with the suffering. Laugh with the jubilant. Talk with the lonely. Listen to the gregarious. Give to the earthquake-shattered. Evangelize the hostile.
As you can probably tell, when I say indulge, I’m speaking about pouring yourself out for others. Giving away EVERYTHING in you to those you love AND to those you don’t love…
To those you know–and to those you don’t know. What you want is to say at the end of your life you held nothing back.
See, it’s worth forcing ourselves outside of our shelters [skulls, homes, churches, nations] and subduing the earth in Christ and for Christ.
Not only is it a biblical mandate, but it also provides for a rich, meaningful life. One that is perilously short.
Don’t waste it.
What Separates Humans from Animals? 10 Popular Ideas
Back in 1994 Time magazine announced “No single, essential difference separates human beings from other animals.”
I’m no scientist, theologian or philosopher, but that seems strangely problematic.
Especially after looking at a variety of ways in which we appear vastly different.
Here are ten of the most popular:
1. Well-formed rational faculties. Humans develop arguments, explore lines of logic, draw conclusions and form hypothesis.
2. Language. Humans engage in deep meaningful conversations. Exhibit complex and large vocabularies. Master difficult grammar.
3. Writing. Humans articulate arguments on paper, typewriter or blog. They create sweeping stories. They write love letters to each other.
4. Research. Humans are incorrigibly curious. They nose around dusty libraries. Hound complete strangers for clues. Drill through Wikipedia, Monergism or the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
5. Quest for meaning. Humans demand answers to questions like, ”Why do I exist? What’s my purpose? Where am I going? Why was I created?”
6. Anxiety over death. Humans–especially Kierkegaard–worry about what happens to them after they die.
7. Refined aesthetic sense. Humans cultivate beautiful flower gardens. Remodel their kitchens after four years. Play classical music all day.
8. Creative impulse. Humans paint portraits, write poems, sculpt statues, design skyscrapers. Endlessly.
9. Moral character. Humans stress virtues and resist vices. They create laws to define those virtues and vices. And offices to defend those laws.
10. Religious bent. Humans sense the transcendent and holy and try to define it. They practicing spiritual disciplines and craft rituals–from the simple to the complex.
Let me add one more to this list: Humans are tirelessly intrigued to know what makes them different from other animals–and invest enormous amounts of time pinning the differences down.
In fact, theologians earn doctorates attempting to specify one characteristic of humans–or a select few–in which the image of God is primarily seen.
But it boils down to this: What separates humans from animals is that we bear the image of God.
What does that mean? Man is simply like God–rational, moral, creative, aesthetic. More importantly, humans represent God.
And to represent God is to receive a calling that requires humble devotion to the God’s glory.
In the end, it’s not about getting hung up on discovering that single characteristic that defines “the image of God.”
No.
It’s about getting hung up on this simple mandate: We are creatures designed to bring honor to Christ through our gentle, grace-affirming subjugation of the earth for the gospel.
By the way–just for grins–can you think of any more ways that people have tried to define the differences between humans and animals? Please share!
Disclaimer: I fail miserably at nearly all the above categories. So don’t look to me as a model human. 
A Recovering Rage Addict Looks at Anger Management
Seems not quite right: A former–and still struggling–rage junkie would have something to say about managing anger.
But indeed. I do. Quite a lot. As you’ll see in a minute.
Let me start with this: I think “anger management” is an awkward, if not inappropriate, title.
See, anger is not managed. It is subdued. But not by you.
Let me explain.
A Tiny Bit of History with Anger
Anger issues usually get drawn out when someone gets married. That makes sense: Require two very different people to live together and conflict is bound to erupt.
It did in my marriage.
Funny, because before I got married, I thought I had it all together. Not much could rattle me. Then again, not much was required of me. People pretty much left me alone.
And since nobody called me out on it I honestly thought I was doing well. Until I got married.
You don’t see things like this coming: An apparent innocent statement causing your fists to clench. Or the simple neglect of things important to your spouse setting her or him on edge.
To make matters worse, you keep it up–and defend yourself endlessly. For the first ten, I don’t know, eleven years, that defined my marriage.
Here’s the deal: I didn’t want it to be that way. But anger defeated me. It worked me over. Manhandled me. I knew who was the master and who was the slave.
Of course, my wife took the brunt of this anger. Post-flare up I’d grovel. Break out the “anger” books. Burn the typical verses into my memory. Plead with God.
But inside of me I was still boiling. “How dare I go through this!”
As you might guess, the next round of heated arguments would reveal that I was not winning the battle…
I was STILL blowing my top and stomping about the house like a mad man. And things even got worse when our children were born.
Anger and Children
This is not scientific, but married people WITHOUT children tend to argue less. But once you involve wee ones and their round-the-clock demands, even greater disaster awaits.
Something you should know: All of this was before my conversion.
Why is that important? In spite of my best efforts to “conquer my anger” my wretched heart was doing the only thing it knew how to do: Defend and exalt self. Even over the children.
That meant my anger drifted from my wife to my first child. Then my second.
I’d lose it when they would fuss for hours during bedtime. I’d flip when they trashed the kitchen floor with their dinner. And stare them down if they nagged me while I watched a football game.
It wasn’t pretty.
But we managed to stitch along enough happy times that they seemed to enjoy themselves for the most part. Yet, they weren’t immune to my wrath.
This Broke My Heart–Kind Of
One thing that sobered me up was the recognition that my children were growing afraid of me. They said as much in their beautifully upbeat and jolly ways.
As you can guess, this broke my heart.
Sadly, I could bear being mean to my wife–but I couldn’t bear being mean to my children. So I vowed to hunker down and kick this wrath habit.
Fat chance.
My tactics to suppressing my anger amounted to walking away, counting to ten and simply trying to remember that I don’t want my children frightened of me.
The problem with this is that my anger was rooted in a wicked heart. And that just proved too much for me.
Understand: I’m not trying to excuse my behavior. I’m motoring to a point. And that point is this: Liberation from anger only comes through Christ.
Here’s what Jesus said about it:
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. Matthew 15:18-19
In other words, a corrupt heart will only produce corrupt deeds. And my tactics amounted to thin cosmetic changes that didn’t fool anyone to the decrepit nature below the surface.
It was only when God regenerated my heart that I truly was able to master my anger.
But “master my anger” is the wrong phrase to use. Indeed, it was Christ who mastered my heart through the new birth.
And it has been the grace of God, a daily plowing of that heart with the Bible and an unapologetic infatuation with the majesty of Christ that has allowed me to experience any kind of victory over rage.
Post-Conversion Recovery from Anger Addiction
Dramatic improvements have come in my life since I was born again. The difference between the years before and after is as stark as night and day.
For example, remaining calm in situations that used to send me into a rage…I simply just don’t get rattled [as much].
No doubt, I am still recovering from many bad habits, including anger. But each day I shed a little more residue of the old man as the elements of the new accrue.
I do co-opt certain psychological strategies to manage my anger, like paying attention to what I’m doing, remaining calm and, most importantly, making sure I’m actively giving good quality time and attention to wife and children.
But I’m not brave enough to say I’m no longer a “rage addict.” Some people may not like that. But let me say this: I must keep that label in front of me because, left to my own devices, I will systematically destroy those around me.
It’s also biblical.
Why I Remind Myself of My History with Anger
Often, to drive a point home, the Apostle Paul would refer to his past when he was a legalistic Pharisee hellbent on prosecuting Christians. He remembered where he came from. And he wanted others to do the same:
Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:12
Paul’s point: Denying your past is trouble because it leads to hubris and susceptibility to making the same mistakes in the future.
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather NOT do that.
So, in the end, if it not for Christ, I’d hopelessly remain a rebellious, self-absorbed misfit of madness–no matter how many neat tricks I employed to combat nasty hissy fits.
A Possible Defense of Rage
One objection remains unanswered: Didn’t Jesus rage about in the temple? Wasn’t that a vicious display of anger?
Yes. He did. And it was.
But there’s an important difference between his rage and our typical rage: He was angry at injustice and corruption–not from frustration or an unfulfilled sense of entitlement.
Anger directed at corruption or cruelty is okay. But keep in mind: Don’t sin when angry. Instead, use your anger as a motivation to change things.
Final Thoughts
In the end, if you want to overcome anger, you don’t discover the formula and then work that formula.
No. You must start with regeneration.
Then, and only then, can you slowly recover from a life dominated by rage and grow into a life dominated by a sublime sense that you are at peace with the creator of the universe.
There is no other way.
So, yes, a former rage addict does have a little something useful to say about anger management. And if this at all speaks to you, let me know. I’m truly interested to know what you have to say.
This post inspired by a reader’s question. Got a question you’d like me to answer in a post? Email me.
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