Scribbling Theology:

Category: Scribbles

• The Theological Pilgrim

  Posted at 6:25 am by scribblingtheology, on August 2, 2019

  

  Every man has forgotten who he is. One may understand the cosmos, but never the ego; the self is more distant than any star.
  Thou shalt love the Lord thy God; but thou shalt not know thyself.
  We are all under the same mental calamity; we have all forgotten our names. We have all forgotten what we really are. All that we call common sense and rationality and practicality and positivism only means that for certain dead levels of our life we forget that we have forgotten. All that we call spirit and art and ecstasy only means that for one awful moment we remember that we forget.

  ― G.K. Chesterton

  What a profound and beautiful quote. We’ve all forgotten who we are, and we’ve all forgotten that we’ve forgotten. Theology and studying the Bible then is actually as much about discovering who we are as it is about discovering who God is. Why? Because the more we discover about God and the Bible, the more we actually learn about ourselves. This is why I love theology so much.

  God is mysterious. Knowable but completely other. He’s so weird. Unlike so many other gods in the world, He wants to be known. And not just intellectually, but intimately by corrupted, broken human beings. Weird. If I were God I wouldn’t want to be intimate with me. Yuck. All I see is a disgusting, corrupted sinner. God, however, see’s so much more. This is the best thing about theology, the more you figure out who God is and His story, the more you figure out who you are and all of our stories.

  Last week I wrote a blog titled “The Lonely Theologian.”  In it, I reflect on the often lonely and isolating nature of doing theology that challenges your tribe and tradition. The reason why these days I find myself falling outside of these traditional categories is that the more I study the Scriptures, and the more about God I discover, the more I realise how inadequate my understanding of Him is and in turn myself.

  This is true and good theology: to know the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent, and then to know thy self truely.

  • To know: what I mean here is to know in the intimate sense of the word. For the Bible intellectualism, experience, feeling, desire, are all wrapped up in what is called the heart. When God says He wants us to know Him, He means in the same sense as we know our best and deepest friends.
  • The one true God: There is one God who eternally exists in three persons. Father, Son, and Spirit. There are other gods, sure. However, there’s only one worth getting to know.
  • Jesus Christ: Here’s where the rubber hits the road. In Jesus Christ, we have two things happening (among others). We have one person who is both truly God and truly human. To know Jesus is to truly know God and in turn ourselves.

  So what am I getting at? You’ve heard it a million times “we’re all on a journey.” This is true, sort of. We are all on a journey… except some of us like to sit on the park bench along the way, smile (or frown), and wave at those who pass on by. They’re fine. Part of the theological journey is learning to love and accept people like that. However, I can’t help but press on. I feel like I’m tripping and stumbling through life with the only thing guiding me is the desire for knowledge and wisdom. I’m on a pilgrimage with no real destination in mind except for the mecca of God. I’m just a theological pilgrim.

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments

• The Lonely Theologian

  Posted at 3:05 pm by scribblingtheology, on July 22, 2019

  

  Believe me, when I say this – It would be so easy to draw a “crowd.” I know what the right things to say are, the right doctrines and thoughts. I could be thoroughly orthodox in every way and no one would bat an eye and every blog I wrote would get likes, “amens” and maybe a few shares. I could completely immerse myself in a theological tribe and get pats on the back and a thumbs up from my kin all the while completely selling out on what is I really believe. If you want the easiest path to being liked by others in the Christian Faith let me tell you what to believe (on top of the obvious stuff about Jesus, the Trinity, Scripture and salvation which are non-negotiable):

  1. That the universe is roughly 6000-10000 years old. Christians love this one because Jesus said in order to receive eternal life you must firmly hold to the idea that the universe is young and then be born again… obviously.
  2. The Bible is to be read at face value and read literally. I mean because every single one of us reads the Scriptures in its original languages and has a thorough understanding of its original context. Wow! Amazing!
  3. That all we need to do is read just “read Bible.” We just need a “simple faith.” Amen, I mean who needs over 2000 years of theological thought, translation and reflection to at all help how we understand God’s Holy Word right?
  4. That the Bible is about me and you. The authors of the Bible wrote Scripture fully anticipating a white Western 21st Century Christian to be reading about food safety laws in Leviticus thousands of years later. How considerate.
  5. That our tribe has it all figured out. This one just speaks for itself.

  Satire? Yes. I hope you get the point.

  Trust me, being a theologian (though I’m not sure if I’d really consider myself as one) is lonely and tough work. You read and pray, and think and pray, and discuss and pray, and read some more. We’re in “ivory towers” not just because we choose to be there ourselves, but because sometimes we’re exiled to the ivory towers by the community of Christians we usually hang around. Usually, what ends up happening one way or another is that what you once thought you knew ends up changing or at least being convincingly challenged. This is extremely isolating because at least in my experience, you start believing and working through things that no one else likes and you become alienated even from people you were closest too. I make note of this issue in a blog I recently wrote but I’ll reiterate it here. Being a good theologian, even a good Christian is embracing “the wrong.” We should love it, look for it and welcome it like a dear friend. There is nothing more humbling and even exciting than realising something we’ve held to our entire lives wasn’t quite right and that there is an entirely new world of waiting for us to take hold of.

  I guess my indictment is this. Let’s kill our theological golden calves before we “kill” one another. There are truths worth dying for –  but there aren’t any worth killing for.

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christianity, church, doctrine, God, Identity, Idolatry, Jesus, opinion, Spirituality, Theology

• The Sin of Scepticism: Finding Wisdom in an Age of Criticism

  Posted at 9:09 am by scribblingtheology, on July 10, 2019

  

  The Age of Reason gave birth to the sceptic in a way never before experienced by humanity. All of a sudden, everything we read and believed was to be grounded in evidence and reason. If it didn’t make sense then it didn’t exist. In a lot of ways, this was really great. We could call in to question once held to beliefs, challenge them, and we could see if they held ground. This paved the way to a lot of what we have today technologically and even what we’ve rediscovered historically. Unfortunately, scepticism has become the default position of our generation, it has become one of the greats gods of our era. Recently, a good friend of mine asked me “Why do you reckon we find it easier to be negative and sceptical than positive?”

  Love is the quintessential epicentre of Christ and ergo, the Christian faith. We are seriously terrible at loving people because we’ve learnt to hate our entire lives. What I mean is this. Consider one of the great meta-narratives making its way throughout our time. “You’re special. You’re smart. Whatever you put your mind to, you can achieve. You’re important.” This narrative perpetuates the notion that the individual is the most important thing in existence. We’re taught to love ourselves, to think highly of ourselves, and to believe we can do anything if we just try… and even then we’re still utterly amazing if we don’t. However, in the never-ending quest of self-love, we actually end up seeing others as less important, less special, less intelligent, less capable, and less wise. One can see how steeped in pride this is, easily leading to hating your brother and thinking him a fool.

  Let me be clear if you’re reading this: in and of yourself, you are extremely mundane.  This is hard for us to come to terms with because every movie we watch, or book we read, the world is telling us that we’re destined for greatness, that we’re the chosen one who’s going to bring balance to the Force, that we can destroy the Matrix, throw the ring into Mt. Doom, and save the princess. Reality sucks. People go their entire lives and die without ever finding love, purpose or meaning. It’s tragic but nonetheless real.

  Second, is change and challenge. We automatically disagree with new or different positions because change is an incredibly hard thing to have us do. Why? Because realising that you have to change and grow is admitting to yourself and to the world around you that you’re not as perfect as you thought. It’s an immensely humbling and often painful process which is why it might take years for someone to even shift their perspective on a certain issue let alone change the way they live.

  Third, positive reinforcement, and having an open disposition to others’ opinions rather than being immediately dismissive means believing that another might have more wisdom than you. This is a big struggle for a lot of us because we’ve lived our lives acting (never admitting) that we’re always right about anything and everything we hold to. All of a sudden, someone else might know better than you and that’s a huge kick in the backside – extremely deflating to one’s ego (especially mine).

  Finally, let me say this. I think God holds Christians to a high standard. The Scriptures tell us that Christ has become the wisdom of God, and we’re in Him (1 Cor 1:26-30), and if the Fall was about us living by our own wisdom and not God’s (Gen 3), then we’re called to not be wise in our own sight (Rom 12:14-21), to uphold one another in honour (Rom 12:10), and to even consider others better then ourselves (Philip 2:3). Now we’re getting somewhere, no we’re displaying the love of God. So, instead of coming into a conversation or situation with an attitude of disbelief or with scepticism, we should be asking “what can God teach me through this person. Especially, if all things are worked out for my good (Rom 8:28), even this conversation?”

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, love, opinion, Spirituality, Theology

• Love is More Complicated Than You Think

  Posted at 9:34 am by scribblingtheology, on July 6, 2019

  

  So I had this thought while driving to work this morning, “love is more complicated than you think.” On the one hand, it’s really simple, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Simple yes, the problem is though love gets a seriously bad wrap in the 21st century so the idea of loving your neighbour can be often misunderstood to mean a few things:

  1. Love is often misunderstood to mean that you should just lay down and die. Love does not mean that you’re a welcome matt for everyone to walk over. Love means service and sacrifice, but it doesn’t need to mean abused slave (persecution is an exception). I can’t even count the number of times I’ve seen Christians roll over and die for the sake of “loving your enemy or neighbour” (Mark 12:30-31). All I’m saying is this, Christian, be careful you’re not using love as an excuse to justice a passivism of idolatry. Be careful you’re not using love as a way to get out of confrontation because you’re afraid of what people might think of you or do to you. God uses the weak, yes (1 Corinthians 1:7). But sometimes He needs fearless warriors as well (Ephesians 6:13-18). This sorta leads into my next point.
  2. Perhaps it’s my sinful self but nothing frustrates me more than Christians allowing someone to do something in the name of love but at the expense of justice. Alright guys, let’s get real here. God hates injustice and iniquity (Psalm 5:5; Proverbs 6:16-19; Isaiah 59; Luke 12:45-46). He hates the oppression of the poor, the widowed and marginalised of the world (Psalms 68:5; 1 Timothy 5; James 1:27). Time and time again I see Christians use loving people as an excuse to not boldly call out when there’s something wrong happening in our communities because there’s a belief that being a meek and mild passive Christian seems to be more loving then stopping someone from doing something bad. Oh and that reminds me.
  3. Stop using love as an excuse for sin. This is the real fundamental issue. Time and time again Christians use love as an excuse to let people off the hook for their sin. “Don’t judge” they say, or “just love them, dude.” Let me be absolutely clear there is nothing more unloving, more ungodly, more unchristlike then allowing a person or persons, in the name of love, to perpetuate sin, injustice and chaos in a world where God wants to make all things new and free from these very things (Proverbs 17:15; Matthew 18:15-17).

  All this tends to fly in the face of the modern concept of love. Allowing people to do what they want, acceptance and endorsement. This couldn’t be more unbiblical and, dare I say, abhorrent to the God of the Bible.

  So then, what is love? This is where it becomes a touch more complicated because the Bible only gives us hints and clues but really leaves the practice up to wisdom and discernment. Love is servanthood and sacrifice (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10), it’s patient and kind (1 Corinthians 13:4-8), humble but also fierce, it’s human flourishing at its finest (Genesis 1-2). Love is the main game but it’s the sort of love we find in Jesus’ whole life and ministry. Jesus was, by today’s standards fairly judgemental, corrective of sin, stood out against the oppressed and marginalised, but loved the world so much that He died for it (John 3:16). He was the ultimate servant of humanity (Philippians 2). We need a complete and holistic perspective on Jesus’ character if we are to imitate Him. 

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, love, opinion, Spirituality, Theology

• The Local Church: A Slice of the New Earth

  Posted at 12:55 pm by scribblingtheology, on July 5, 2019

  

  This is a big one. Get a hot coffee (from my cafe), get a Bible, sit down and take your time. Here…we…go…

  There are just a few things I especially love in life, coffee, church planting, and biblical theology and of course, blogging is definitely up there. I would actually love to church plant soon, the world can’t do with enough healthy churches. So as I was pondering what my next post should be about I thought “why not write a biblical theology of church!” Wow, amazing. A few things we should note.

  First, there is a difference between biblical theology, systematic theology, and theology that’s fundamentally biblical. Biblical theology is the official term used when one traces a theme or a topic throughout the entire biblical narrative. Systematic theology draws from biblical theology as well as history, exegesis and other disciplines in order to present a certain perspective or perspectives on certain topics (the Trinity as an example). Theology that’s biblical is just good theology grounded in the Bible. Anyone can do theology but in order to be a good theologian, it has to be fundamentally grounded in the Scriptures.

  Second, there is a difference between the Church universal, and the church local. The Church universal is the term we use to describe the Church invisible across space and time. It includes every Christian who has ever lived, lives and will live across the world with Christ as its head. The church local is simply the local, physical, and visible expression on the Church universal. While there is some overlap, this post will be focusing on the local church. Finally, we shall begin our study where every good biblical theology should start, in Revelation (didn’t see that one coming did ya).

  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:1-4

  Spoiler alert – at the end of the Bible Jesus wins, the heavens and the earth are renewed, humanity is saved and all is well. Awesome. The problem is we’re not there yet. We live in what is known as the now but not yet stage of history. That means that, yes Jesus has died and has risen for the sins of the world, for the restoration of creation, and the defeat of darkness, but this has all fulfilled only in part. Jesus has taken away the power of sin but not it’s presence. Jesus has brought heaven and earth together but He didn’t restore it. Jesus was victorious over the satan, the principalities and powers of this world, but He didn’t remove them. It’s an awkward tension where Jesus has done some great things but we’re yet to see it come to completion. Why hasn’t Jesus just fixed everything already? Mainly because He has a plan, and a major part of that plan is that God chooses to partner with humanity in the restoration of the world, the same humanity that broke the world and introduced sin into it. This started all the way back in Genesis 1-3.

  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and then He created the garden of Eden. God fills the Garden with trees, rivers, fruit, animals and finally humans. Why is this the first thing God makes? Because the Garden functions as space where God and His creation comes together in the midst of the chaotic and dark world of Genesis 1:1-2. This space is where humanity lives in unity with God and with the rest of creation as they’re tasked to subdue the earth, rule over it, to be fruitful and multiply. In the ancient world and throughout the rest of the Bible these spaces where humanity and the gods meet are known as temples. They are a unique spot where humanity can engage with who they worship away from the corruption and chaos of the world around them.

  This theme of the temple and sacred spaces, where humanity, creation, and God come together in harmony can be tracked throughout the entire biblical narrative:

  Eden (Genesis 1-3)

  In the beginning, God created heaven and earth to overlap, but because of humanities decision to do what was right in their own eyes, they were exiled from the sacred space and into chaos and outer darkness.

  Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6-10)

  Noah’s Ark is a picture of sacred space in that, within the midst of a chaotic world, humanity (Noah and his family), creation (animals), and God come together to start new earth.

  The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11-12)

  Babel or Babylon is a picture of an anti-temple. It’s where humanity, creation and the gods and idols of this world come together to meet and perpetuate sin and darkness.

  Mount Sinai (Exodus 19)

  Here at Sinai, God gives Israel (and all of humanity who worship Yahweh) identity and a vocation. First, they’re His own people, He is their God, and second, they are to be a kingdom of priests – a holy nation. It’s difficult to not see the temple theme here as God Himself is establishing an entire nation full of priests. The mountain itself was a holy space if anyone touched it that God didn’t allow they were to be stoned, yet God asked all of Israel to come to Him in that space.

  The Tabernacle (Exodus 26-31)

  A proto-temple. While Israel was going through the wilderness God wanted to make sure there would always be a sacred space where He could meet with His people.

  Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 5-6)

  Finally, in the promised land and the kingdom set up, God established a sacred space where people and come and meet with Him whenever they please. Take note of how both the tabernacle and the temple are recast as Eden type spaced. There was gold and fruit trees as well as all the bells and whistles a temple was expected to have.

  Second Temple (Ezra and Nehemiah)

  After the temple was destroyed and after Israel returns from exile from Babylon, there is an attempt to rebuild the temple. Unfortunately, it did not return to its former glory. Because of Israel’s sin, God’s presence was not there. It was a vain attempt at restoring a once sacred space.

  Jesus (John 2)

  Jesus, however, makes all things new. Instead of there being a physical temple with four walls, Jesus Himself is the new temple where God’s space and our space overlap. Where Heaven and Earth meet.

  The Church (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5-7; 1 Corinthians 3:16-19).

  Thus so is the Church. In Christ, we the Church collectively are the space where Heaven and Earth meet. Visibly and locally we become little pockets of sacred temple space where people come to meet with God.

  New Earth (Revelation 21:1-4)

  Finally, at the end of the age, every single inch of creation will be sacred. No division, no sin.

  The local church then needs to borrow from this sacred space – temple imagery and ask the question, “how does this play out in our role in the local church?”

  1. The local church needs to be a community of priests (1 Peter 2:9). For this to happen we need to be a people who know God’s Word and a people of prayer. There’s no point in doing anything else unless we get this right. There’s no temple without priests working in it.
  2. The local church needs to be missional. The local church needs to be a light to the world displaying God’s glory and love in deed and through the preaching of the Gospel. There’s no temple without people to reconcile to God (Matthew 5:14-16, 28:16-20; Romans 1:16, 10:14-15).
  3. The local church needs not to be so dull. When you step into a temple you should feel as though you’re in God’s presence and about to meet with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We’ve lost a little bit of the magic in our churches that made temples and the old cathedral so grand. Plant a garden or some trees around your church (Subdue and cultivate the earth). Hang some art and play great music (Ephesians 5:19). We should get creative in how we decorate and build our sacred spaces to inspire worship and awe.

  At the end of the day, how different might church on a Sunday morning be if we treated it a bit more like a sacred space instead of a club we go to or a chore. I think if pastors, planters and Christians in general thought of their Sunday experience more in this theological vein perhaps our affections would be more stirred and we’d be just a bit more pumped to meet with our Father and invite people into that sacred space.

  Posted in Scribbles | 1 Comment

• Conservative Christians – Let’s Get Better at Love

  Posted at 2:38 pm by scribblingtheology, on July 2, 2019

  

  “What did He say that got everyone so upset?” asked Crowley the demon

  “Be kind to each other” replied Aziraphale the angel

  “That’ll do it” said Crowley.

  – Good Omens

  The other day I was talking to someone about a controversial local pastor. He’s controversial because he holds to some doctrine and theology that some, if not many, would consider heresy. As I was listening to what this person had to say, something within me jumped and I just said to him “theologically conservative Christians need to do a better job at loving the more theologically progressive or liberal.“

  Now, I’ve thought a lot about this over the last few days. I was eager to write about it but reluctant to post it. I think it’s going to rub against a few of that tend to fall more into my camp. It’s difficult because what is love? What does it mean to love those who completely disagree with you or who might even fall outside of the Faith? It’s difficult because the Bible by and large just says to love people and then leaves the details up to the reader. I can think of a few things that love is not.

  1. Love is not an endorsement. If I love a heretic, a murderer or just someone I disagree with, this doesn’t mean I endorse what they represent or what they’re doing. I love them because Jesus commands us to love people and because I know who they can be in Christ – a new creation.

  2. Love doesn’t automatically assume that I have to join hands with the person in worship. There are some people out there who simply worship a different God, this even includes professing Christians. There’s, I think, some fair warnings and guidelines around how we should fellowship in worship with the kind of people that teach a false Gospel and who deliberately lead the sheep into false pastures (Matthew 7:15-20; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 John 1). This, however, should never be at the cost of being able to pray for them, being able to have them out for a coffee or being able to engage with them in such a way that allows you to love (1 Timothy 2:1-3; Romans 5:8; Mark 12:30-31). Put it this way if they’re wrong and maybe not apart of the Faith, then they probably need more love and kindness then ever, mixed with truth, in order to see the grace of God (Romans 2:4, Ephesians 4:15).

  I guess, at the end of the day, we should all take Jesus’ words seriously when He says to love and treat each other as we would want to be treated (Luke 6:31). If I had something to say, would I want to be heard? If I believed in something different compared to others, would I want to still have friends and people who loved me? Lets put our selves in the context of the other and ask ourselves, “would I want to be treated the way I treat them?”

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments

• Hell

  Posted at 11:49 am by scribblingtheology, on June 20, 2019

  

  I wanna write a few things before you jump into this blog:

  1. I’m not entirely sure why I’m writing this. I feel like I need to, there seems to be a huge swell of conversation around this topic of late. I guess I’m trying track with it while offering some insight and resources for my readers.
  2. I’m not entirely sure where I actually sit on the issue of Hell. Like I mention in the blog, the Bible uses a lot of different language to describe its nature. I think it is real but what Hell actually looks like is still a bit of a mystery to me.
  3. I’m not really refuting any other position per se, rather, I am writing about this topic in order to work out in my own head and heart what this is all about. While there are certain positions on the doctrine of Hell I certainly reject, I am open to discussion and different perspectives.

  Anyway, enjoy, ready, love and get back to me on your thoughts over the issue. Here we go.

  “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.”
  ― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

  Hell. No matter where you land on the issue, it is perhaps one of the most dreadful of doctrines to discuss. Every Christian knows someone who will be found wanting on the Day of Judgement, and like God, we take no pleasure in the perishing of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). One should not be able to discuss such doctrines without feeling a sense of despair for the one who may go there. It is a heavy burden indeed to live one’s life knowing that not everyone’s future is so secure. Yet, it is a reality that every one of us must face, that we all must give due diligence to if we are to be faithful Christians who deliver the message of hope. For some, Hell is a place where fire burns eternally, where the stench of sulfur and ever rotting corpses permeate the underworld never ceasing. For others, Hell is fiction, perhaps a fairy tale used to scare children into being good little boys and girls. The truth, I think is somewhere in between.

  When we grab one doctrine and start to study it we must consider it in light of Scriptures grand narrative, the bigger picture so to speak. Simplistically, the story of the Bible looks something like:

  creation > fall > exile > redemption > new creation

  —————————————————————————–

                                      (Kingdom)

  The question is where does the doctrine of Hell fit into all of this? Systematically and traditionally, Hell is the consequence of rejecting God in this life so you suffer eternally and consciously in the next. Think torture, burning and wrath being poured out on the wicked for all of eternity. Usually, this fits in between redemption (the Cross) and new creation (as that’s sort of where we are currently in the timeline). However, I think the Bible paints a bit of different picture of Hell, and even the picture it does paint is messy, and not always very clear.

  First, where does the idea of Hell even come from? A lot of work has been done on this, a great podcast you can listen to is here. In short, I’ll say this. Whilst the primary image and metaphor that is used to describe the nature of what happens to those in the afterlife, who continue to rebel against God is one of fire and torment, the New Testament also uses other images to describe this reality. Hell is firey, hot and tormenting (Matthew 13:42, 25:41; Mark 9:43; Jude 1:7; Revelation 21:8), but it is also dark, depressing and full of anguish (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30; 2 Peter 2:4). Because the Bible is using metaphors to describe to us what Hell is like, and hell can be both firey and painful, as well as dark and depressing. Interpreting these images is quite the task as they could have different meanings based on the context and on the literary structure of the Bible. What we can gather however is that this is not a place you want to end up. For me personally, Hell is more about what we do to ourselves as opposed to the everlasting wrath of God tormenting us.

  Hell, I think, is more about the choices we make here in this life and how they carry over into the next. There is beauty in this life, a lot of it but it seems so often clouded by the chaotic choices humanity makes. We quickly turn against God, one another, and even true selves in order to get what we think is good for us (Gen 3). Picture this for a second. What is the New Creation? It’s where God dwells among His people, it is where people are in perfect harmony with God, one another, and the rest of creation. Love reigns, there’s goodness and perfect health. There’s light and laughter, flourishing and beauty. Therefore, Hell must be a place void of goodness, the opposite of flourishing, a place of darkness and anguish, sickness and death. Why does anyone go there? Because we choose to. The Bible is pretty clear, there are those that love the light and those that love the darkness (John 3:19-21). So lovers of darkness get what they love… darkness. Lovers of light, on the other hand, get light.

  All that to say this – death and then judgement is something that happens to all of us at the end of the age. Jesus will judge all of us, He will separate the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25), the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30), to those who don’t obey the Gospel God will judge with everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 1) but will grant everlasting life to those who believe (John 3:16). We have to wrestle with this, meditate on it and work out the implications of what we believe. We must ask why does this matter, what does this mean, and how this affects our lives? Good luck.

  Posted in Scribbles | 3 Comments | Tagged Christianity, church, doctrine, eschatology, God, heaven, hell, Jesus, opinion, Spirituality, Theology

• Relationships: Love First – Theology Second

  Posted at 11:01 am by scribblingtheology, on June 10, 2019

  

  Hey guys! Have you missed me? I know, this first post I’ve done in a few weeks. Life has been hectic. My wife and I just bought our own cafe so most of our energy has gone into working there, if you’re ever on the Sunshine Coast let me know and I’ll make you a great cup (I hope). Anyway, enjoy this blog 🙂

  The other day I was sitting and having a coffee with a friend of mine. We talked about a lot of different things but the one thing that stuck with me was what he said about theological debate and discussion. He told me that we need to move from trying to fit people into boxes and just let them become who God is making them too be. I loved that.

  Boxes are both helpful and unhelpful. Helpful because putting people into boxes and labelling them helps us to recognise where they’re at in their journey, what they believe and even how to relate to them. This is good because God actually wants us to engage meaningfully, intellectually and teachfully (is that word?) with one another. Boxes are good for this. Unhelpful – because often when we box someone and label them we often end up treating them differently to how God wants us to treat them.

  If someone is different to you theologically or philosophically, we tend intellectually alienate them, treat them like as though they don’t belong, like as though they’re a second class (this is called tribalism). I’ve done it, you’ve done it, we all do it, and I know exactly how it feels being on the receiving end of it (it does not feel nice). We too easily forget that doctrine doesn’t save per se, rather, Jesus does. Doctrine and theology aren’t the path to everlasting life, they are handrails to help us along our journey along the path. Please don’t get me wrong, theology and doctrine are important, obviously… I mean my blog is called Scribbling Theology, I love it… sometimes too much. It too easily becomes an idol and it easily becomes the way in which I filter my reality… even people through. I think there’s a better way.

  Instead of letting labels and boxes define the people around you, let God define them. They’re image bearers (Gen 1:26), people who are loved by Jesus (John 3:16), who need grace and mercy as much as the rest of us. If there’s a label that we must use to define our relationship with others, if there’s a theology or a doctrine, let it be love (Colossians 3:14-16). Love that person and let them become who God is shaping them to be, not who you want them to be. If they’re behind, maybe that’s exactly where they need to be, if they’re different, maybe God has them there for a reason. Then, finally, grow with them, shape with them, sanctify with them. Teach and be taught. Live and let live. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, after all the advice, prayer and love, they’re life is between themselves and God and that’s a good thing.

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, opinion, Spirituality

• Modern Prophets

  Posted at 10:08 am by scribblingtheology, on April 26, 2019

  

  2019 and beyond… what will the world look like? It seems as though the world is in a constant state of change sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better. With the birth of the technological age, humanity is making leaps and bounds to better our lives with entertainment, production, leisure, even love. But, as they say, with great power comes great responsibility and we have not always been so responsible. Whatever demonic evil thought the nuclear bomb was a clever idea clearly needs a wake-up call. Abortion is at an all-time high, the last century was the bloodiest in the entire history of humanity. As humanity evolves, chaos and corruption are an inevitable price for purchasing prosperity and harmony – apart from God’s Kingdom.

  Imagine though something altogether different. Imagine a world where people love one another without condition or expectation, where prosperity and life flow freely and people live in unison from every tribe nation and tongue. No war, famine, corruption, or chaos, and sin is washed as white as snow. Just the world we all sense it ought to be. The Bible calls this image God’s Kingdom and God calls His Church to be heralds of the Good News of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth. We haven’t always done this well. From time to time, along the way, instead of taking up God’s message we took up arms and killed one another. Instead of loving our neighbours and displaying to the riches of God’s grace we abuse them and display darkness preach chaos. However, I believe today is a new day.

  God is still as passionate today about sending forth His message as He was two thousand years ago when Jesus commissioned His disciples with the great commission. I believe God is continuously calling His Church to preach repentance and good tidings in every nation, with a fire in their bellies and breathe new life into dry bones. I think He wants us to be prophets. He wants us to effectively and meaningfully engage with our contexts (mines Australia) and deliver God’s message that saves. He wants us to call them out of the darkness and into the light. He wants the nations to turn from their sin, uphold the poor and the widows, and be reflections of God’s Kingdom here on earth. It sounds crazy, I know. We can only ever get so far with this. Even with our prophetic sense of purpose in the world, the Spirit guiding us and the Gospel on our tongues the Kingdom will only come in all of its glorious fullness with our Lord Jesus. Until then, preach:

  For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

  (Romans 10:11-15)

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, Power, Spirituality, Theology

• Do Christians Need to Go to Church?

  Posted at 12:31 pm by scribblingtheology, on April 15, 2019

  

  What a question. It’s one I’ve heard a lot over the years in different ways. “Do I need to go to church in order to be a Christian?” “Do I need to go to church to be saved?” “If I can read the Bible for myself, and catch up with other Christian throughout my week for coffee and Jesus chats, why do I need to go to church on a Sunday?” Great questions and they’re honest questions I’ve asked my self as well. I think that a part of the problem with these sorts of questions presupposed a certain kind of modern church that isn’t healthy or biblical. This might stir up some controversy so strap yourselves in for a ride.

  In short, yes one does need to attend a local church in order to be a healthy Christian. Why? A Christian not attending a local church but expecting to have a healthy Faith is like a bodybuilder not going to a gym and not lifting weights but expecting to win first prize in their next comp. It’s like a writer never actually writing anything at all but expecting a book to still be published, or a coffee connoisseur only ever drinking Nescafe Blend 43  (God forbid). I think you get my point, it just doesn’t work. Ok, sure. A person who drinks bad coffee might still consider themselves an expert on coffee. They might have read every book on it, joined every Facebook group and listened to every podcast (important for any coffee enthusiast), but that can never replace sitting down in the actual shop, drinking the actual cup of coffee and enjoying, savouring and experiencing every moment of the sweet velvety nectar that flows from the throne room of God Himself (I’m obviously drinking a very nice cup while a write this).

  Fundamentally, I believe, what often lies behind this question is discontentment with the state of our local churches. Fair enough. Take my context, for example, the Sunshine Coast. The Coast is absolutely flooded with churches. Almost everywhere you look there’s a “city life community good point” named church that gathers people to do life together, to encourage and build up. The problem, however, is that that’s where it stops. (Get ready for the trigger) The vast majority of churches on the Sunshine Coast (not all) pitch to their congregations that loving one another, that living out your destiny or purpose, that living the “good life” in this slice of heaven called the Sunshine Coast is the Good News that Jesus offers us. That is not all the Gospel is.  Let me be clear, the Gospel includes – certainly in the age to come – the good life, a life free from suffering, pain, financial hardship, no sickness or death. The Gospel includes the mandate to love one another as ourselves in order to image God. However, the Gospel starts with Jesus as King (Luke 1:26-33) who offers forgiveness of and freedom from sin (Romans 3:23-26), victory over Satan and the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:14-15), a new heart, mind and soul (Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10), and (among many other things) union with God Himself (1 Corinthians 6:17).

  Most of the people I find asking these sorts of questions are in churches that have an emphasis on living the “good life” instead of first God, Jesus and the Gospel. Rarely do I ever hear the question asked in healthy Gospel-centered churches. Why? Because when the entire Gospel is presented, not just part of it, the sheep are fed and are fueled to live the good life, to love neighbours and get involved in social justice out of a gospel-centred motivation.

  For the sake of the article, let me again be clear: The good life, loving your neighbours and wanting what is best for yourself now is a part of the Good News (God wants this for people), but, it starts with Jesus, sin and darkness and then leads to those things (if not in this life – remember Jesus promises hardship and trials – then certainly in the age to come). It is my desire and prayer that the Coast would experience a sort of reformation where we go back to the ancient ways of preaching Gospel-centered messages to feed our sheep, where we pray, seek and save the lost, and see Christians being deeply moved by every facet of the Gospel, not just the physical benefits (which are great).

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, opinion, Spirituality, Theology

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