Should You Preach From a Full Manuscript?
I’m still working through what works best for me.
America’s Suicidal Quest for Autonomy
Yep.
A Complementarian Manifesto Against Domestic Abuse
This is much needed.
Yes, we are. Painfully so.
Well, this looks like an epic place to work:
“He sees you when you’re sleeping,
He knows if you’re awake,
He knows if you’ve been bad or good…”
Quick, who are we singing about? Santa Claus?! No. Santa Claus is not omnipresent, silly.
A fun jab but an even more important distinction. No one possesses the attribute of omniscience but God. Not Satan, not an angel, and certainly no man. Similarly no one possesses the attribute of omnipresence but God. What is omnipresence but the presence of God everywhere?
Ah, yes, but there are some very important distinctions to make clear as we consider this that will help us, comfort us, and move us to worship.
God dwells in all his creatures, but not in all alike.
“God dwells in all creatures through his being, but in no one other than Christ does the whole fullness of deity dwell bodily (Col. 2:9). In Christ he dwells uniquely: by personal union. In created beings God dwells according to the measure of their being: in some in terms of nature, in others in terms of justice, in still others in terms of grace or of glory. There is endless diversity in order that all of them together might reveal the glory of God.” (Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol 2, pg 169)
So What?
““Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:23–24, ESV)
God in his word tells us that he is at hand and far away. That he fills heaven and earth. This is terrifying and comforting. Terrifying because there is truly no place to which we can run, or be, or sin that God is not. His omniscience and omnipresence are inseparable. He both is everywhere and knows everything. Yet it is comforting because when God made atonement for your sins, believer, he is fully aware of everything you have ever done. Not only that, God is not confined to space and time and has full knowledge of all that you will do. His atonement for your sin was not general or speculative. He didn’t rely on angel spy reports to keep tabs on you nor is he wringing his hands about what you will do. He definitely atoned for your sins because he knows all of them. Past, present, future. His knowledge is “omnipresent” as well; it is not confined by space or time.
God is with you. In Christ, God is for you. We ought to live our lives with the knowledge that he is there. Ligonier ministries is fond of Coram Deo. “Living Coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.” We live in his presence, whether we admit it or not. Let us not be spiritually distant from him by living under his authority and for his glory.
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:7–10, ESV)
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I highly recommend you read more on this. I have not even scratched the surface of the subject and its implications. Augustine, Herman Bavinck, and others would be great places to start.
What Does It Mean to Find Your Identity in Christ?
We hear this phrase often but what does it mean.
How Do I Stop Spinning Plates?
This is related to counseling but I think it would apply with about any type of plate-spinning professions/habits that we have.
Is Social Media Scrapping You Too Thin?
It does have a tendency to put me into too many places at a time. Well worth considering.
A Primer on Whether Same-Sex Attraction is Sinful
I appreciate Patrick Schreiner’s treatment of this difficult topic.
Here is a hamster eating a carrot in bed:
“Without art no one will see the Lord” –Hipster Hebrews 12:14
I’ll be honest, I’m not quite hip enough to say something like, “I love good art.” Truth be told I’m probably a bit too drab to enjoy a good painting when I see it. I’ve a tendency to get lost in a good story but I doubt I’d really appreciate that super-artsy film that has everyone raving at the Sundance festival.
I say all of that to say I might not be the best person to offer this critique, it might be better coming from inside the camp. Yet, I do own a Bible and I think I love good art enough to at least have a tiny voice. So please hear this critique as one from a friend who truly would like to enjoy some of the art that ya’ll are feasting upon.
I could have picked a few shows but there is one particular show which has been bugging me as of late; Game of Thrones. It seems like the type of show which would be right in my wheelhouse. I love history and castles and most of the things you’d find in a fantasy epic. It seems to me that the show is very well done and that the writers tell an intriguing story which hooks the viewer. And I really want to watch it. Believe me I do. But there is one problem for me.
Holiness trumps art.
From everything I’ve read of the show and even a few of the previews I’ve unfortunately had come across my screen, the show is filled with vulgarity and sexuality. I looked through the parent’s guide for a few episodes and every one of them seem to have full-frontal nudity.
I know my heart too well. I can’t trick myself into saying that what I’m really doing is glorifying Christ through my enjoyment of story. This is what I mean when I say holiness trumps art. I mean that holiness is more important than a shadow which might somehow reflect the Great Storyteller.
I’ve got enough to feast on in the unadulterated gospel of Jesus. I don’t need to dabble in shadows which are filled with the world’s version of a good story, even if somehow there are hints of the Grand Story. It isn’t worth it. There isn’t enough meat on the bone. Yes, story is grand. Yes, story stirs up something within me. But at the end of the day holiness trumps art. If the two go head to head, I’ll choose holiness and save my feast upon art for the new heavens and the new earth.
I’m confident there won’t be anything like Game of Thrones in the new heaven and the new earth because we’ll be relishing a much better story. A story which will then be real and enjoyed in actuality without the reek of sin and death. So I’ll just cling to holiness and save the art for glory.
Besides I’m not strong enough to handle the pride which would certainly accompany a Christian being so holy as to be able to watch such things without sin and lust arising in his heart, if such a one were to exist. Nor do I want the deadening which much certainly accompany such a thing. If the art truly is beautiful then it had better elicit emotions. The writers in Game of Thrones aren’t aiming to bring about Christ-honoring emotions. If I could stare at such “good art” and be unfeeling then something terrible must have happened in my heart.
Wouldn’t it be much wiser to pursue our affections being stirred by Christ?
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I appreciate this from John Piper: 12 Questions to Watch Before You Watch Game of Thrones. Also, I’ve also tried to tackle something similar when talking about video games.
Photo source: here