Depression, Christians, and Medicine Part 2

Mike Leake

Yesterday, I introduced this series on depression, Christians, and medicine.  Today I promised to discuss my presuppositions.  Obviously this discussion will not be exhaustive—especially because there are probably presuppositions that I am not even aware of.  But here is what I do know…

We are whole people, that have been wholly effected by the Fall, but will be totally redeemed, through the gospel (with it’s ripple effects)—which is absolutely sufficient, though God still uses means to make the gospel shine. 

Now let’s unpack that.

We are whole people

We are bio-psycho-social-spiritual beings.  That means we are physical beings—and our physical bodies has an impact on our pscyho-social-spiritual selves.  We are also complex rational beings made in the image of God.  Our minds (cognition) impact our bio-social-spiritual selves.  But we are also people in a community and this also impacts the whole of our person.  And perhaps more important or what unites all of these is that we are spiritual beings. 

Whenever something is out of whack it usually does not touch only one particular area.  Even something like cancer does not ravage only the biological aspect of a person.  It also has an impact on attitude, societal relations, and relationship with God to name a few. 

That have been wholly effected by the Fall

There is not one part of our being that has not been touched by the Fall.  It has impacted our minds, our hearts, our relationships, our bodies, our societies.  Everything.  Of course nothing is as bad as it possible could be.  God’s common grace keeps the world from being as wicked, broken, and destructed as it could be.  Nevertheless, every person has been wholly touched by the Fall.

But will be totally redeemed

Of course Christ has already begun the process of redeeming.  And people can live in redemption in a significant way.  Nor is this pleading for universalism.  Not every person impacted by the Fall will be redeemed.  But those whom God is redeeming will ultimately be redeemed—their whole persons wholly redeemed.  Not only will people be redeemed but society will be redeemed.  This means that regardless of where we stand on this issue of depression and medicine we should unite in hope that someday Christ will obliterate this brokenness. 

Through the gospel (with its ripple effects)

I say “with its ripple effects” for a reason.  Redemptive medicine is a ripple effect.  So is gospel community.  So is biblical counsel.  The gospel transforms everything.  The gospel is what enables us to live in redemption in a significant way in the here and now.  At the end of the day the gospel and all of its ripple effects is the cure for depression.  Whether that cure comes through medicine, counseling, or final healing in the New Jerusalem.  Christ purchased all of it.

Which is absolutely sufficient

Jesus does not need the help of science to redeem people.  Jesus does not need help from the regenerate or the unregenerate world to accomplish his purposes.  He can work through them.  He can use them to accomplish His purpose.  If the sufficiency of Christ ever is called into question, that is the moment when we need to pause and rethink our conclusions.  Acts 17 is still true—God does not NEED us to accomplish His purpose.

But God still uses means to make the gospel shine

Passive theology which refuses to accept means is more akin to Stoicism or Hyper-Calvinism than biblical theology.  God does not NEED us to accomplish His purpose but quite often we are the means that He chooses to use to accomplish what He is doing. 

He used a small group of followers to change the world.  There is no getting around the biblical fact that a fisherman named Peter, a former murderer named Paul, and a couple of loud-mouths named James and John were used by God to transform the world.  God uses means to make the gospel shine.  And he can use whatever means he wants to. 

This is my presupposition:  We are whole people, that have been wholly effected by the Fall, but will be totally redeemed, through the gospel (with it’s ripple effects)—which is absolutely sufficient, though God still uses means to make the gospel shine.  Question it if you must.  But know this is where I am coming from as we take our next steps…

Review of The Devil in Pew #7 by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo

Mike Leake 2 Comments

Author:  Rebecca Nichols Alonzo

Pages:  278 pages

Publisher:  Tyndale

Price: 10.19

Genre:  Biography/True Crime

As a husband, daddy, and pastor what would I do if a powerful man in the community was terrorizing my family?  That is the question that I was confronted with as I read through The Devil in Pew Number Seven. 

I received this book free from Tyndale Publishers in return for a review.  Sometimes that is a happy exchange and other times I plod along through a book to provide a review.  This particular experience was painful—though not because of the writing.  This books message is painful, yet ends with hope and a grace-soaked called to forgive. 

Unfortunately this is a true story written by a woman that “never felt safe as a child”.  She never felt safe because a man “obsessed with controlling the church and determined to get rid of anyone who stood in his way” terrorized their family for years.  The man hated her daddy, the pastor.  This was not confined to threatening phone calls, nasty stairs, or rumors being spread (though these were present).  We’re talking dynamite outside the newborns room, bullets through your daughters room, dynamite during church service, followed by laughing at the destruction. 

Some may believe that the story progresses a little slow and that the writing is a little too cutesy at times.  As for me, I think it builds tension and stirs the emotions.  I found myself picturing the gruesome scenes as the story climaxes.  My own heart was breaking as I picture my own family going through such an ordeal.  Perhaps, as a pastor I can relate a little deeper.  The ending was sweet and affecting.  If Rebecca Nichols Alonzo had the goal of telling her story to encourage forgiveness then she succeeds. 

After reading this I’m still not sure what I would do if I were in this pastors shoes.  Part of me would want to fight back and pursue this devil.  Part of me would want to pack my bags and get my family speedily to safety.  And part of me would probably do the same thing this pastor did—stay the course and choose the path of love even if it meant death. 

Every pastor at one time or another is faced with countless decisions like this one.  Do I stay and protect the flock or do I leave and protect my family?  This heart-gripping tale puts a face to that decision. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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The Devil in Pew Number Seven from Robin M. Bertram on Vimeo.

Depression, Christians, and Medicine Part 1

Mike Leake

If I were to make a list of the most controversial questions to ask this would be one of them:  Should depressed Christians take medicine?

Over the next couple of days I plan on giving my answer to this question.  It may not be the right answer—but it’s my current position.  I do not claim to be an expert.  But I’m also not an idiot on the topic.  I have read and studied widely on this particular topic.  I have had to.  I’m a pastor.  By default I’m also a counselor. 

There are good Christian people that stand on both sides of this issue.  Some believe that taking medicine for depression is only masking the real problem—sin.  They believe that psychotropic drugs are unhelpful and should be avoided.  Some would counter by saying depression is just like diabetes or cancer or any other illness.  You give drugs for those—so why not use the God-given blessing of medicine to treat this illness? 

In my opinion both schools of thought can be overly simplistic.  And one thing I have found is that simplistic answers to this question will only muddy the waters of biblical truth.  So, in this short series I hope to avoid simplistic answers.  Here is the outline that we will follow:

  1. Admitting My Presuppositions
  2. Why the Diabetes/Depression Argument is Simplistic
  3. Why the No Psychotropic’s Argument is Simplistic
  4. What is at Stake 
  5. My Answer
  6. The Journey Forward (Making this Practical)

Christ, the Fountain of Our Salvation

Mike Leake

We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ [Acts 4:21].  We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else…If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion: if purity, in his conception: if gentleness, it appears in his birth. For by his birth he was made like us in all respects [Heb. 2:17] that he might learn to feel our pain [Heb. 5:2]. If we seek redemption it lies in his Passion: if acquittal, in his condemnation: if remission of the curse, in his cross [Gal. 3:13]: if satisfaction, in his sacrifice: if purification, in his blood: if reconciliation in his descent into hell: if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb: if newness of life, in his resurrection: ii immortality, in the same: if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his en- trance into heaven: if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom: if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge.

In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other. Some men, not content with him alone, are borne hither and thither from one hope to another: even if they concern themselves chiefly with him, they nevertheless stray from the right way in turning some part of their thinking in another direction. Yet such distrust cannot creep in where men have once for all truly known the abundance or his blessings.  –John Calvin, Institutes

I would encourage you to chew on what Calvin is saying here.  Consider every place where you have need and know that Christ has through his work has given everything we need.

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