Artifact Easter Questions, Round 2
March8
As promised, below are my answers to the second round of questions posed by my church, Artifact, during this Easter season. The final set of questions will be coming soon, I promise. I’ve started it, it’s just been delayed.-
Personal Reflection – Do you have the light? Do you shine with the light? How have you buried your light due to cowardice or indifference?
Yes, I have the light. The light shines through me frequently, though I wish it were more frequently. All too often I lose my focus and think of myself, my work, my hobbies, or nothing rather than thinking first of my Lord and savior, Jesus. I don’t think I back down with cowardice, though I am sometimes uncertain of whether the current situation is the time for calling out or sharing the gospel (which is stupid, since all times are perfect for sharing the gospel, as it is the Good News). That, I think, is more attributable to my lack of getting alone with the Lord and lack of focus. And what indeed should take my focus away? Nothing. Have I not died to all things for the Lord (1 Cor. 6:19-20)? Since Christ is my life, let me then live with a solid pursuit of Him (Phil. 1:21). -
Kingdom Reflection – How does our study of the characteristics of the kingdom affect this issue? How does it make you think of this passage differently? How does it reinforce your previous thoughts on this passage?
Our study of the characteristics of the kingdom–deliverance / salvation, joy & rejoicing, peace, authority / rule, justice / righteousness, comfort / shepherding–expands my understanding of what it means to be light to the world. Previously, I have always thought it mostly as a way of saying we must share the gospel we ourselves received. Now, I find I am not only called to share the gospel but to live it out that others may see the kingdom in me and the way I live my life. As Tommy Nelson commented early in his study of Romans last year, we should be able to say to our lost friends, “Just watch how I live my life, and then let me know if I don’t look different to you.” But how many of us can say that? I have always known I should live my life that way, but I have been more error prone to rely on the grace of God than to truly subvert my own desires for His. His power has washed me; it transforms me daily that I may walk in His image so that others may see this truth: that I, too, was lost but now am found; “I was blind, but now I see” (John 9:13-25). -
Theological Issue – This can sound much like salvation by works. Is it? If not how is it different?
My salvation is not based on what I have done. I am a reprobate, one who is more prone to follow my own desires than that moral law handed down to Moses. That law was given as a mirror that I may know my sin and how far I have fallen (Nelson in his Romans series, Romans 1-2). That I should live according to the commands of Christ is not of my own power, as that would have sunk me further into deeper and more depraved sin (Romans 1); rather, that I have resurfaced and can walk in obedience can only mean that Someone reached into the sea to pull out this drowning man. Now I live in honor and worship of the One who saved me. The way I live is not why I am saved; I was saved, and thus I walk this way. -
Artifact Issue – How are we bringing the light into the darkness? How are we ignoring this responsibility?
As a church, we shine into the darkness by coming together to confess and walk with one another through difficult times. However, we have ignored our responsibility by sticking too closely to ourselves. We all came into this thing with the hope of rescuing friends or acquaintances from certain death at the Judgment. Let’s refocus and instead of building community by hanging out, build community by working together to warn this dying world of the imminent peril they face when Christ returns. -
Cultural Issue – How does being the light of the world affect our views of being citizens of America? Our national pride? Our thoughts on domestic policy? Our thoughts on social policy? Our thoughts on foreign policy?
This is a tough one for me. I struggle with even wanting to vote sometimes, but certainly I should. We have a responsibility to warn people of the dangers of straying from the laws of God, even those found in nature (Romans 1). Voting is one way to demonstrate our dedication to our warnings, imperfect and incomplete as it is. As far as national pride goes, I don’t know that we should really have any, though I don’t think it’s always a bad thing. (When it comes to the Olympics, it can be fun; when it comes to war, it can be dangerous.) What good does it do? Why is America any better than China, Cuba, France, or Kenya? We have more freedoms and fewer fears than those countries, but do not some still worship there as well? Is God not redeeming His people from there? If anything, I think we are bound to encourage our government to help the poor and needy, to end oppression, and to follow the laws of God. Yet our government should not be seen as the vehicle of salvation. Christ chose us, His Church, for that purpose, and so we must march on towards that end. We are His emissaries to a dying world.
Enjoyed your comments once again, and the discussion on Sunday. One thing I forgot to mention last week is that I too consider Easter my favorite holiday. Even Teresa comments on how Easter is like my Christmas.
Look forward to your answers for this week.
chad