Don’t get carried away.

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.

2 Peter 3:17

At this point in my life I have participated in over half a century of American evangelical Christianity. And I will say this: Peter’s warning stands. I’ve seen a lot of Christians (and sadly still witness it) get carried away from biblical Christianity. It is so very tragic. And in my opinion the Christian in American culture may more than likely already be carried away and NOT EVEN KNOW IT! This scares the heck out of me. Here are three ways I’ve seen Christians carried away by the error of lawless people:

FUNDAMENTALISM. Yep… the “F” word. The movement began as a necessary correction calling Christians to the authority of scripture for doctrinal clarity as modernism and theological liberalism began eroding confidence in God’s Word. And actually the historic doctrines of fundamentalism are part of the core of my own beliefs still. However, fundamentalism got off the rails when in zealousness it crossed over into legalism, making preference equal to essential doctrine. And then it got really angry and became antagonistic. Today I reject “fightin’ fundamentalists”. It became lawless by becoming loveless.

PRAGMATISM. The mega-church kind of “Let’s do what it takes” philosophy of ministry has softened the gospel, ignored key doctrines, diminished the authority of scripture, and created a generation of consumeristic, cafeteria-fed, spiritual customers. I’m not sure that even a few of them are authentically Christian. Church growth culture is lawless by design, being suggestive with scripture rather than authoritative and refusing to insist upon faith founded in the clarity of scripture. There are not enough “essentials” to any doctrine… in fact doctrine is hard to find in the movement.

LIBERALISM. By this I mean theological liberalism that considers scripture to be a mere human invention and theology a pliable silly putty of human thought and cultural speculation. It literally squishes to the mold of any cultural pressure. There is no law of God. There probably is no God for liberal theology! It became lawless by redefining love outside of the gospel. As such there is no basis to say anything with authority. I find it an intellectual joke.

These three pressures (and many more) call us to watch the line of scripture very closely and adhere carefully to historic Christian faith. It is way too easy to get carried away.

Christendom is a lie.

…then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.

2 Peter 2:9-10a

Christians have always lived in a world that opposes the gospel. And we should expect nothing less until Jesus returns. There is however a dangerous heresy that has begun to show itself in my lifetime. I think it began in the 1980’s with the “moral majority”, but shows itself in many different ways today as Christians look to politics to save the world. Some even suggest that a new “Christendom” (a Christian government or a government whose laws are solely derived from scripture) is the call of the church. Christian Nationalism is gaining a following and it is so very anti-gospel that the very reputation of the gospel is at stake if it is allowed to gain traction. Christendom is absolute heresy. It replaces Jesus and the gospel. It does not fit the history of the biblical narrative from its earliest pages. It does not fit with the teaching of Jesus. It does not fit into any of the apostle’s doctrine. Christendom theology is a destructive heresy expounded by false prophets.

God does not handle evil with a light touch. And in the very worst evils imaginable, God saves His people and carries out His plan. He never does so by the use of human means. Peter gives three examples in the context of 2 Peter 2 to establish these facts.

1) Angels sinned and were cast into hell, chained in darkness for a yet future judgment (2 Peter 2:4). This was the worst rebellion… angels, the ministering spirits in the very presence of God’s heavenly throne, were led into rebellion by Satan. God dealt with them definitively and soundly. He did not slowly change their minds! He swiftly executed judgment.

2) The pre-flood world of men that were evil in God’s sight were swiftly judged in Noah’s time (2 Peter 2:5). God spared Noah and his family, but wiped out everything else. He did not make Noah influential to turn the culture around or create a new kingdom or political system. He washed the world clean in a flood, preserving a remnant for His glory.

3) Sodom and Gomorrah were made extinct (2 Peter 2:6-8). Again, Lot and his daughters were spared but God did not reform the twin cities by Lot’s kingdom politics! He instead judged completely, kept a remnant, and showed His power in the smoldering sulphuric ruins of His swift judgment. In fact, it appears from the text that Lot’s attempts at influence were part of the problem and he barely got out alive!

Peter uses these truths to point to Christianity’s future. Whether the threat to the gospel is a wicked society from without, or false wicked teachers from within the church, God will keep the unrighteous in punishment until His appointed day of judgment. AND God will rescue the godly. The godly don’t “turn” the culture around to some secularized, sanitized Sunday School class. No… God promises to save a remnant and judge the culture. PERIOD. That’s what will happen. Christendom is a lie.

staying stirred

I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder…

2 Peter 1:13

Growth in Christ isn’t so much about learning and doing some new thing every day. Maturity often means rooting in upon the basics, remembering what we have always known, and reminding others of the daily applicability of gospel reality. That is where I am right now. Peter’s words seem very timely.

Rooting in. The first psalm has always been an image of growth that sticks in my head (Read Psalm 1 if you’d like). The believer is encouraged to send deep roots by the rivers of water. It is there that we are constantly nourished. In the gospel stream we find refreshment, sustenance, support, and nourishing truth. And when I root myself into scripture, realizing that all of scripture gives me all of Jesus, I am strengthened to grow in grace and truth. And so I practice daily time with God and commend other Christians to that same nourishing stream so that together we will grow deeply.

Remembering. I want to meditate on the truth, ruminating on the same thing every day in a new way. The gospel is so full, so tasty to my soul, so rich in truth that the consistent memory and rehearsal of Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and kingship over all creation, brings essential perspective on all my past, my current situation in the present, and any anxiety about my future. Remembering isn’t being stuck in the past… it resources me for all my life… all my days… and then into eternity… Praise God!

Reminding. This practice of remembering is a community commitment. I call my brothers and sisters, both in corporate worship on Sunday and in committed relationship and fellowship each day of the week, to believe the gospel, feast in God‘s Word, worship our Savior, share the good news, and care for the needy. That reminding helps us to love Jesus, learn Jesus, and live like Jesus. It isn’t a novelty. It does stir us up in the story of the universe! What’s better than that?!

The Lord will rescue me.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

2 Timothy 4:18

The Lord

my God

will rescue me.

I do not fear any evil.

I will not be dismayed.

The Lord will rescue me

so I am not afraid.

The Lord will rescue me

from every evil deed

and He will bring me safely

into His heavenly kingdom.

The Lord

my King

over rules me.

His authority extends

over all human thought and reason.

My Jesus controls me

and my motive is to please Him.

The Lord will rescue me

from every evil deed

and He will bring me safely

into His heavenly kingdom.

To Jesus

my Lord

is all the glory.

I will sing His praise.

His new mercies every day

granted by His decree

lead me to trust Him in all my ways.

The Lord will rescue me

from every evil deed

and He will bring me safely

into His heavenly kingdom.

authentic Christian relationship

As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.

2 Timothy 1:4

Paul models authentic ministry. It is deeply personal. It is emotional. It is vulnerable. And most of all, it is incredibly fulfilling as it is intensely relational. Serving with others, growing with others, leading others, and discipling others is a passionate and purposeful pursuit. It will involve the stuff of life. It isn’t superficial. It isn’t formulaic (THANK GOD!). It is substantial as well as supernatural.

All of this unpacks from the three parts of this simple opening encouragement to Timothy. And it calls me to carefully consider my own relational commitments in Christ with other Christians. Look at how Paul just lays out his heart…

“…I remember your tears…” Paul feels what Timothy feels. There was a deep attachment to the young man that Paul nicknamed “beloved child” (2 Timothy 1:2). And when Timothy hurt, Paul was also moved. So much so that Paul remembered those tears even after they were long gone. He had shared the hard moments in personal ministry. He joined in the difficulties. He felt the tears. And Paul remembered what God did in and through the pain. We should treasure the unique opportunities we have with fellow Christians to enter their heartaches. Too many Christians are too aloof, giving off an air of perfection and avoiding shared loss and pain. Don’t just send cards! Make phone calls, or better yet, put an arm on a shoulder and weep with that brother or sister dealing with heartache. Authentic ministry hugs the hurting… and remembers the tear-connection long afterwards, seeing it as a building block to solid relationship.

“I long to see you…” Paul was quick to acknowledge his affection for his son in the faith. Just like the best dads readily say “I love you” to their kids, Paul was unafraid to “miss” this relationship with Timothy. He expressed it without shame. He longed to spend time in fellowship and service again. Authentic Christian relationships hurt when separated and long to be in lingering, personal, conversational, intentional relationship. This is real fellowship… beyond cookies and kool-aide and small talk.

“…that I may be filled with joy.” Joy is the outcome of real love in Christ. Let that sink in. How many times would we truly say that interaction with others brings joy? For believers, Jesus is our joy-giver. And authentic relationship will know the joy of the Lord. Even in tears the hope is to find joy together. Even in separation times… when we are filled with longing, the future focus is joy. Paul knew that when he reunited with Timothy, joy would erupt. And that joy is hard to quantify, but powerful to experience. And in the church that joy is deeper than family and is vitally important as we seek Christ’s kingdom and righteousness. Joy is a vision of eternity. And joyful relationships are what we will know forever!

about my leaders

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Hebrews 13:7

Three words are used here in reference to Christian leadership that are worth thinking through. In a sense I am the product of Christian leadership… the sum of all those interactions with people I respected who showed me how they lived. It started when as a child, church leaders outside my own parents began to instruct and care for my soul. I am told to remember them. And so I do.

I remember the VBS teacher, a simple woman who shared the gospel story with a first grader. The moment I understood it, she helped me at the age of seven to confess my sinful need, trust in my Savior, and embrace His Lordship over me. I remember countless Sunday School teachers and AWANA leaders who faithfully taught me. I was listening, even when it looked like I wasn’t! And to every Christian School teacher who valued my soul’s growth… thank you! Every Bible College and seminary prof who put up with my attitude and questions and poked me into a deeper understanding and real thinking about my faith… to you I owe respect for God’s wisdom you helped instill.

I consider the outcome of men and women who discipled me. My faith got quite serious at 14 years of age, and the people who invested in me at that critical juncture are still models of ministry I can look to today! I hope I can be half as impactful for someone as they were to me. I still look to them for life wisdom. They still bless me as they gracefully age with kingdom commitments clearly in their focus. I want to be the same.

I hope that I am imitating the best of these lives as I care for others in pastoral ministry. I hope I can carry their legacy forward. My greatest achievement will not be measured in wealth or possessions or human acclaim. I pray that I will have a very simple life that is worth imitating. My hope is that if others imitate me they will find Jesus at work in them. The people I have imitated have that kind of faith and impact. Thank God that I can remember, consider, and imitate holy men and women whose lives make a difference for eternity!

Discipline

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

Hebrews 12:5-6

The path got hard

but I’m Your son.

I can endure

this discipline.

The day is long

and never done.

I’ll travel with

Your discipline.

I rest my head on

pillow of stone;

wrestle the angel

in Your discipline.

I see Your hand,

my caring One,

providing grace

in Your discipline.

Trusting Your Word

I journey on,

looking to Your home

with discipline.

With high regard

for what You’ve done

I will rejoice 

in discipline.

Lord, You love me,

make me Your son;

You train in love

and discipline.

My soul will sing

as I journey upon

this pilgrim road

of discipline.