A Good Prescription

I found this on a blog site for the Christian Research Network. It is in response to a polemic book published recently. I think it would have saved a church split I saw about 8 years ago if anybody cared to think deeply about the issues it raises:

The problem with [reformed minister] and others is that they think if you have and believe the truth, that is enough. Defend it. But where are the books that point out their/our sin? Where are the articles that castigate us for our powerlessness? How about our obvious pride about having the truth? Where are the calls for fasting and seasons of elongated prayer?

It is not enough to have the truth inside the castle walls, on display for all the inhabitants to see and show their children. We must take the truth, draped in power and grace simultaneously to the world. The orthodox crowd (me) are just as guilty of seeking bigger cars, bigger houses, Christian cruises, expensive clothing, and displaying our Christianity in a tearless portrait of western culture, not a broken and disturbed love that disregards our own needs and desires in favor of His.

If we have the truth and the emergents don’t, where is the demonstration of the Spirit and power? Do not hide behind the “results oriented” excuse, we will never see the glorious gospel of the Lord Christ without seeking His face as if we were a hungry deer. I am orthodox, but I refuse to be smug about the fortress we’ve built around our pitiful camp. We quote the reformation but where are those same reformation fires burning today. Spurgeon, Edwards, and Wesley would be offended if they saw who quoted them as if we were on the same page.

Books, books, books, words, words, words, tapes, tapes, tapes, and all things remain the same since the fathers slept. The orthodox crowd does not recieve correction, we are too busy correcting everyone else. And if you say we have no sin, you make God a liar. And not just a benign “everyone sins” attitude that soothes our flesh, I mean that says “If I believe there are brothers and sisters in Christ who are being deceived, I need God to empower me with such a loving and urgent anointing that I can reach out to those who I love with God’s love”.
Where is our pathos, our concern. I can cleaverly articulate the errors of [popular, trendy Christian authors] but how many tears have I shed. You would only need one hand to count them. That is what I find objectionable about scholarly books about the emergents or seekers or purpose driven theologies and their adherants. These antiseptic treatises are useless as they make the choir sing and pounce doctrinally on those not in the choir, but without any tears or urgency.

You can read these books and nod your head in agreement or shake your head in disgust, but until we all get sacrificially serious about Christ and His gospel which rises light years above just having the truth, we will continue to fail our Wonderful Savior. Forgive all of us Lord, we are in love with our own words and call them Yours.