I am all for breaking away from the some of the traditional components of church that are so prevalent in America and committing more to the biblical model. For example, I believe that door-to-door visitation is a weak substitute for true evangelism. In my opinion, it is good to try new and different methods. I think Sunday School is usually ineffective and a waste of time…let’s mix it up and try something different. I believe that not being able to explain why you believe something is really no different than not having a belief to begin with. Let’s focus on learning how to defend our faith in a more logical manner. I am all for trying new methodology and new formats and different programs and styles. I believe that doing so is both necessary and healthy as long as the Bible is still the focus.
The problem is that so many that are breaking outside of the box in terms of ministry are also failing to take a firm stand on Scripture. As a result all who are non-traditional in church format are often labeled as unbiblical. We need to realize that many of the churches that are non-traditional are not unbiblical…just different. However, there are many who do fail to take a strong stand on issues that our society deems controversial. Here are a few.
Homosexuality- Many in the non-traditional emerging church movement fail to take a stance on this issue. While I admire and respect their effort to reach out and minister to this often avoided and even hated group of people, the Bible is clear that homosexuality is sin. There must be a balance between taking a biblical stand on this issue (which the emergent church does not do) and reaching out and intentionally ministering to those who practice homosexuality (which those in traditional churches do not do).
Holiness/Morality- Many in non-traditional churches focus so much on God’s love and forgiveness that the reality of his perfect holiness is ignored. I am all for telling people about God’s love and forgiveness…it is who God is. But at the same time God is holy, and a holy God demands holy followers. There must be a balance between focusing on God’s love and on His holiness. A neglect of either has a significant impact on the lives that believers live.
The Reality of Hell- This is another issue that is often avoided in the emerging church movement. There is such a focus on discovering God in this journey that we call life that the destination is ignored. I firmly believe that we should desire to know God more and grow spiritually and be all that we can be in Christ. But there is a reason that Jesus talked about Hell more than any other person in Scripture. He did so because it is a reality. There is a coming judgment, and it should not be ignored.
Again, I am all for breaking out of the box of traditional ministry and trying new methods and new approaches. But doing so to the neglect of taking a strong stand on biblical issues is foolish and ultimately undermines the cause of Christ. We must remain true to the Bible in the midst of traditional as well as non-traditional ministry.
August 5, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Jeremy,
I hope you are doing well. I occasionally look in on your blog and recently noticed this post. I usually don’t comment on blogs but I thought this one required some discussion. I like the direction you seem to be going in your ministry, breaking away from some of the traditional fundamentalist traps (and I’m not trying to use the “f” word in the pejorative sense).
Anyway, as I read this post I was struck by two things: (1) The statement, “There must be a balance between taking a biblical stand on this issue (which the emergent church does not do) and reaching out and intentionally ministering to those who practice homosexuality (which those in traditional churches do not do).” What do you think that balance is? I am particularly concerned about the last statement where traditional churches do not minister to homosexuals. Do you think this is right? I agree that homosexuality is a sin, yet so is pride, arrogance, divorce, lust, etc. etc. I know the typical response that “homosexuality” is an “abomination,” yet the Scriptures mention other sins as an abomination that do not seem to get singled out (lying, pride, false weights, etc). One can simply look through the Scriptures and see that many sins are called an abomination. So this argument carries no weight. My question is, how is the church to minister to those who are practicing homosexuals? Do you think that believers can be homosexuals or do you think this excludes them from being true believers. If they are true believers but involved in this practice, how does the church deal with it?
I know some believers who are homosexuals, both practicing and not. What is really surprising is that most of these individuals live a holier life than some who are not gay and yet claim to be holier than gay people. That is, some who claim to be holy lust in their hearts, they have hatred for other believers, they are proud and arrogant, some commit adultery, if not literally at least in their hearts, yet they make the claim that homosexuals are not holy but they are. I really struggle with this. And let me say now, I do think homosexuality is a sin. But is the church handling this the right way?
The second thing that came to my attention can be closely associated with the problem you mentioned with regard to homosexuality. (2) In particular I wondered about the statement, “But at the same time God is holy, and a holy God demands holy followers.” I do see in the NT the admonition to be holy and I think this is important for the church. But how do we judge “holiness?” Is it an American Evangelical understanding of holiness? What I mean is, do the sins that we think preclude one from being holy strangely find agreement with our western cultural ideal? Moreover, when you say God demands holy followers, is this not the reason why Christ died in our place and the righteousness of God was imputed to believers? In other words, the demand for believers to live holy lives was accomplished only in the faithfulness of Christ. After all, if we could live the holy lives God demands, Christ had no need to die. Now, I don’t think you are saying that believers can live perfectly holy lives, I know you think differently. However, does our holiness and faithfulness grow out of “God’s demand” or does the realization that God has accomplished this for us cause us to want to live holy lives? I think God fully realizes that his followers are not holy and cannot be, even if they wanted to be. Even our prayers are tainted with sin, the very reason why the Spirit intercedes for us. We are utterly shot through with sin. The holiness of God portrayed in the Scriptures should cause us to realize our utter sinfulness and hopelessness, not just as lost sinners before we come to faith but also afterward. The gospel is for believers to hold fast to what God has accomplished for us, not just to set out on our own to see if we can hit the mark.
Again, I think you would be in agreement with me, knowing you as I do, though I thought I would throw this out there and get your response. I like what you’re doing and I thought some feedback and conversation would be nice.
Mark
August 5, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Mark,
Hey man, it’s good to hear from you. Thanks for your comments.
I don’t mean to oversimplify this, but I think the balance that I am attempting to draw attention to in this post is one where both extremes are avoided. I don’t know if it is as much of attaining a particular balance as it is being completely obedient in both taking a biblical stand on the issue as well as lovingly attempting to reach out to those who struggle with homosexuality.
I’m not sure that traditional churches do a good job of truly reaching out to anyone (I know that this is a generalization). Preaching at someone is not the same as building a relationship with them. That’s a big reason why the back door is as big as the front door in most churches, but that’s a topic for another day. I think this issue has been complicated because homosexuality has been labeled as a worse sin than others. You are right…saying that homosexuality is a worse sin because the Bible says it is an abomination carries no weight at all; many sins are referred to as abominations. But that doesn’t diminish the seriousness of this sin; it increases the seriousness of the others that you mentioned.
But to get down to the heart of the matter….I do think that believers can be homosexuals just as they can be adulterers or addicted to pornography. I think that if it is a church member who is struggling with homosexuality that they should be dealt with like anyone would be that is struggling with any sin. If they are putting forth the effort and are sincere in their desire to change, then discipleship and loving accountability is the main need. If they are unrepentant then loving church discipline that has the goal of restoration should be practiced. The purity of the church cannot be sacrificed in the name of love and acceptance.
An even a tougher issue is how to minister and reach out to homosexuals who are not believers. I think that isolating and over-emphasizing this one sin is the main hindrance to ministering to those who struggle in this area. So the question of how to minister to homosexuals is a difficult one. Personally, we have intentionally made contact with people who are homosexuals with no other goal than showing them Christ’s love. I think that must be the first step….loving them; not changing them. In my opinion, that is the main way that the church handles this issue incorrectly.
As for your other comments…I agree with what you are saying in regard to how God’s holiness affects our holiness. But I think we need to provide clear differentiation between positional and personal sanctification. If there is no desire for personal sanctification…living a holy life, I would have to conclude that true regeneration has not taken place. The desire to live a holy life is the result of true salvation, and the ability to live a holy life comes from the power of the Holy Spirit. Living a holy life is not necessarily living a perfect life; it is living a life that permeated with sincere confession. So I am not saying that we can be perfect and live sinless lives, but I do think that the more we surrender ourselves to God, the more Christ can live through us.
I would also suggest that it is not a matter of our holiness growing out of Gods demands or out of a realization of what God has accomplished for us; it’s both (in my opinion). We can’t have a desire to follow in God’s path of holiness until we have the realization of what God has accomplished for us. As a result we will see our total depravity and have a desire to work towards meeting God’s perfect standard…not in our own power and abilities but by His grace and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks again for the comments. Keep in touch and if you are ever in this area let me know.
-Jeremy
August 5, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Jeremy,
Great blog and reply. It’s good to see someone take a stand and explain why they believe as they do.
Keep up the good work.
Billy
August 5, 2009 at 8:22 pm
i think you know my son, albert whiting. he referred me to your website. i really appreciate how you explained so well as to how we should approach homosexuals. it’s the very thlng i asked my pastor about a couple of weeks ago in church. i have a gay friend at work that i have a good friendship with and he knows what my stand is but at the same time i let him know i care. i tell him about me going to church and have encouraged him to start back going, he’s catholic. but i pray one day God will open a door for me to witness to him. thanks again.
wanda pruett