Living witnesses to the Gospel

What kind of life commends the Gospel?

My stock answer would be something like Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:6: "by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love". In short, by 'the good life'.

But that isn't the whole picture. As Paul himself says in that passage it is also by "great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger" (vv. 4-5). We commend the Gospel by suffering! I don't often hear that or say that, and I think that is because I'm a closet theologian of glory.

Sinning less is how I see us commending the Gospel. But that isn't a rounded New Testament picture. In many ways it is by appearing foolish, weak and bad in the world's eyes that the Gospel is most proclaimed. Not by seeming to be wise, strong and holy.

Although this does not flow seamlessly, PT Forsyth has his own problem with the idea that it is by sinning less that we commend the Gospel:

The difference between the Christian and the world is not that the world sins and the Christian does not. It suits the world to think that it is; because it offers a handy whip to scourge the Church’s consistency while resenting its demands. But such a distinction is no part of the Church's claim. Nor does it mark off the Christian’s worldly years from his life in Christ. A difference of that kind is merely in quantity — all the sin on the one side, none of it on the other. But the real difference (I must say often) is not in quantity; it is in quality. It is not in the number of sins, but in the attitude toward sin and the things called sin. It is in the man's sympathies, his affinities; it is in his conscience, his verdict on sin, his treatment of it — whether the world's or his own.

(p.109, God the Holy Father)

So both in respect of our physical lives, and our moral lives, it is also being put to death (in the physical body by others, and the moral 'body' by ourselves) that we point people to Christ.

As Paul said "We are...always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies" (4:8-10).

Should we expect Christians to live differently?

Luther said that "Life is as evil among us as among the papists" (p. 57, Heiko Oberman, Luther: Man between God and the Devil).

Tim Keller who is deeply influenced by Luther's radical doctrine of grace often says the same kind of thing. e.g:

It is often the case that people whose lives have been harder and who are "lower on the character scale" are more likely to recognize their need for God and turn to Christianity. So we should expect that many Christians' lives would not compare well to those of the nonreligious (just as the health of people in the hospital is comparatively worse that people visiting museums).

(p.54, Reason for God)

In a similar vein Alister McGrath says that he sometimes would respond to comments that "Christianity cannot be true because I know X and he is a horrible person" by saying "just imagine how much more horrible X would be if he wasn't a Christian".

I don't quite understand how to hold this together with the teaching of 1 John and the like. I often feel the NT does lead us to expect that Christian's lives should compare well with non-Christians. But maybe my trouble is I'm confusing 'should' with 'will' instead of 'ought to'.

I 'should' read Luther on 1 John, but unfortunately it involves £20 outlay.

Seperation from God - judgment or blessing?

Provocative title huh?

It is common Evangelical parlance to refer to hell, and judgment in particular as being separation from God. I'm not so sure that this is a biblical idea though.

It seems to me that throughout the bible that being close to God is a blessing but also a potential source of curse. Distance and barriers between the presence of God is a way of protecting those distanced from the white-hot holiness of God - although the aim should always to come nearer without becoming toast.

In a post sometime ago I talked about how the Israelite camp in the wilderness was organised so that the Tabernacle was encircled by Levites "so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel". At the foot of Sinai the people of Israel are clearly afraid of coming close to God's presence in Sinai and YHWH agreed they should be careful saying "Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it". Nadab and Abihu weren't alone in learning that being close to God was a dangerous thing (Lev 10) throughout the Bible when God comes close death comes as well as blessing because he cannot be close to sin. This is particularly clear in the story in Samuel about the capture of the Ark which brought both judgment and blessing on those who came near it. Throughout the Bible people are astonished to see God and yet live (cf. Genesis 32:30; Deuteronomy 5:24; Judges 6:22; Judges 13:22; Exodus 33:20; Isaiah 6:5).

In the OT cult the closer you got to God the greater the sacrifice needed to cleanse you, and I think Jim Jordan (who has made this clearer for me) is right that the garments of the priests consist of lots of layers and include a 'breastplate' as further 'protection' from the results of sinful man coming close to the Holy God.

Perhaps then even the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden, and Cain's exile from the presence of God can be seen as ways of postponing the judgment of immediate death.

Of course "a day in [God's] courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." but the only way in which you can enter God's courts with confidence is by faith - by putting on breastplate of (Christ's) righteousness, and clothing ourselves with our Saviour who is the only one with the right to be there. When you are invited to God's feast that is an amazing blessing but not if you have not come dressed right (Matt 22)

I think this helps us understand the role of the law (another post perhaps) and the role of Israel in heaping up transgressions to be placed on Christ for the whole world. I think it helps us to consider baptism, preaching of the bible etc - they are all intrinsically good and blessings, and yet for some they will be a curse. It is also useful apologetically. Doug Pagitt may appear to be a very confused person in his recent interview but he may be right in one respect, at the resurrection we will all end up in one place, before the throne of God, but for some (frighteningly) God will be a consuming fire and for others (by God's grace alone) will bask in the the Glory of God will be light and warmth (Rev 21).

That's a rubbish post on a awesome subject, but at least I managed to get a few things down. Please forgive the rough edges, I'm still thinking this through and I am aware that I may be misusing Eph 6 and Matt 22 (more thinking required) and really have barely hinted at the beauty of holiness. But if anyone has any thoughts please comment but be gentle.