Thursday Theology

My good friend Jim sent me a link this morning to this article at Pyromaniacs...

http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2009/05/faith-grace-and-works-in-james-and-john.html

It's a discussion of faith and works and grace. It's a pretty good illustration, actually. My problem with it (and you just knew I'd have a problem with it, didn't you?) is in the author's application...

I'm going to quote a fair amout of it here (emphasis his):

Illustration. Let us say that a sovereign cure for cancer has finally been found. You take it in pill-form, a little capsule to be precise. They color the capsule green, because of that color's association with life. They call it "Chlorozoetin" (green life).

Take one Chlorozoetin, and two things invariably begin to happen, with no exceptions:
1. The cancer starts shrinking
2. Your skin begins to turn green

In the case of some people, cancer shrinkage is immediate and dramatic. In others, it is more gradual, and marked by occasional setbacks. But the cancer invariably begins to be beaten back. That is a universal effect.

And some people rapidly turn a lovely rich green, like a bell pepper; others are lighter green, like celery. But there are no exceptions: everyone who has taken Chlorozoetin turns green. That is a universal effect.

You could say all of this, then:

Everyone who has taken the Chlorozoetin has green skin, and overcomes cancer. If anyone says "I've taken Chlorozoetin," but does not have green skin, and still has growing cancer, he is a liar. By this you know that you have taken Chlorozoetin: your cancer is beaten back, and you have green skin. What use is it to say you've taken Chlorozoetin, but your skin isn't green? Will that cure your cancer?

Now, suppose someone wasn't sure if he'd taken the right pill? You'd ask two questions:

1. Is the cancer in retreat?
2. Have you begun to turn green?

And he goes on to make the point that you can't try to be more green or hope that the cancer will go away (this is the only cure, in this illustration) - the ONLY way to cure the cancer is to take the right pill - which will turn you green. No exceptions. No green, no cure.

So, my friend Jim sends this with a note that he (like most of us) sometimes struggles with the notion of "can I really be saved"? I mean, don't we all wonder that sometimes (is it just me? well, and Jim...)

So, this illustration really helps in that. Are there evidences of grace in my life? Am I, for example, more forgiving, more patient, more loving and more generous? Does sin have less of a hold on me? Dan (the Pyromaniac) is right, the only source of righteousness is Christ. We can "try to be better people" but ultimately, if it's not grounded in our devotion to Christ and our response to his pouring grace into our sinful lives, then it's hollow (not hallow - heh, nice little wordplay there...) because it's a lie. That's what "faith without works is dead" is really all about. Not earning it by good deeds, but living it because of who we are (and whose we are).

So, the theology of the pyro's post - I think is dead on. We should be able to see evidences of God working in our lives or we have to question whether or not we really do have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

But...

Big word for three letters.

It's clear in this post that Pyro Dan intends this as a litmus test to evaluate OTHER PEOPLE and their salvation. Sigh...

Here's what he says:

And if one said, "Well, we can't expect the pill to have the same effect in everyone. What matters is taking the pill. Once they say they've taken it, they're on the way to a cure."

No. Impossible. (It's my illustration, so I get to control it!) As I said, this is a sovereign cure that invariably has those two effects. No matter how convincing a story anyone tells of taking a pill, and no matter how vividly nor emotionally Mr. (or Ms.) Talkative describes the verdure of the capsule, if it was the right pill, it would have those two effects! No effects — no green skin, no shrinking cancer — no Chlorozoetin.

When lips and life contradict, go with the life.

Let me reiterate - I agree completely with the theology of the illustration. No green, cancer growing, did not take the pill. No evidence of God in my life, sin abounding, no real relationship with God in Christ.

So - here's my question. How much of LIFE do we have to be intimately familiar with in order to contradict LIPS? Is one encounter in the parking lot enough? One sermon? Ten meetings? Two meals shared? 311 blog posts? A book? Ten books? Where do we draw the line and say, " I have enough data now. You, sir, are a filthy sinner"?

The truth is, I can really only apply the Chlorozoetin test to one person...me. It's helpful in evaluating other people - I agree, when the life doesn't line up with the the professed beliefs, then the life speaks loudly. Benny Hinn anyone?***

But then, where's the line?

Bono of U2 smokes and drinks and swears. But he openly professes his faith. He has allegedly been faithful to his wife all these years of rock-stardom. He reads scripture and prays. He is, in what I've seen and read, generous, patient, forgiving. Where's the line? I'd call him a liberal Christian. Ultra-conservatives would call him not a Christian. Then again, maybe I'm not "Christian enough" either.

Lemme see...hmmm, bit of a green tint, cancer is shrinking.

Guess there's something going on here...

*** Benny is everyone's favorite target for excessively mis-representing Christ. With good reason - his theology is sloppy and he really seems to be preying on the flock. He appears to be, in every way, a wolf in sheep's clothing. But that doesn't make him beyond redemption - and I still won't say he's NOT saved. The evaluating the life test is helpful but not conclusive - unless you apply it to yourself. I sometimes pray for Benny - a prayer that I pray for myself, too - "God, let him be revealed to himself as you see him."