“There are three kinds of people in the world.

The first class is of those who live simply for their own sake and pleasure, regarding Man and Nature as so much raw material to be cut up into whatever shape may serve them.

In the second class are those who acknowledge some other claim upon them—the will of God, the categorical imperative, or the good of society—and honestly try to pursue their own interests no further than this claim will allow. They try to surrender to the higher claim as much as it demands, like men paying a tax, but hope, like other taxpayers, that what is left over will be enough for them to live on. Their life is divided, like a soldier’s or a schoolboy’s life, into time “on parade” and “off parade,” “in school” and “out of school.”

But the third class is of those who can say like St Paul that for them “to live is Christ.” These people have got rid of the tiresome business of adjusting the rival claims of Self and God by the simple expedient of rejecting the claims of Self altogether. The old egoistic will has been turned round, reconditioned, and made into a new thing. The will of Christ no longer limits theirs; it is theirs. All their time, in belonging to Him, belongs also to them, for they are His.

And because there are three classes, any merely twofold division of the world into good and bad is disastrous. It overlooks the fact that the members of the second class (to which most of us belong) are always and necessarily unhappy. The tax which moral conscience levies on our desires does not in fact leave us enough to live on. As long as we are in this class we must either feel guilt because we have not paid the tax or penury because we have. The Christian doctrine that there is no “salvation” by works done to the moral law is a fact of daily experience. Back or on we must go. But there is no going on simply by our own efforts. If the new Self, the new Will, does not come at His own good pleasure to be born in us, we cannot produce Him synthetically.

The price of Christ is something, in a way, much easier than moral effort—it is to want Him. It is true that the wanting itself would be beyond our power but for one fact. The world is so built that, to help us desert our own satisfactions, they desert us. War and trouble and finally old age take from us one by one all those things that the natural Self hoped for at its setting out. Begging is our only wisdom, and want in the end makes it easier for us to be beggars. Even on those terms the Mercy will receive us.”

I never really grew up with any interest in “saving” the environment. I viewed the “tree-huggers” living in my native San Francisco as liberal zealots. But as I’ve grown in my biblical understanding of this world, I’ve come to a growing conviction that a love for the earth should be something Christians are more passionate about.

The Bible from the very beginning gives us a framework for understanding the earth. In Genesis 1 God creates the earth and repeatedly calls it, “good.” Secondly God entrusts mankind to “fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). The idea here is that man is not only to use the earth but to cultivate and protect it.

One main Christian objection to being a person who loves the environment is the idea that, “Hey the whole earth is going to burn anyway.” A key verse occurs in 2 Peter 3:10: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

But the idea of burning in the Bible doesn’t always have to do with destruction. It can also have the connotation of refinement as when fire is used to burn away dross. The Greek word for “dissolved” is the one to loosen. The last phrase in the text says in this context that when the earth is finally purified and loosened, the beauty of God’s creation will finally be exposed. This all argues for the renewal of the earth, not the destruction of it.

A final argument has to do with the Christian’s focus on “souls” and salvation instead of liberal causes like the environment. But this is a false dualistic worldview. Of course the eternal destiny of people is of more importance than stewardship. But that doesn’t make it unimportant. Secondly how much do you really care about someone if you are oblivious to them growing up in a polluted world that destroys their health and the quality of their lives?

Psalm 19:1 tells us that, “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Let’s work for a world that continues to declare the beauty of its maker.

Last week I transferred to the PCA. I was also charged as an evangelist to do a gospel work in Downtown Los Angeles. I’ve never felt completely comfortable in the ministry of evangelism. But the more I minister in Los Angeles, the more I see the critical need for it. I’ve never been so energized to share the gospel with others than now. I was struck by a quote from Penn Gilette, of Penn and Teller. He’s not a Christian but this is what he says:

“… I’ve always said, you know, that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there is a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that, well, it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward… how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed beyond a shadow of doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there’s a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that…” — Penn Gillette

This cuts me to the quick. If Christians really believed that heaven and hell are real and they refuse to share the gospel to those who are perishing, what can we say about their humanity much less their Christian compassion? Sometimes I need to remind myself of what’s at stake in my ministry to others: life and death. This is why Paul writes:

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14-17).”

Say: “It is finished, it is covered by the Blood of Christ”. That is your first step.

Take that and finish with yourself and all this talk about goodness, and look to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only then that true happiness and joy are possible for you. What you need is not to make resolutions to live a better life, to start fasting and sweating and praying. No! You just begin to say:

I rest my faith on Him alone
Who died for my transgressions to atone.”

- D.M. Lloyd Jones, Spiritual Depression

There’s been such a media frenzy these days over the Tiger Woods affair and break from golf. If you’re like me you’re wanting for this media onslaught to fade. But I think there’s a valuable lesson in the demise of Tiger Woods.

When you’re considered an all time great, an unstoppable force and a hero to millions you can of course let that go to your head. What often happens with successful people is that they let their success in one particular area (like sports or business) extend to the rest of their lives. So if you’re unbeatable at golf you might think you’re unbeatable in every area of life. And when you start believing this lie, the time is ticking on a spectacular fall.

King David in 1 and 2 Samuel exemplifies this well. David was known for his auspicious start as a giant slayer. The David vs. Goliath allusion must be the most over-used in all of sports. But from that point on, David was known as a national hero. He couldn’t walk through a street without applause and paparazzi snapping mental photographs. Gradually and almost invisibly David’s interior life began to erode. We find him in 2 Samuel 11 waking up on a lazy afternoon while all the other men were off to battle. He spots a beautiful woman bathing and commits adultery with her even though she is the wife of one of his generals who is risking his life for him. But David thinks, “I am the great king, the giant slayer.” And so his life spirals out of control and leads to murder, exile and humiliation.

Ironically David’s greatest moment wasn’t his slaying with Goliath. David’s greatest moment was when he  penned the words of Psalm 51. Toward the end of this prayer of confession he says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (vs. 17). David’s greatest moment wasn’t his victory but his defeat. It was only then he realized not just the extent of who he was but the greatness of the grace of God. It’s in our victories in our lives that we should be most cautious because it can give us a false view of ourselves. But it’s in our brokenness that we should most delight as it brings us nearer to an understanding of God’s great grace.

One of the great lies that we have to deal with is the lie that we’re in control. We’re always in need of self-examination and gospel humility. I think these two illustrations help us to see that well.

Last week I watched the movie, “The Blindside” with my wife at the new downtown theatre.  I’m a sucker for sports movie. I can watch the most mediocre sports film and think it should be an Oscar winner. On the other hand I can watch the best romantic comedy and get angry. So it’s no surprise that I was really taken with the story of “The Blindside.” It’s about an abandoned child in the inner city that is adopted by an upper-class white family who eventually turns his life around and makes it to the NFL. I was so taken with the story that I just finished reading the book it was based on by Michael Lewis. The film is relatively faithful to the book except for the nuances of football that it leaves out.

I really loved how the movie and book explores the idea of race and culture in America. It wasn”t overly heavy handed in coming to conclusions. But it’s a fascinating journey to see how an African American kid coming from the poorest side of town tries to transition into a white Christian world. So often in our society we live on the “blindside.” We don’t want to see how glaringly unequal the opportunities we have are based upon what side of the town we grew up. We don’t realize that we often live in our own socially-economic and often racial bubble. The Tuohy family woke up to this reality by adopting Michael Oher and raising him like a son.

One of the under developed themes in the movie and book is the role of Christianity. The Tuohy’s were Christian and at the end of his High School years Michael also became a believer (something the movie omits). In interviews they said their faith played an important role in desiring to take in Michael into their home. It’s a wonderful testimony of a life that connects faith with practical and powerful acts of mercy.

At City Light we’re right in the middle of a class on Calvinism. We’re talking about election, infant baptism and the whole nine yards. In the coming year we’re starting one on Social Justice. We’ll talk about issues like immigration, homelessness and racism. In recent church history these two topics were handled exclusively by two different kinds of churches. The Calvinistic churches majored on theology but minored in outreach. The “liberal” churches focused upon social issues but seemingly lost the gospel along the way. But the one nagging question we should ask is this: Isn’t there a way to wed these traditions together or are these views mutually exclusive?

I believe that the answer is that they are compatible and that social justice flows out of the gospel. Calvinism itself shouldn’t cripple our attitude to the world and the lost. Calvinism exalts a glorious God who plucks us from the grave and seals us for heaven. Many argue if God predestines everything, what is the use of evangelism? But Calvinism properly understood never insists that God doesn’t use means. Instead of making evangelism unnecessary, Calvinism actually gives us confidence in evangelism: God’s elect WILL come. Calvinism also shouldn’t cause us be these pious religious people with no love for the lost. It propels us upward and outward to serve the city in the name of our glorious King.

Don’t get me wrong. Social justice shouldn’t overshadow the gospel. The gospel should always remain the central truth and power in the church and our lives. But when the gospel is fully realized it propels us outward to the darkest of places. The Old Testament is bursting with themes of God’s love for the widow, orphan and immigrant.The whole story of Ruth exemplifies these themes. Jesus’ love for the outcasts is apparent in his treatment of prostitutes, tax gatherers and his telling of the story of the Good Samaritan. When you really understand the gospel, you have to understand that the gospel is not just for religious people trying to live a comfortable life. God calls us out to the streets, to the brokenness of life in the city and to serve as peacemakers. Christians should be at the forefront of trying to solve problems like poverty, eduction, racism and crime.

At City Light our vision is to go deep in theology which will lead us to go deep in our love for the each other, the lost, the city and the world. The goal of theology is not to feel smug and secure. It’s to worship and to let that worship propel us forward to serve as His people in a broken world that God is redeeming.

God is starting to move and awaken His people to this glorious mission.

Jesus portrays hell as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12). It’s a place devoid of the presence and glory of God. A lot of people think that hell is unfair. But think about this: Hell is simply God saying, “no” to being in His presence. Everybody claims that they have a right to reject God in their life. Everybody intuitively believes that they can walk away from God. But how can you say that you have a right to say, “no” to God and then say God has no right to say “no” to you at the end of your life? Or would you say that you have rights that God doesn’t?

If you accept the premise of hell a lot of things follow:

Only when you understand what you have been saved from can you really appreciate the significance of the idea of salvation. If you don’t have hell what exactly are you saved from? But with the idea of hell we fall on our knees in gratitude that we have saved from the depths of destruction unto a life eternal.

The doctrine of hell also gives us perspective on what is at stake in this life. In Philippians 3 Paul speaks of “enemies of the cross” whose end is destruction. But he never says this casually. He says this with tears in his eyes (vs. 18). So often we have all these relationships with people who are going to hell but we don’t say a word. Instead of weeping for them we laugh with them. Instead of warning them we talk about the last sports game. There are family members and friends who stand on the precipice of disaster and we speak not a word.

I think about these ideas and it drives me to repentance for the shallow and insignificant ways I spend my time. May God revive this truth so long forgotten to his church and his people.