Despite my best attempts I have been unable to escape news about The American Marathon that is their election process. However, despite my cynicism there is one thing I always find I enjoy about the elections, it is that politicians in America will tell you where they stand on moral issues. It is even acceptable (politically beneficial???) to state your conviction in terms of Biblical precedent. And the issue of Abortion is a live one.
From time to time I sit on Question Time Panels in secondary schools and invariable - just as in the American election - this issue comes up. What are Christians to say about abortion? How should we think Christianly? What does grace have to say about it? How does the Bible call us to act?
The abortion statistics that were released a couple of weeks ago were staggering, over a quarter of a million abortions in the UK in a year. Rightly there was much hand wringing and concern. But what should a Christian say?
1. Abortion is not part of living in God's plan but the result of living in a fallen world.
The Bible opens with a picture of the perfect world, with Adam and Eve told to multiply and content to live under God's rule. Sex was in its correct and best context between a man and a woman in a life long monogamous relationship, in which it could fulfil its potential as designed and called good by God.
However, after Genesis 3 that all changed, with mankind's rebellion we threw out God's good order and have been doing so ever since. In stead of wanting the best as the creator designed it we settle for a quick fix of casual and disconnected sex. The consequences the Bible is open and honest about. The resultant mess breaks God's heart.
2. The enduring pattern
Having laid that foundation we need to teach people that it is an enduring pattern. Marriage between a man and a woman is still the only context in which sex is at its best as designed by God. To take anything else is to settle for second best.
3. Thinking Christianly about abortion
However, we live in a world where rejection of God is all around us not just in this area. So how should a Christian respond to abortion? We need to say that the Bible clearly says no one has the right to take a life apart from God alone (Ex 20:13). Abortion is therefore wrong. But that cannot be where our Christian thinking ends. I can't help thinking that would be where the Pharisee stopped.
How does grace change our thinking? I think in two ways. Firstly it means that we care love and support the person who has had an abortion, be it recently or a long time ago. It is not the unforgiveable sin and is often a traumatic experience and one which causes deep seated guilt for years afterwards. Grace liberates, if they will confess and repent God will forgive.
Secondly, we need to offer a viable alternative, and that alternative is to adopt children who would otherwise have been aborted. Theologically it is what God does to us, we are his adopted sons. But it is also what grace calls us to do. Christian thinking cannot simply call on someone to do as we say without lovingly providing an answer to a need. Thinking Christianly on abortion leads us to return to the cross where we are adopted as God's children and causes us to say how would God have me love others in this dreadful situation as he loved me. It leads to love for those who have gone through this traumatic experience and adoption of the children of those who have decided not to.
Showing posts with label getting grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label getting grace. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
I am Legend
Finally got round to watching I am Legend last night. Its OK as a film but it contains a brilliant ending and a great final statement that just rings with parallels to Jesus and the ongoing mission of discipleship.
"In 2009, a deadly virus burned through our civilization, pushing humankind to the edge of extinction. Dr. Robert Neville dedicated his life to the discovery of a cure and the restoration of humanity. On September 9th, 2012, at approximately 8:49 P.M., he discovered that cure. And at 8:52, he gave his life to defend it. We are his legacy. This is his legend. Light up the darkness."
If you want to read more there is an article on it in the Christianity and Culture section of the www.graceinthecommunity.org website.
"In 2009, a deadly virus burned through our civilization, pushing humankind to the edge of extinction. Dr. Robert Neville dedicated his life to the discovery of a cure and the restoration of humanity. On September 9th, 2012, at approximately 8:49 P.M., he discovered that cure. And at 8:52, he gave his life to defend it. We are his legacy. This is his legend. Light up the darkness."
If you want to read more there is an article on it in the Christianity and Culture section of the www.graceinthecommunity.org website.
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Do I get grace - some thoughts on Jonah
One of the big questions in the book of Jonah is; why does Jonah run away? It is not because he is afraid, it is because he doesn’t want Nineveh to be saved. Assyria is the superpower of the day, if its capital and king get wiped out so much the better for Israel that would be a major threat off the radar. That’s why Jonah runs away, he doesn’t want Nineveh to be saved, doesn’t want to run the risk of them repenting and God showing grace to them. He wants to see Nineveh wiped off the planet!
Look at 4:1-3, I think these are some of the most disturbing words in the whole Bible, especially as they are spoken by God’s prophet. Jonah is incandescent with rage he is furious with God. Why? “Because to Jonah this seemed wrong…”
What seemed wrong? (3:10) Nineveh repenting and God showing grace and mercy to them. Jonah’s fury leads him to rail against God and spit accusations against him (4:2). What is it Jonah’s rages against?
“That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” That is why Jonah runs, to stop God showing grace and mercy to Nineveh, that's why he is so cross with God.
Do those words shock you? They should! Here is God’s prophet, God’s messenger furious because God has shown grace to Nineveh. You are too loving, you should never have saved them, you should have blasted them with your white hot holiness, and you should have given them exactly what their actions deserved! is effectively what Jonah is saying.
Jonah doesn’t get grace, even after God has shown him such grace. Without God’s grace where would Jonah be? He would be dead, he would be fish food. Jonah’s problem is that he makes a good thing an ultimate thing.
That’s a good definition of idolatry – making a good thing an ultimate thing. And that is what Jonah has done, Israel is his idol. Tim Keller has said that anything which the loss of makes you say “it is better for me to die than to live” is an idol.
For Jonah that is Israel, as God’s grace triumphs and Nineveh repents Jonah’s hope crumbles because it means trouble for Israel.
Am I like Jonah? Are there things which are so important to me that if I lost them I would say “it is better for me to die than to live”? If there are they are idols; be it career, family, a relationship, children, all good things but idols if they are turned into ultimate things.
As the book ends God teaches Jonah the same lesson about grace again. The book ends with the knowledge that “Salvation comes from the LORD”. God is a God of compassion, love and grace because yet again Jonah rebels, he questions what God does. But God shows Jonah mercy and grace, he hasn’t forfeited the love of God yet.
Some people say the book has an unsatisfactory ending; we never know what happens to Jonah. As the final scene fades Jonah is still lying on the ground, and God’s words are the last words we hear as the screen goes dark. “should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left – and also many animals?”
The question is left hanging, does Jonah get it? Its left hanging because that is what the author wants us to think about.
Do I get it? Do I understand grace? The danger is that I can be just like Jonah; we experience grace just as Jonah did but just like Jonah we don’t get it, and it does not change us. Why? Because we cling to our idols, be it career, relationship, wealth, class or children and look no different to those around us.
Do I get grace? Do the people I live, work and breathe alongside see the relevance of trusting Jesus. That is the issue today people say 'Christianity, it’s just not relevant', 'we don’t see the difference it makes', 'we don’t see the change in attitude, in loving, in forgiveness it makes'. 'So why should we listen to the message!'
In contrast to Jonah Paul writes “I have become all things to all people…” Why? “so that by all possible means I might save some.” That is what it means to get grace!
Look at 4:1-3, I think these are some of the most disturbing words in the whole Bible, especially as they are spoken by God’s prophet. Jonah is incandescent with rage he is furious with God. Why? “Because to Jonah this seemed wrong…”
What seemed wrong? (3:10) Nineveh repenting and God showing grace and mercy to them. Jonah’s fury leads him to rail against God and spit accusations against him (4:2). What is it Jonah’s rages against?
“That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” That is why Jonah runs, to stop God showing grace and mercy to Nineveh, that's why he is so cross with God.
Do those words shock you? They should! Here is God’s prophet, God’s messenger furious because God has shown grace to Nineveh. You are too loving, you should never have saved them, you should have blasted them with your white hot holiness, and you should have given them exactly what their actions deserved! is effectively what Jonah is saying.
Jonah doesn’t get grace, even after God has shown him such grace. Without God’s grace where would Jonah be? He would be dead, he would be fish food. Jonah’s problem is that he makes a good thing an ultimate thing.
That’s a good definition of idolatry – making a good thing an ultimate thing. And that is what Jonah has done, Israel is his idol. Tim Keller has said that anything which the loss of makes you say “it is better for me to die than to live” is an idol.
For Jonah that is Israel, as God’s grace triumphs and Nineveh repents Jonah’s hope crumbles because it means trouble for Israel.
Am I like Jonah? Are there things which are so important to me that if I lost them I would say “it is better for me to die than to live”? If there are they are idols; be it career, family, a relationship, children, all good things but idols if they are turned into ultimate things.
As the book ends God teaches Jonah the same lesson about grace again. The book ends with the knowledge that “Salvation comes from the LORD”. God is a God of compassion, love and grace because yet again Jonah rebels, he questions what God does. But God shows Jonah mercy and grace, he hasn’t forfeited the love of God yet.
Some people say the book has an unsatisfactory ending; we never know what happens to Jonah. As the final scene fades Jonah is still lying on the ground, and God’s words are the last words we hear as the screen goes dark. “should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left – and also many animals?”
The question is left hanging, does Jonah get it? Its left hanging because that is what the author wants us to think about.
Do I get it? Do I understand grace? The danger is that I can be just like Jonah; we experience grace just as Jonah did but just like Jonah we don’t get it, and it does not change us. Why? Because we cling to our idols, be it career, relationship, wealth, class or children and look no different to those around us.
Do I get grace? Do the people I live, work and breathe alongside see the relevance of trusting Jesus. That is the issue today people say 'Christianity, it’s just not relevant', 'we don’t see the difference it makes', 'we don’t see the change in attitude, in loving, in forgiveness it makes'. 'So why should we listen to the message!'
In contrast to Jonah Paul writes “I have become all things to all people…” Why? “so that by all possible means I might save some.” That is what it means to get grace!
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