The Spirit of Creativity

Christians often debate what it means to be "filled with the Holy Spirit." On one end of the debate spectrum Pentecostals are accused of being fanatical in their emphasis on tongue-speaking and healing as evidences of the Spirit's presence. On the other end of the spectrum Presbyterians are accused of not putting enough (if any) emphasis on the Spirit's ministry. Somewhere in the middle, Baptistic and non-denominational contemporary churches that draw large crowds of suburban Promise Keepers are sometimes accused of insinuating that emotional expressiveness in the worship service is the key indicator that "the Spirit is moving".

While these debates may have a place, it is interesting that when this topic is discussed and debated, a key passage of the Bible goes strangely unmentioned: Exodus 31:1-5.

These 5 verses deal with a man named Bezalel. Not a well known character in the Scriptures.

Who was he? The first person to be said to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

What was the result of the Spirit's filling? He became an artist. He created. He skillfully made crafts of exquisite beauty. This was his ministry, and according to verse 3, the very purpose for which God filled him.

This shouldn't seem odd to us-- after all, the first verses of the Bible make clear that as the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the earth, a cacophony of creating erupted upon the scene. And God "saw that it was good."

But why is this not discussed more often? Could it be that it seems rather uninteresting to us when compared to the thought of having an extraordinary spiritual experience? Perhaps, but isn't the pleasure of great music, beautiful art, and a well-written movie an extraordinary spiritual experience? Some would say yes, but only if the music, art, and movie is explicitly Christian. But this view hinders us from viewing all of life as sacred, and thus makes Jesus mistaken when He said that even the rocks will cry out in praise to God.


God loves creativity, and will express it through anyone He chooses.

At a little pottery studio in Baltimore, my youngest daughter painted a ceramic cat purple and pink. As her tongue crept out of the right side of her mouth, she focused on the joy of creating. It was then that I understood why Jesus told us to become like little children: For Annie, it was not about staying within the lines or getting recognized for her abilities. It was simply about the joy of painting.

Annie just may understand the Gospel better than I do.

You see, the Scripture says "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom". Freedom to create, freedom to fail, and freedom to enjoy all things beautiful. It also teaches that the primary job of the Holy Spirit is not to draw attention to ourselves or even to the Holy Spirit, but to point people to Jesus-- that they would gaze upon His beauty.

In what ways do you see the Spirit's evidence around you?

My Love Affair with Four Women

Last Tuesday morning during breakfast, the 1989 Bon Jovi hit "I'll Be There For You" came through the speakers of the kitchen radio we sometimes turn on for background mood music while we eat. Shelley and I smiled at each other. We then set down our coffee mugs, got up from the table, embraced in a hug, and began to slow dance. This was a moment of grace.

The next afternoon I was downstairs in my study when our two-and-a-half year old Annie quietly knocked on the door, poked her head in and asked, "Daddy, can you hold my hand and help me walk on the balance beam?" This also was a moment of grace.

On Saturday I had to attend a meeting all day, and just before I left, our six-year-old Carly kissed me and gave me a post-it note on which she had written: "I love you. Try not to miss us today." Another moment of grace.

On Sunday morning I served bread and wine to the many in my church who came forward to receive it. As I looked into the eyes of each individual and said "The Body of Christ given for you," I was overcome with the reality of how lavishly these amazing people have loved me, and how deeply I have fallen in love with them-- Christ's Body, His Bride. A moment of grace.

Shelley, Carly, Annie, and the Bride of Christ. Four women I love. Four women who love me.

Moments of grace.

Looseness Makes a Marriage Healthy

Brennan Manning tells the following story:

A man walked into the doctor’s office and said, "Doctor, I have this awful headache that never leaves me. Could you give me something for it?"

"I will," said the doctor, "but I want to check a few things out first. Tell me, do you drink a lot of liquor?"

"Liquor?" said the man indignantly. "I never touch the filthy stuff."

"How about smoking?"

"I think smoking is disgusting. I’ve never in my life touched tobacco."

"I’m a bit embarrassed to ask this, but you know the way some men are-- do you do any running around at night?"

"Of course not. What do you take me for? I’m in bed every night by ten o’clock at the latest."

"Tell me," said the doctor, "the pain in the head you speak of, is it a sharp, shooting kind of pain?"

"Yes," said the man. "That’s it-- a sharp, shooting kind of pain."

"Simple, my dear fellow! Your trouble is you have your halo on too tight. All we need to do is loosen it a bit."

Manning follows up the story with this statement: The trouble with our ideals is that if we live up to all of them, we become impossible to live with.


He's right, and Shelley and I have learned that nowhere is this more true than in the realm of marriage. When a person expects their spouse to be like Jesus, they eventually become angry, frustrated, and convinced that the majority of the problems in their marriage are due to their spouse not being committed or godly enough.

On the other hand, when a person accepts their spouse as a sinner loved by Jesus, they become understanding, affectionate, uncritical, honest about their own flaws, and joyful that they are loved by Jesus no matter what. They begin to realize that the sins of their past and their spouse's past have not only been forgiven by Jesus, but forgotten by him as well. They begin to realize that being a "godly example" does not mean striving to be better and avoid mistakes, but letting people see them repent and be forgiven when they make mistakes.

Two theological terms are important for us to understand at this point:

Justification is the act of being declared righteous by God. We are justified by believing the Gospel (the good news that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead).

Sanctification is the process of growing in godliness and becoming more like Jesus.

But here's the question: If justification is obtained by believing the Gospel, how is sanctification obtained? If you answered "by obeying," or "by striving to live up to high ideals," then you might as well rip Colossians chapters 2 and 3 and all of Romans and Galatians out of your Bible.

The fact is, justification and sanctification are both obtained by believing the Gospel. Living by the Law is what made Saul an angry person. He was in conflct with Christians not because they were preaching Law and morality, but because they were preaching grace and he feared that their message would lead people into a life of moral laxity and disregard for obedience. As a result, he became "impossible to live with." People were in conflict with Jesus not because he was commanding people to be like Him, but because he accepted people who were not like Him-- and for that matter, who didn't even love Him.

How intimate is your marriage? Has the romance faded? Do you blame yourself and your spouse for things that happened years ago? Have you forgotten that Jesus has justified you and forgotten your sins? Have you placed such high ideals on your spouse that you find yourself constantly disappointed in him or her? Do you find yourself thinking that if only your spouse tried harder and obeyed more your marriage would be better? Have you forgotten that Jesus perfectly obeyed the Law on your behalf, and that "He who began a good work in you WILL carry it to completion on the day of Christ Jesus"?

If so, loosen your halo and believe the Gospel. Not only will you be a lot easier to live with, but you'll be amazed at how your romance will blossom.

Quotes

If I had to choose my favorite quotes, it would be hard to narrow it down to my top 100. Nevertheless, here are three I love.


Martin Luther: There are some who have no understanding to hear the truth of freedom. . . These people you must resist, do the very opposite, and offend them boldly lest by their impious views they drag many with them into error. For the sake of liberty of the faith do other things which they regarded as the greatest of sins… use your freedom constantly and consistently in the sight of and despite the tyrants and stubborn so that they may learn that they are impious, that their law and works are of no avail for righteousness, and that they had no right to set them up.

Tim Keller: Perhaps the biggest faith-deterrent for the average person today is not so much violence and warfare but the shadow of fanaticism. Many non-believers in Christianity have friends or relatives that have become ‘born again’ and seem to have gone off the deep end. They soon begin to loudly express disapproval of various groups and sectors of our society—especially movies and television, the Democratic party, homosexuals, evolutionists, activist judges, members of other religions (all of which are branded ‘false’) and public schools. When arguing for the truth of their faith they often appear intolerant and self-righteous. This is what many people would call fanaticism. . . So think of people you consider as fanatical. They are over-bearing, self-righteous, opinionated, insensitive, harsh. Why are they so? It is not because they are too fanatically committed to Christ and his gospel, but rather because they are not fanatical enough. They are fanatically zealous and courageous, but they are not fanatically humble, sensitive, loving, empathetic, forgiving, or understanding as Christ was. Because they think of Christianity as a self-improvement moral framework they emulate the Jesus of the whips in the temple, but not the Jesus who said, “let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” (John 8:7) What strikes us as overly-fanatical is actually a failure to be fully-orbed in our commitment to Christ.


Rich Mullins: The gospel. . broke the power of mere "moralistic religiosity" in my life, and revived a deeper acceptance that had long ago withered in me. In our society, we tend to swear unyielding allegiance to a rigid position, confusing that action with finding a connection to a life-giving Spirit. We miss the gospel of Christ: the good news that, although the holy and all-powerful God knows we are dust, He still stoops to breathe into us the breathe of life-- to bring our wounds the balm of acceptance and love.

Extremes

Tonight my six-year-old-daughter asked me, "Daddy, for your birthday do you want a diet or do you want to stay in bed and eat cheesecake?" I couldn't help but laugh as this sweet, smiling angel posed such an out-of-the-blue question.

The reality, however, is that her question served to remind me of the extremes by which I live my life.

For some people, falling into bad habits is something that happens slowly and subtly. Not me. When I fall, I fall hard--- and crash!

Strangely, I always seem to get back up again and resume my pre-crash mode of living.

Two examples:

Number One: I'm a very healthy eater, and I exercise almost every day. But every so often when I get a craving for some rest and a treat, I don't simply go slower than usual on the treadmill and then eat a cookie. No, I eat a pizza, drink a liter of coke, and follow it up with a bowl of ice-cream and seven evenings of sitting on the couch watching TV. Then I top it all off with a touch of hating myself for a day or two. When the stomach aches and self-loathing subside, I'm back to lifting weights, running three miles a day, and eating nothing but spinach, walnuts, and organic quinoa for 6 months.

Number Two: I go long periods of time getting along with everyone I know and feeling joyful just to be alive. And then one random person I don't even know very well criticizes me and immediately my emotional armor disappears, leading me to spend the next 7 days stewing and thinking of ways I can criticize them in return. When that's over, I hang out with and hug that person while we laugh and drink coffee, which they generously bought for me.

Billy Joel sang, "Darlin' I don't know why I go to extremes". I don't know either, but I'm thankful my family and my church love me the same either way. I now know that the reason I'm always able to resume my pre-crash mode of life after my extreme crashes is not because of any ability I possess within myself, but because I'm surrounded by people whose grace for me is extreme.

Grace Under Fire

The Gospel is the death and resurrection of Jesus-- nothing more and nothing less (1st Corinthians 15:3).

We portray it as something more when we fail to acknowledge that Christ's death and resurrection is ALL we need to be put into right standing before God--- in other words, obeying the Law (10 commandments) in addition to believing the Gospel will not somehow improve upon our standing before God (Galatians 3:6-14).

We portray it as something less when we fail to acknowledge the offensive depth of our own sin and the lengths Christ went to in order to forgive us for failing to obey the Law: In other words, He not only took the punishment we deserved for breaking His Law, He obeyed it perfectly and gave us the credit for it (Romans 4:7-15).

When we portray the Gospel as something more than or less then Christ's death and resurrection, we are left not with a distortion of the Gospel, but with no Gospel at all (Galatians 1:6-10).

Many have a hard time with this, and seem to believe that if a person confesses Christ as Lord and Savior but doesn't have all of their theological ducks and ethical standards in a row, they can't be a Christian. Truth be known, I often feel this way. I struggle to believe that God could possibly love a continual lawbreaker like myself. It seems too radical to believe there is nothing I can do to earn God's love or to increase His love for me once He has given it. So, I revert to living by Law, because it is safer than letting God love me. It is less radical than falling upon His grace and believing that Jesus didn't preach to us from a distance but came and lived with us, eating with whores and rebuking theological nitpickers who believed the whores needed Law rather than forgiveness. It provides a deeper sense of pride in me when I can tell people they are going to hell without having to build a relationship with them and look into their eyes when they are feeling confused from the bad decisions they have made. I'm afraid that if I preach His grace to others, they will misunderstand it and think they can live in sin and not experience the consequences. I'm afraid that if I do not preach Law to myself, I will start doing really terrible things and enjoying it.

This mindset not only reveals that MY theology and ethical standards are not sound, but more strikingly it reveals that I don't understand the love of God in Christ.

I have disregarded the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 4:

For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.

I have made a mockery of William Cowper's words that appear in every church hymnal:

How long beneath the Law I lay
In bondage and distress.
I toiled the precept to obey
But toiled without success.
But to see the Law by Christ fulfilled,
To hear His pardoning voice
Changes a slave into a child
And duty into choice.


I have reveled in being a Protestant who upholds Reformed Theology, but have ignored the foundational belief set forth by the very one who launched the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther:

The greatest knowledge, and the highest wisdom of Christians is, not to know the law-- to be ignorant of works, and of the whole active righteousness, especially when the conscience wrestles with God. . . But it is a strange thing and unknown to the world, to teach Christians to be ignorant of the law, and to live before God as if there were no law: notwithstanding, unless you are ignorant of the law, and are assuredly persuaded in your heart that there is now no law, nor wrath of God, but only grace and mercy for Christ's sake, you cannot be saved; for by the law comes the knowledge of sin. Contrariwise, works and the keeping of the law is so strictly required in the world, as if there were no promise, or grace.


Thank you Jesus, for being "born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights on sons." I thank you that I am "no longer a slave, but a son." I thank you that since I am your son, learning to walk is not a burden. It's great to know that you don't get mad at me when I stumble and fall. Instead you pick me up, and are thrilled that I am walking at all. Amen.

Consistently Inconsistent

The most consistent thing about me is this: I am inconsistent. Terribly inconsistent.

I hate my inconsistencies, because I'm tired of having to constantly justify myself before others. Living this way eventually becomes enslaving.

But then I realize that we're all this way. And suddenly I love my inconsistencies, because they remind me that I don't have to justify myself before others. Believing this way immediately becomes freeing.


There are plenty of inconsistencies in our lives:

A Christian angrily expresses his disdain for socialism, while using the U.S. postal system to send his bill payments with the money he makes teaching public school (where he earns a salary that qualifies him for a governmental stimulus check, which he gladly signs and deposits in his FDIC insured bank account).

An individual asserts that religion is narrow-minded, so he chooses to be an atheist because it is the only belief that makes sense.

A couple is so against their church relocating that they decide to leave and go to another church-- thus, relocating.

A gay couple proudly dons a rainbow sticker in their car window to show the public that they stand for diversity, while the attendees at their parties are predominately gay couples who voted for Obama.

A Christian agrees that relationships are vital to growing a healthy church, and is upset that his church doesn't organize a program to go door to door asking total strangers why God should let them into heaven if they were to die tonight.

A man chooses only to vote for candidates who are "pro-life" (meaning against abortion), but has never once wept for the Iraqis the U.S. has killed, saying "That's different. It's a war."

A woman complains that her church is not compassionate enough, but gets upset when her church gives gifts to inner-city poor people who are are jobless and unappreciative.

A man gets mad when someone tells him God isn't mad at him.

A person believes that all religions are equally valid paths to God, but refuses to go to a church that believes Jesus is God.

A pastor preaches that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church, and later that night he rolls his eyes when his wife asks him to take out the trash and give the kids a bath.

A couple criticizes their church for years, and then they blame the youth ministry when their own kids eventually turn away from the church.

A heterosexual couple gets worried when a homosexual couple attends their church, but refuse to acknowledge and repent of their own sin of legalism.


Wouldn't it be easier to stop fighting about these things, to stop trying to defend ourselves, and to simply admit that we are ALL (in the words of Brennan Manning) "a bundle of paradoxes"?

What if admitting this freed us from judging people who act differently, believe differently, and look differently, and therefore freed us from bitterness, impatience, condescension, and self-righteousness? These are the sins that are most prevalent in my own heart, and they lead to rather ugly traits from which I long to be delivered. So, what if being free from these traits took our attention off of our attempts to justify ourselves, and opened our eyes to believe Paul's words to the 1st Century Roman Church (which was much like the 21st Century American Church):

"You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. . . Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? . . . for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 2 & 3-- NLT and NIV)


This thrills me, because it reminds me that I am justified by grace through faith in Christ, and therefore no longer have to justify myself before others. Knowing that I am accepted by God doesn't lead to me want to sin more, or to cover up my inconsistencies, but to admit that I am frequently wrong, judgmental, unforgiving, and hard to get along with due to my stubbornness. And it leads me to shout for joy that I am covered by the One who loves me anyway. And when I admit this, the more God breaks in and replaces and rearranges the mix-matched furniture of my heart, revealing how consistently inconsistent and hateful I can be. And slowly but surely, my hypocrisy and self-righteousness begin to lose their grip on me, and God reminds me through His Word that he loves me not because I am right, but because I am HIS. And He promises to change me, to bring me more into conformity with His ways, and to forgive me when I fall short.

That's a truth that IS consistent-- for all eternity.

Thinking about buts will lead to an affair

I have often said that God's grace does not have a "but" (meaning that His love for us is unconditional and that Christians are free from the commandments of men and the fear of sliding down a "slippery slope" into sin). Many have a hard time with this teaching, and believe that my view of grace is misleading and insensitive to people with moral convictions. Some even respond "I agree, but we also need to __________", fill in the blank: Behave, try hard, etc.

So, I feel the need to clarify:

I WAS WRONG.

It turns out there are several verses in the Bible that DO put buts onto statements about God's grace. Here are a few:

1st John 2:1-2: "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense ---Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the while world."

Romans 5:20: "The law" (which includes the 10 commandments) "was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Galatians 5:4-5: "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope."

Colossians 2:20-23: "Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. . . But they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."


Now you may say that I am pulling verses out of context, being selective, not teaching the "whole counsel of God," and subtly giving people the impression that because Jesus forgives us we can sin all we want and God won't care.

Before you make that leap, however, allow me to tell a brief story:


A few years ago a close friend of mine from high school called and told me that he was addicted to pornography. He viewed nudity frequently and thought about it constantly. He was troubled when he was reminded of Matthew 5 where Jesus taught that entertaining such thoughts is essentially the same thing as having an affair. So, realizing that his besetting sin was becoming a controlling force in his life, he asked me what he should do about it. I urged him to cancel his internet, get rid of his computer, and stay away from Walden Books. He followed through and took these actions, but it only worked for a little while. Pretty soon he found others venues to feed (and even justify) his addiction.

Let me be clear: There are times when actions such as the ones I urged him to take are necessary. In fact, I believe this is what Jesus was insinuating with his shocking statement "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away" (Matthew 5).

There's more to this issue, however. Much more. Back to the story.

A little while later my friend taught me something that I unfortunately neglected to teach him. He said these words:

"Dale, the funny thing is that while I was dating Stephanie, my desire to look at porn was virtually non-existent. I'm not saying I was never tempted, it's just that the temptation had no appeal to me when compared to the joy and satisfaction of simply hanging out with her, reading together, going for walks, listening to her talk about what she was learning in her study of the Bible, and being in a real relationship where I was able to love and be loved."

Years ago a pastor referred to this as "the expulsive power of a new affection." His point was that the way to overcome a love for something inappropriate is to replace it with a love that is much greater, more beautiful, and stunningly irresistible.

Ever meet someone who feels strongly about living by parameters that keep them separate from the culture, but is a rather stern person who gets uptight whenever they hear a sermon about grace that doesn't fit into their preferred genre of systematic theology? That's because they are so busy focusing on how NOT to have an affair with the things of this world that they have forgotten how TO have an affair with Jesus. Their obsession with being right and theologically precise protects them from everything but their own heart, which Jesus said is where our real problem lives and lurks (Matthew 5 again). And that's why I'm glad for a God of radical grace who gets infuriated not at me, but at the sin that attempts to steal my affection from Him (or, as the book of Exodus refers to Him, "A jealous God").

Brennan Manning put it this way:

"Christianity is not primarily a moral code but a grace-laden mystery; it is not essentially a philosophy of love but a love-affair; it is not keeping rules with clenched fists but receiving a gift with open hands."

Remember the but statements in the verses at the beginning of this post? I dare you to take some time to be still and simply think about those buts. But be warned: If you do, you'll get wrapped up in a passionate affair with a Lover who will never stop pursuing you. In fact, His attraction to you is fatal, for it will turn your stiffness into song, your bitterness into balm, and your complaining into compassion.