being negative

Some are bent out of shape regarding John Piper's comments around the recent tornado in Minneapolis and the decision of the ELCA to propagate sin. Others are supportive of Piper. Me, I lean slightly negative toward what he said. Those that got bent out of shape, pulled the typical fear-monger tactic of accusing the other side of being a fear-monger ... what a silly and ignorant argument. To quote one, "the God Piper lives with, one who is always ready to strike the moment John does something wrong. In contributing to a culture of fear, Piper has inadvertently revealed the culture he himself lives in." This not only demonstrates absolute ignorance of what Piper was trying to say, but it (1) reveals a critic who is quick to misrepresent the body of work of an individual and (2) speaks volumes about this person's misunderstanding of God.

Interestingly, our small group study this past week was 2 Cor 12-17. Verse 14-15 really caught my eye. If we allow him to leads us, we will be the fragrance of the knowledge of him and to those being saved, it is the aroma of Christ ... but to those that are perishing, it is the aroma of death. The post-modern innovator would have us join them in their concocted image a false God based on a false notion of love. The Biblical truth is that same Christ who is life to some is repugnant to others. While it's true many of us need to work to strip our junk from our witness, it is also a false notion to think that truth will never sting.

J.C. Ryle wrote on Mk 6.14-29 (HT:CIC):

Let it never surprise us when we hear of faithful ministers of the Gospel being spoken against, hated and reviled. Let us rather remember that they are ordained to bear witness against sin, the world and the devil, and that if they are faithful they cannot help giving offense. It is no disgrace to a minister's character to be disliked by the wicked and ungodly. It is no real honor to a minister to be thought well of by everybody. Those words of our Lord are not considered enough - "Woe to you when all men speak well of you" (Luke 6:26).

As faithful ministers, we ought be nervous if the world only sees us as friends. Kingdom living will demand a reaction. At times it will be repentance and redemption, at other times rejection. But a reaction nonetheless ... and either way, one could say a violent one. This doesn't have to be fearful as these postmodern innovators suppose. This can be loving and kind - if done as servants. Remember, to these folks, if permission isn't given to sin, they see no other option, it must be shame. They flat miss the point of grace and mercy in repentance and truth.

Related to this, we should be reminded that even after the cross, the church retained a healthy fear of sin and a healthy fear (but a different kind) of the Lord (1 Cor 11.27-32). See more here.

And so I say again, my "gut" isn't keen about Piper's post, but the responses from some have revealed the world to which Christ came to redeem and they seem proud to reside in sin.