The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” Luke 18:11-12
What was wrong with the Pharisee?
There was a lot right with him. He really didn’t do those bad things. He really did those good things. And he gave glory to God for it all: "God, I thank you . . . ."
So, what was wrong with him? Just this. He sincerely believed he was “not like other men.”
Thank God I’m not like that Pharisee!
I appreciate Ortlund's self-directed sarcasm.
The connection to Piper? Well some see Piper as being the Pharisee and pointing out the error in others. I think that is their guilt speaking rather than sound analysis.
Let's see what Piper said.
Let me venture an interpretation of this Providence with some biblical warrant.
Sounds like, "this may not be reason but it could be." And it sounds like, "I don't want to just pull this out of the air, there may be some, although not conclusive, Biblical support." Why are the antagonists reading this otherwise? I can only assume because of the pharisaical junk in their hearts.
In the end Piper concludes:
The tornado in Minneapolis was a gentle but firm warning to the ELCA and all of us: Turn from the approval of sin. Turn from the promotion of behaviors that lead to destruction. ... Rejoice in the pardon of the cross of Christ and its power to transform left and right wing sinners.
First, the warning is to them and us. Yet the antagonists only see him railing against others. Interesting. Second, the antagonists find the behavior by God inconsistent with God. Oddly it is fully consistent with the Bible (just may be misapplied). So I find it revealing that these folks have invented a god not of the Bible. Finally, because these folks are bent on affirming sin rather than repenting from it, the interpret every call to repent as fear mongering. They then struggle with Piper's concept of God. Again reinforcing their invention of a god other than that of the Bible. In Piper's clarification, he acknowledges a God who is in control of all things and who uses all things to his glory. Piper references a post he made some time ago regarding his bout with cancer. In that he wrote that it was ...
... a gentle but firm warning to me and all of us: Turn from every approval of sin in your life. Turn from the justification and promotion of any behaviors in your life that lead to destruction. Reaffirm the great biblical heritage of allegiance to the truth and authority of Scripture. Turn back from your inveterate bent to distort the grace of God into sensuality. Rejoice in the pardon of the cross of Christ and its power to transform you and all other sinners.
Piper's thoughts seem very consistent with Luke 13.4-5. He is clearly not looking at the fault in others but is taking everything as God pointing to our need to repent and to follow him ... in all things. Now you may disagree with Piper's view on the sovereignty of God and you may disagree with his analysis of the tornado event relating to the ELCA. But please, get off the high horse of saying he is a fear monger and that he serves some distorted version of God.
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