FINAL THOUGHTS FROM SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY CHURCH

What Should We Really Value?

"As Charles Colson puts it, "You don't change a culture by passing

laws.  You change a culture by changing people's habits.  

That's why the the Gospel is so central to the the 

possibilities of cultural reformation in American life."

Anything that gets in the way of someone truly understanding 

and evaluating the gospel of Jesus Christ deserves a serious 

review.  When Americans can't seem to hear the Good News

because of the Christian media's stream of bad news delivered

with acrimonious passion, something is terribly wrong." 

(Dean Merrill, Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry Church; Zondervann Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI; 1997; pg. 162)

When I read this excerpt from Merrill's book I am brought back to Paul's words in Philippians 3:7-11

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Look at the part of the verses I've made bold:  "I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ."  I believe the most faithful rendering of the word "garbage", in English is, in fact, "shit".   Paul is telling us that everything besides Jesus Christ is shit, and he's not making reference to natural fertilizer.
   

Paul is so funny, but we don't take him as being funny, do we?  Ask any theologian who the greatest theological writer in the Bible is, Old or New Testament, and Paul is always the first to come to mind.  Wesley, Calvin, Luther, and the majority of others would hold up Paul's writing's as the greatest in the Bible.   This is why Paul is so funny.  Paul says that he is the least of the apostles, because he persecuted Christ.   We think of Paul as the greatest, but we don't really know why.  Paul is the greatest, not for his great theology. (Paul is one of the greatest theologians, by the way.)  Paul is great because he threw his religious position away; he tossed away being "right"; he threw out all things kosher and Jewish.  Instead of being a hero of the Jews he is the hero of the Gentile believers.  Paul tells us in Romans that if he could save all the Jews through condemnation of himself, that he would make this sacrifice.   Paul was the Jew to end all Jews; the Big Kahuna Jewish theologian.  But Paul says, "I am the least of Christ's apostles..."

Everything Paul was he threw out of his life that he might have all that God gives through his only Son, Jesus.   He gave up all that he valued, all that he had earned.  Paul gave up everything he thought God is supposed to be, so that he could know all that God promised through Jesus.   He even rebuked the apostle Peter for acting "Jewish", because of some men James had sent to visit.   Paul empties himself of everything he could be in himself.   Paul isn't great because he's the best theologian.  Paul is the best, because he let go of himself, and grasped at all of Christ.   Jesus grabbed him, and Paul grabbed Jesus back. 
  

What makes Paul remarkable, memorable, right, good, brilliant, the greatest of Christ's apostles is the new life of Christ in him.   It is Jesus/Paul we can't help loving.  It is Christ Jesus in Paul, "the hope of glory," that we find great.  The secret is Christ.  Just Jesus Christ.  Paul is right...everything...EVERYTHING, which is not Christ is shit.  


This is what I believe:  Jesus is everything.  What is not Jesus is shit.  I am a believer in Jesus of Nazareth...God's answer to and for everything.

Any questions?