As promised, we have reactivated the podcast. And we’re starting out with a series of messages I delivered several years ago on Paul’s letter to the Colossians.

The first message gives the historical background, and then it’s off to the races as the curtain is pulled back and Christ is unveiled in Colossians.

Some scholars have rightly called Colossians “the high watermark of Scripture” (along with Ephesians). When you finish the series, I think you’ll agree.

Click here to subscribe via iTunes and other ways to receive all the talks, including all previous episodes.

There is a lot more in store for the podcast in the days ahead. I will not be announcing each new episode, so you’ll want to subscribe.

One last thing:

We’re going to set a new trend for the next 10 days.

I’m asking that no one comment on this post who has commented in May.

So let’s only hear from people who have been silent this entire month (or longer).

The goal here to encourage and completely give the floor to those of you who are mostly silent . . . which is about 95% of my subscribers.

Thanks!

Enjoy the message and have a blessed weekend.

Those who know me well are aware that I’m a monumental music fan. However, I’ve never been terribly impressed with contemporary Christian music.

There are a few exceptions. And David Ruis is one of them.

In fact, David Ruis is my all-time favorite worship artist, hands-down, walkin’ out.

If you’re not familiar with Ruis’ work, then follow my suggestion.

Head over to Pandora and create a “David Ruis Radio” station.

Then start listening to all of his tunes. Feel free to skip the tunes from other artists.

David is the man.

On that note, here is my interview with Ruis.

Frank: Tell us when and how you began learning musical instruments and how you started singing and writing songs?

David Ruis: I was quite fortunate to have been adopted as an infant into a pretty stable home. My parents were very new to the Christian faith when I came into their world and were quite keen to “do this right.” A part of their understanding of raising kids was a breadth of education, which included music.

As a result, I was enrolled in both vocal coaching and piano lessons at the age of 5. My initial musical training and experience was all in the classical world of both piano and vocal instruction.

My piano training was quite formal taking me up to level Grade Nine in the Royal Conservatory in Canada, my vocal chops coming somewhat more informally. But a great experience nonetheless being a charter member of the Calgary Boy’s Choir, remaining on as a Tenor for operetta and special performances as well as being a pianist for one of the touring choirs as my voice changed.

Being trained in a more classical vein, combined with my being raised in a very conservative/fundamentalist church environment (although I loved a wide spectrum of music), I never leveraged my talents in any space other than the classical world of festivals and adjudication until going to college.

Heading into my first year of college I began to dabble in some song writing which caught the ear of the music director at the school. It wasn’t until I stepped out in my first church planting experience at the age of 21 that I began to write what one would call “worship” music.

Frank: Share the story behind your first album. How did your work get “discovered?”

David Ruis: The first album I ever did was at the age of 19 towards the end of my college tenure – a work called “Never Let Me Go.” For me, and most certainly for my denomination, it was exploring the outer edges of then “contemporary music” and had me labeled as someone who had sold out my talents to the devil by many in my denomination.

The album caught the attention of Tim Archer, a well known Contemporary Christian Artist of the time, and he signed me to a label of his called “Straight Ahead Productions.” That whole adventure ended in a contractual nightmare and convinced me about my call into church planting.

In our first church plant we began to “stumble” into this thing called worship – a new experience to say the least. We began to write music for corporate worship and recorded a couple of community albums between ’86 and ’91.

In 1991 I had relocated to Kansas City and was on staff at Metro Vineyard Fellowship. Although I was not on the “worship staff,” music continued to be a huge part of gift mix and I did a live recording (on my own dime and all done “in house”) called “True Love.”

The songs were beginning to take hold, and the church had quite a broad exposure via conferences etc. which drew significant attention to the project as well as to the songs which began to be used in quite a wide spectrum of churches.

Somehow (I really don’t know how) the music caught the ear of people at Maranatha! Music as well as that of Chris Wimber (I believe his sister-in-law gave him a recording) at Vineyard Music.

The “discovery” was quite frankly word of mouth for the most part as I was not part of any kind of distribution network initially. Kinda fun to think back on actually, as this pre-dates the Internet and other now common avenues of exposure.

Frank: Who have been the major music influences in your life . . . both artists who are within the Christian genre as well as those outside of it?

David Ruis: I would have to say that Claude Debussy, Bach and Benjamin Brittain had a significant impact on my music development as well as Michael Oldfield and Alan Parsons. Many old black gospel artists also impacted me.

Later on U2 began to stir me musically as well as Sting. I really did not have much exposure to Christian music, but came across Barry McGuire, Phil Keaggy and Sweet Comfort Band. And I would say that helped shape some things along with the immutable Keith Green.

Frank: I’m a person who likes the story-behind-the curtain for various works of art, be they books, songs, messages, albums, etc. Tell us the story behind each of these songs (I love each of them). How did the lyrics and music come to you . . . what inspired them, etc.?

True Love

David Ruis: This song was heavily influenced by the teaching focus in the community I was a part of in Kansas City. There was much attention given to Song of Solomon, the lyric of course being drawn extensively from that book.

Also – the understanding of moving towards a more “intimate” expression of worship than what I was raised in was a huge factor in unlocking this song. I distinctly remember the melodic line lingering in my mind for a long time before the words found their way forward. I “knew” the sound was speaking of intimacy – and when I read the biblical text it seemed like a fit to the melody.

I will say though that this song has caused me some consternation over the years. I am somewhat afraid of an “allegorical” approach to the text and sometimes fear that the song may seem to emphasize that.

Also – the theme of intimacy in worship is so special, yet I never want to bleed into an unhealthy sensuality in regards to Christ. When the song was penned, the power of intimacy being such a “new” concept in the liturgy of the church I think influenced its popularity and my crafting of it.

However, now it is not so “cutting edge” and could be misconstrued as one of “those Jesus is my boyfriend” songs.

Just letting you in on a bit of my own struggle with unpacking this kind of stuff … hope that makes sense.

Frank: Yes. It’s sad that some Christians misconstrue beautiful things. There’s a profound difference between biblical typology and allegory. And there’s a seismic difference between the bridal image of the body of Christ that runs gloriously from Genesis to Revelation, revealing the Lord’s incredible passion for His bride, and the sappy-superficial and very human “Jesus is my boyfriend” mush. Your song clearly reflects the former as does my book From Eternity to Here (Part I).

Let Your Glory Fall

David Ruis: I had been leading worship at a youth event known as “Youth Surge” in Missouri, and we had come to the end of one evening. Ministry was sweet. I was simply “musing” on the keys as kids were being prayed for all over the auditorium I looked up, and it was like I could “see” God’s presence resting on people. But I knew it was about spilling out of that space into the “world” at large, tapping into the overarching story of God for his church.

The refrain just started coming, and I began to sing it over and over, “Let Your glory fall in this room, let it go forth from here to the nations” … over the next month or so that “song idea” kept popping up in various settings, and more and more of the song began to take shape as I began to write verses to it and eventually the bridge.

The song subsequently was recorded on a “Touching the Fathers Heart” album with Vineyard Music and was released just before the “Toronto Blessing” broke out at the Airport Vineyard.

Because it was one of the newer Vineyard songs at the time, it was in the rotation of songs being sung as the renewal broke out. It seemed to capture what was happening and in some ways became the anthem of the renewal.

No Other

David Ruis: I had been reading Psalm 87, and it was having a pretty cool impact on our community in Winnipeg, MB – a church we had planted in ’95. The last part of the Psalm declares that as the people of God make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.” I just couldn’t get that phrase out of my head, and a few times in various settings (small and large) that line would bleed out spontaneously as it is in the song … all my fountains are in you.

Some months earlier I had been working on another idea, “there is no other friend, there is no other love – like You Oh Lord,” and I began to realize that what I thought may be two songs, were actually one. And the glue of it all was the cry in Psalm 87 that I was “born in Zion.” Over some time, the pieces began to fit and the songs started taking shape.

We Will Dance

David Ruis: At a rehearsal one night, I began toying with the piano’s musical signature that is the intro of the song … loved the 3/4 vibe as well as a bit of a celtic flavor that seemed to be coming through. The waltz feel to it made me definitely think about a dance, and the more I plunged into the feel of the music I couldn’t stop thinking about heaven. I’d also been thinking about the “song of the Lamb” as talked about in Revelation, and that found its way into the lyric quite easily.

The chorus came first as a melody, but the words came quite quickly. The verses were pretty intuitive. The bridge was formed after doing the song several times … just felt like there needed to be something more, and one night in leading it just rested on the musical riff. Pretty spontaneously the lyrics came, a bit of crafting later, but for the most part they spilled out in the context of corporate worship.

There Must Be More

David Ruis: Again – this is one of those songs where a melodic hook preceded all else. I was actually in Anaheim, CA for a conference and was asked to lead some worship. The musical hook developed in rehearsing with the band, and it seemed to unlock a prayer in me that had been fighting for expression in the middle of a bunch of “renewal” stuff that I had been seeing for some time up until this point.

Not that anything that was happening was bad, or misplaced – but it just felt like “there must be more” … pretty self explanatory really. Also just had a deep concern/desire to keep it all “real” … kind of afraid of potential hype I guess … not a bad concern really.

His Love

David Ruis: This was kind of fun actually … I had been leading a small group (just half a dozen guys) at a men’s discipleship house in Kansas City.

One of the evenings I was leading worship with the group, and I just began to get this idea melodically and lyrically in my head as we were just “resting” in worship – obviously the theme of God’s love was heavy on me – and I kept thinking about various metaphors for God’s love just thinking that I would sing it out “over” the group … all three verses had almost full shape in my mind before I began to sing it out.

Next thing I knew these guys, quite contrary to their normal posture, were weeping and obviously being “ministered to,” and this song had found some legs.

I did do some tweaking of it in the next couple of weeks, but it was pretty much birthed right there on the spot … crazy!!

Frank: When you’re listening to music (in your automobile or otherwise), who are some of the artists that you listen to these days?

David Ruis: Various and Sundry old gospel from the 30’s – 40’s. Just been re-listening to some of Alan Parson’s stuff. Coast to Coast AM Talk Radio.

Frank: As a creative myself who mostly writes and speaks, I’m fascinated with the creative process and how it operates in others. Share with us, therefore, what gets your creative juices going? And what do you do when you’re in a creative slump?

David Ruis: As simple as it sounds, people get my juices flowing. Engaging in people’s stories from all spheres of life really stirs me – both individuals as well as the larger stories of tongues, tribes, and nations. It helps me make some sense of my own journey and fuels my understanding of God and informs my prayer life.

As far as devotional creativity – creation always inspires. Also, realizing that as far as creativity is concerned, I can never “pump that well dry” … there is always more so I never try to cling too hard to an idea or an inspiration thinking this is “the one,” or “the hit,” or … just enjoy the moment and never panic.

Spending time with the poor and marginalized always de-slumps me.

Frank: what other projects are you working on, music-wise and other-wise?

David Ruis: Working on a Christmas Project which I am really stoked about. Community project with Basileia that we are tracking live in August with Vineyard Music. Continuing to work on ideas (with co-writer) for television. Feel a book on community stirring, and maybe a fiction novel.

–

Check out Ruis’ song, There Must Be More

And Sweet Wind

Announcement: We plan to publish a series of never-before-released messages on Colossians on the podcast very soon. If you’re not yet subscribed, click here and subscribe. You don’t want to miss these; they are unique.

When I was in my early 20s, I had wonderful fellowship with an older brother in Christ who was part of the Plymouth Brethren.

We disagreed on a few doctrines (I didn’t buy into the pretibulational rapture theory, and I believed that God still healed people supernaturally). That aside, we both held to the orthodox creeds of the faith (The Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, etc.) as I still do today.

Never having stepped foot in a Plymouth Brethren chapel, I was interested in visiting his church. So I did. But I was shocked when he told me that I couldn’t partake of the Lord’s Table.

This both surprised and saddened me greatly.

He received me as a brother in Christ, but because I didn’t toe the line on PB doctrine, I wasn’t allowed to partake of the bread and wine with the others in his church.

When I shared my feelings with him — that this action was a flat-out denial that I was part of the Body of Christ — he retracted his position and said I could partake of the Table.

However, his initial sectarian decision left its wound.

I wish I could say that I’ve never met this same sectarian attitude since, but I’d be lying if I did.

I’ve met it a number of times.

The fact is, every devoted Christian will be tested on whether they really believe in the oneness of the Body of Christ or whether they deny it deep in their hearts . . . especially when there is pressure from others to embrace a sectarian spirit and exclude other members of the Body.

Religious pressure is a powerful thing. And it is most often contrary to Jesus Christ.

In that connection, I’m posting some excerpts from a letter written by Watchman Nee (and some of his friends) to some of the Plymouth Brethren in his own day who excluded him from fellowship after he associated himself with T. Austin-Sparks (someone of whom they didn’t approve).

In my judgment, these excerpts reflect the mind and heart of Jesus Christ on the matter of unity and receiving other believers into fellowship.

I thank God that Nee stood strong on his position and didn’t break fellowship with Sparks due to religious pressure from his Plymouth Brethren friends.

While Nee lost the fellowship of these Plymouth Brethren due to his decision, he gained a lifelong friend in one of the greatest servants of God to ever breathe oxygen – T. Austin-Sparks.

I believe the Lord was pleased with Nee’s position, and he benefited enormously from his relationship with Sparks.

–

The Scriptures plainly show us that the basis of our receiving one another is “even as Christ also received you” (Rom. 15.7). The reason why we receive anyone is because “God hath received him” (Rom. 14.3). Hence the command of God to us is: “him that is weak in faith receive ye” (Rom. 14.1). This command is explicit, distinctive and irrevocable. It is a sin to refuse acceptance of him whom God has received, however weak or lacking in light he may be.

Nevertheless, this does not imply that the defeated [who are unrepentant] may have fellowship with God and with God’s people. Not only the world, the flesh and sin may deprive the Church of its characteristics and hinder its fellowship, even a slight deviation from the will of God and from the leading of the Holy Spirit may cause the believer to lose contact with God.

Who among any of us is really worthy to undertake this work of selection—this act of determining who is fit for fellowship? From what we learn in the Bible, our responsibility is to judge only on moral corruption (1 Cor. 5.10-13) or on heresy regarding the Person of Christ (2 John). Difference in interpretation of truth alone must not be the ground of division. Thus we receive all whom God has received for the sake of Christ.

But [so called] sins such as “denominational connection” and apparent errors of interpretation on prophecy do not cut off fellowship with God. This fact you cannot deny: that many who have not yet departed from what you call “evil association” and who, moreover, differ with you in prophetic views have most intimate fellowship with the Lord, even more intimate than we have.

We are doubtful about your current way of reception. We wonder if this is a practice truly handled by the Holy Spirit or is simply a method received by men?

We would now make our position crystal clear. We do not stand on an open ground which overlooks matters that might bring reproach to the Lord. No, we absolutely do not take that position. Nor do we stand on the exclusive ground which is according to man’s thought and not according to the Holy Spirit.

We stand instead on the spiritual exclusive ground which means that we want our fellowship to be wholly in the Holy Spirit without any mixture of the flesh. To enjoy such kind of fellowship as this, the flesh must be thoroughly dealt with by the cross of Christ.

For the flesh has absolutely no place in this fellowship. It is not sufficient merely to terminate so-called “evil association.” The total life of the flesh must be dealt with. The power of the cross must be experienced by all through the working of the Holy Spirit. Mental knowledge is of little use.

This, then, is our fellowship. Accordingly, we are as open as the early Church that received all Christians, yet we are as exclusive as the Holy Spirit in rejecting all that is of the flesh. Many whom you reckon as in your fellowship are actually not so.

Possibly the number of such people far exceeds our expectation. How very sad this is! For many believers, though they have passed your test of strict receiving, do not live in the Holy Spirit. Yet they consider themselves in the fellowship and freely partake of the loaf because they have not manifested sins! We cannot but regard such a standard of fellowship as too low.

In order to unify interpretations and practices, you tend to divide God’s children.

Beloved, may we humbly suggest that you carefully and prayerfully consider what we have here laid before you. We believe this that we have written is of God. Are you willing—as though knowing nothing at all—to lay aside your former preconceived thoughts written by you, and at the same time to ask the Lord to reveal to you whether or not what we have said is right and according to His will?

Now is the time for us to make this matter clear before the Lord as eternity draws near. We thank you for all that you have done for us. May God bless you.

Your brothers in the Lord,

Representing the brethren met in

Hardoon Road and North Szechuan Road, Shanghai

P.S. If this post doesn’t cure you of a sectarian spirit, Rethinking Christian Unity should do the trick.

Once in awhile, people will ask me questions about leaving their church. They want my advice and opinion on it. This happened again very recently.

Because I’ve received this question countless times over the years, I’m posting my general response here. Before you read what follows, I want you to get clear on this: there are always special circumstances and exceptions to what I’m about to say.

What I’ve written here is merely my personal opinion for those who desire to hear it. It’s based on the last 30 years of watching people leave churches (of all different kinds) and the results I’ve witnessed . . . both good and unmentionable.

Five points to begin with:

1. I have never asked anyone to leave a church nor have I encouraged a person to leave one. It’s simply not my place to do so. Except in rare situations where someone was being abused, I actually encourage people to stay in their church. Unless God specifically and clearly leads them out. Or it violates their conscience to stay involved.

2. I’m of the opinion that you shouldn’t leave a church unless the Lord clearly directs you to leave and your family has come to a consensus on the matter. I’ll simply add that I will never understand why some people leave beautiful churches while others stay in abusive or dead churches. See my post on What Ever Happened to Perseverance? where I give examples.

3. If you leave a church, you should seek fellowship elsewhere. If you can’t find a fellowship before you leave your church, be prepared for a time in the wilderness. And be careful not to complain when you’re in it. It could last awhile. So count the cost before you make your exit.

4. Strong, healthy, Christ-centered churches that are neither legalistic nor libertine are very hard to find in our day. This includes both institutional churches and non-institutional churches. They do exist, however.

On that point, I always find it amusing when someone says, “There are no good churches (organic or organized) that exist because I’ve tried looking and I can’t find any.”

That’s like saying, “There are no Publix Supermarkets because I’ve looked and never found one in my town or state.”

Good institutional churches and non-institutional churches do exist. But both are relatively rare in my experience and observation. And this has always been the case, even in the first century. (A large chunk of your New Testament is made up of letters that were written to churches experiencing major problems.)

5. There is no perfect church. If you expect to find one, you’re mistaken and you may prove dangerous to any Christian community. Read Bonhoeffer’s Wish Dream which expands that statement.

The idea of a perfect church cuts both ways. When the issue of what the Bible teaches about church life and practice is brought up, some dismiss it by saying, “There is no perfect church. So it’s pointless to examine what the Bible teaches on the matter. Just find any church you like” (or words to that effect).

This is no different from saying, “There is no perfect Christian. So it’s pointless to examine what the Bible teaches on the matter of Christian living. Just live the way you like.”

On the other hand, for the person who is looking for the perfect church, you won’t find it. It doesn’t exist, and it has never existed. And if it did, it would no longer be perfect when you arrived . . . unless of course you believe you’re a perfect person.

If you can find a group of Christians who love Jesus and want Him over “things,” who desire fellowship and community, who aren’t legalistic or libertine, and who know the basics of what it means to love others (i.e., treat others the way they want to be treated), then you’ve found something precious on this earth . . .  regardless of the “form,” the meeting location, the size, or “denomination” it may take.

That said, for those of you who asked (or will ask), if God clearly leads you to leave a particular church, here are my suggestions on what not to do:

1. It’s not a good idea to meet with your pastor in person and tell him/her all the things you don’t like about the way he/she runs the church. In addition, it’s unwise to criticize his/her sermons. Unless of course you want to be boiled in olive oil or roasted over a slow spit.

Seriously: Complaining about what you don’t like or what you don’t think is “biblical” to a church leader is a study in insanity most of the time. If you do this, prepare for a lot of unnecessary defensiveness and anger targeted at you. And don’t be so naïve to think that people are going to be swayed by your peerless arguments. Most won’t.

At the end of Reimagining Church (Chapter 15), I explain in some detail what you can expect if you try to change a church that you’re attending. It’s not advisable.

And for the two people out there who see themselves as prophets: There’s a big difference between being a genuine prophet and presuming on the role (the “persecuted prophet complex” as I call it). Make sure you are clear headed enough to know the difference.

What’s the alternative?

Most wise people I know who left a church graciously wrote a letter to the leadership simply explaining that the Lord was moving them on. They added thanks for what they learned and gained, and ended by saying that they haven’t committed apostasy, they still love the Lord and are following Him, so there’s no need for the reconciliation committee to pay them a panic visit (or words to that effect).

If you were a hefty tither to the church, this may not work. The committee may visit you anyway. But you can try.

2. It’s not a good idea to give your pastor or the people in your congregation books or articles that challenge what he/she is doing. There’s an excellent chance that those books and articles weren’t written to or for pastors or to or for people who are content with church.

I can’t speak for others, but this is absolutely the case with my books, Pagan Christianity and Reimagining Church. Those volumes were written specifically for people who already left the institutional form of church as we know it or who feel in their gut that church can and should be much different, but they aren’t sure why they feel this way.

These books are not for leaders or for people who enjoy church as we know it.

3. This next point is on the par with the Law and the Prophets: Please don’t take anyone else with you. Meaning, nevah evah cause division. That includes after you leave as well as during your departure. This also includes corrupting your friends who attend the church with your complaints against the church and/or its leaders.

It also includes trying to recruit them away from the church by giving them “subversive literature” that you know will cause them confusion. Barna and I actually warned about this in the very beginning of Pagan Christianity, saying,

(At this moment, all the rebellious hearts are applauding and are plotting to wield the above paragraphs to wreak havoc in their churches. If that is you, dear rebellious heart, you have missed our point by a considerable distance. We do not stand with you. Our advice: Either leave your church quietly, refusing to cause division, or be at peace with it. There is a vast gulf between rebellion and taking a stand for what is true.) Pagan Christianity, p. 5.

And again near the end:

We hope that this book will give God’s people permission to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, wherever that may lead them. No one should feel pressured to remain in a particular type of church if he or she feels the Lord is leading him or her out of it. And no one should feel pressured to leave, either. With that in mind, the advice we would offer to those who feel called to leave the institutional church [or any other kind] is threefold. 1) Leave quietly and do not take anyone else with you. In other words, do not cause division. 2) Resist becoming bitter against the institutional church [or any other kind]. If you have been hurt by people in it, take your pain to the cross. Harboring bitterness is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to get sick. Few things are as lethal. 3) Actively seek Christians to fellowship with around Jesus Christ. Pagan Christianity, p. 269.

Just because God may be leading you out of a particular church doesn’t mean that He’s leading everyone else out. Now or in the future.

If you leave in a Christ-honoring, gracious way, I believe the Lord will be pleased. If you leave in the flesh, I can promise you things will be very difficult afterwards. Not a good beginning to start a new season on. I can singe your ears with horror stories, but this post is already too long.

Again, there are always some extraordinary exceptions to all of this (like if your church is involved in criminal activity. Then calling the authorities might be a good idea). But in general, for the vast majority of cases, that’s my 13 cents on the matter.

Since it’s Memorial Day and much of the Internet will be inactive, we’re not going to delve into anything heavy.

So today’s post is about iPhone apps.

Several months ago I purchased the iPhone 4S, and I’m quite happy with it. (Siri is a trip.)

Especially after using a 3G (which gave new meaning to the word “slow”) for several years.

Right now my favorite apps are:

Voice Assistant

Flashlight

Compass

Tip Calculator

Urbanspoon

AroundMe

Pandora

I’m on the look-out for more apps.

(Oh, I do have “Words with Friends” which is driving me batty.)

So those of you who use an iPhone or another smart phone, can you give a little help?

What are your favorite apps?

P.S. Check Out My Library – all 7 books for only $65 ($108 value).

I have often stressed that the church’s calling to continue the ministry of Jesus in the world (a la, Luke 4:18-19) is just as much a part of God’s Eternal Purpose as living as a face-to-face community that makes a home for the Lord to lay His head.

(I’m speaking here of the church in local expression . . . a tangible, touchable, locatable body of believers in a locale, in whatever form or shape it may take.)

We Christians seem to fall off one side of the horse or the other on this subject.

Some make the church a shallow “soul-winning” / “world-improvement” station with little depth, relational life, or spiritual substance. Others make the church an insular, isolated, navel-gazing community.

I believe the church must know both inreach and outreach . . . it must know what it means to be “built together” as well as “being Christ” for the world. And it must learn how to discern the season for each.

As I’ve argued in From Eternity to Here, the ekklesia is called to embody Jesus Christ as a bride, a house, a body, and a family. This is God’s Eternal Purpose.

Today’s entry is an aggregate post. That is, it lists a collection of the best blog posts I’ve written over the years on the subject of how the church continues the ministry of Jesus in the world.

Some of these posts include audios and book excerpts. I’m creating this special post for two reasons:

(1) Some of these posts have provoked countless Christians and churches to reach out beyond themselves — not out of guilt, duty, obligation, or their own natural energies (which is almost the norm today) —  but by and through the life of Jesus Christ Himself.

(2) Having a list of related posts on this topic in one place will make it easy for readers to access.

So here they are. Take a look at the descriptions, check out the posts, enjoy, and share!

The Missio Dei  - covers the four aspects of God’s grand mission.

20 Reasons Why the Christian Right & the Christian Left Won’t Adopt Me – encourages Christians to engage the culture and affirms all types of engagement (social, civil, political, etc.) without necessarily aligning with the Christian Right or the Christian Left.

Living in the Divine Parenthesis – a challenge against the tendency to become insular, isolated, and ingrown. Explains how the New Testament calls us to engage in “good works,” but explains what good works are and aren’t. (In the New Testament, “good works” have to do with alleviating oppression and helping those who are hurting.) The source of good works is also discussed as well as the meaning of the Kingdom of God being present yet future. Includes audio.

Rethinking the Gospel – explains what the New Testament means when it uses the word “gospel” as well as “Jesus is Lord” and “Christ is ALL.” Jesus of Nazareth is Lord, not just over our private spiritual lives, but over the whole world. 

Following Your Spiritual Instincts Regarding the Poor – explains how much God cares for the poor and what our attitude should be toward them.

Wavin’ Flag: Remix – a song I wrote that expresses Christ’s love for the world through the church.

Rethinking How We Present the Gospel – affirms yet rethinks how we present the gospel to non-Christians.

N.T. Wright – my exclusive interview with N.T. Wright where we discuss church, mission, culture, and the church’s prophetic role in speaking to “power.”

Epic Jesus – Jesus is much larger than our traditions, personal tastes, and theological systems. Includes audio. E. Stanley Jones said, “A reduced Christ is the same as a rejected Christ.” Epic Jesus unfolds that thought.

A Vanishing God – Jesus has an interesting habit of breaking out of our expectations, imaginations, preferences, and ideas. A challenge against sectarianism and elitism, something I speak about often.

The Eternal Purpose – explores the four aspects of God’s timeless purpose. Includes audio.

The Anatomy of the Church – outlines 14 metaphors for the church, some of which depict its nature to reach out to the world around it.

The Presence of the Future – a meditation on the Kingdom being “already, but not yet.” HT to George E. Ladd.

Kingdom Confusion: Part I – rethinking the Kingdom of God in the world.

Kingdom Confusion: Part II – dismantles the fallacy of pitting the Kingdom against the church. If you’ve heard people say, “Jesus mentioned the church only twice, but He mentioned the Kingdom over 100 times” you need to read this.

Thoughts on the Coming Revival – a reflection on past and future revivals.

Helping the Family in this Economy – an encouragement to help others in need, “especially those of the household of faith.”

20-Somethings Share What Attracted Them to Jesus Christ – over 250 twenty-something Christians explain what attracted them to Jesus. (Read the comments.) Insightful and instructive.

Why Calvinists Live Like Arminians & Arminians Pray Like Calvinists – expands the conversation in Jesus Manifesto (2010) that Jesus is larger than our self-constructed theological boxes and will always break out, leading to a larger view of mission and prayer.

Update: We plan to publish a series of never-before-released messages on Colossians on the podcast very soon. If you’re not yet subscribed, click here and subscribe. You don’t want to miss these; they are unique.

Announcement: We plan to publish a series of never-before-released messages on Colossians on the podcast very soon. If you’re not yet subscribed, click here and subscribe. You don’t want to miss these; they are unique.

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The great theologian Karl Barth once wrote that truth walks the razor edge of heresy. Indeed, the road to truth is surrounded by a ditch on either side.

Be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left (Deuteronomy 5:32). 

Sectarianism and elitism have been in the drinking water of the body of Christ ever since the fault lines of the Corinthian church began to fracture over their favorite apostle.

“I’m of Apollos . . . I’m of Peter . . . I’m of Paul” still lives in our bloodstreams. We simply exchange the names for that of others.

I’ve met some Christians who promoted the idea (though not in these exact words) that “unless you receive John Calvin into your heart, you cannot be saved.”

While others preached the gospel of “unless you receive John Wesley into your heart, you cannot be saved.”

I tip my hat to Calvin and Wesley as being great men of God (though both were not without their flaws as are all servants of God, including Paul and Peter).

But to enshrine them . . . or Augustine or Thomas Aquinas or John Howard Yoder or Watchman Nee or (fill in the blank) beyond mere mortal status is to err.

I have another post brewing entitled (tentatively) Why I’m a Calvinist and an Arminian. But that will have to wait.

Lynyrd Skynyrd and I put it this way in Jesus Manifesto:

The truth is, most Calvinists live like Arminians (they hold themselves and others responsible for their actions). And most Arminians pray like Calvinists (they submit their requests to the will of God) . . .

The Christ who is truly (but only partially) present in our doctrine and experience is the true substance of the Christian faith. As for us, we will always “know in part” until we meet Him “face to face.”

Concerning the reality of Christ Himself, all the fullness of God dwells within Him. It is for this reason that every theological system breaks down somewhere. Every systematic theology, no matter how coherent or logical, eventually meets some passage of Scripture or passage of life that refuses to fit into it. Such passages have to be bent, twisted, and forced to fit the system.

Why is this? It’s because Christ is too immense, too imponderable, and too alive to be tied into any immovable system of thought constructed by finite humans.

Thus, He will always break out.

As Jeff Goldblum’s character said in the hit movie Jurassic Park—“Life will find a way.” (That was his response to the idea that scientists had created an ironclad, airtight system to keep dinosaurs from reproducing.) Jesus Christ is too alive to be caged in any human system. As Paul exclaimed in holy exasperation, “How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”

Life will find a way.

Jesus is not just one way, a better way, a pleasant way on a good day. He is the way.

Jesus is not just one truth, a higher truth, or a more personal truth. He is the truth.

Jesus is not just another life, a nicer life, a more abundant life. He is the life of God Himself.

In short, following Jesus doesn’t mean trying to create a weaponsgrade theological system to analyze, explain, and contain Him. Neither does it mean trying to obey His teachings by the power of our own volition . . .

So, Christianity is not an allegiance to a complex doctrinal or ethical system, but a passionate love for a way of living in the world that’s rooted in living by Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life. Our theologies, doctrines, and subjective experiences are designed to flow organically from our loving relationship to Christ, but they are never to substitute for it.

Without the Way, there is no going. Without the Truth, there is no knowing. Without the Life, there is no living (Thomas à Kempis). 

Calvinism and Arminianism are imperfect theological systems, both of which have their strengths. As a model for prayer and devotion, Calvinism excels. As a model for taking responsibility in life, Arminianism excels.

Notwithstanding, every Calvinist I’ve ever met takes responsibility for their choices just like Arminians do. (E.g., I’ve never met a Calvinist who said, “It doesn’t matter what I do because God’s will is going to get done regardless.”)

In like manner, every Arminian I’ve ever met prays like their Calvinist brethren. (E.g., I’ve never met an Arminian who prayed, “Lord, bring Jethro to the point of making a decision for you.” Instead, Arminians pray things like, “Lord, open Jethro’s eyes, change his heart, convict him of his sin, etc.”).

While there are exceptions to everything, this has been my observation and experience over the years.

You can go through your Bible carefully and find biblical texts that better fit the Calvinist model, while others have to nearly be bent to fit it. The same with Arminianism. Some texts refuse to fit neatly into its mold.

Why is this? Because the Bible wasn’t written to Western minds shaped by Aristotelian logic. And so it’s difficult for us (Westerners) to embrace paradox.

Yet Scripture is full of paradox, and Jesus Himself is the Ultimate and Absolute Paradox. He is God. He is Man. He is Divine and Human.

From that paradox flows all others.

Since Christ is Truth incarnate, spiritual truth contains the element of paradox.

The old story of John Wesley and Charles Simeon highlights this point in bold relief. After Simeon (a Calvinist) quizzed Wesley (an Arminian) on what he believed about those points that were important to Simeon, Simeon responded to Wesley’s answers with, “In that case I put up my sword, for this is all my Calvinism.”

Those two men had more in common than they assumed at first blush.

The same is true for countless Calvinists and Arminians today.

See also The Four Major Christian Streams Today (20s, 30s, and 40s).

Matt Chandler, Ed Stetzer, Steve Brown, Rowan Williams, Jack Hayford, Shane Claiborne, Ed Young, Scot McKnight, Calvin Miller, Reggie McNeal, Greg Boyd, Mark Batterson, David Fitch, Dan Kimball, Margaret Feinberg, Francis Frangipane, Todd Hunter, John R. Franke, Alan Hirsch, Chris Seay, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Anne Jackson, Ken Ulmer, Tommy Barnett, Sally Morgenthaler, and others discuss Jesus Manifesto.

Jen Wise, over at Restoration Living, recently interviewed me on the subject of rescripting the Christian life. This is part 2 of a 2-part interview. Click here to read Part 1 which includes Jen’s unique introduction.

Jen: In Chapter 3 of Revise Us Again you exhort readers to resist making all things ‘religious’. At Restoration Living we exhort readers to see all things as spiritual. The difference between these two is important. How do we help move Christians from ‘making everything religious’ to ‘seeing everything as spiritual’?

Frank: It depends on how one defines these terms. In the book, “religious” means being pretentious and/or legalistic. (I define legalism in the book and here as well.)

In the NT, the word “spiritual” has to do with that which is governed by the life of Christ, i.e., the Holy Spirit. Elsewhere, I’ve spoken a great deal about living by the indwelling life of Christ. This reality is central to Christianity.

A spiritual person, according to Paul, is a person whose soul and body is governed by the Holy Spirit through their regenerated spirits. We’re not talking about perfection here. But the overall pattern of one’s life.

Being “religious” is the fallen soul’s way of trying to duplicate the job of the Holy Spirit. 

Jen: I love the idea of recapturing our original, pre-fall, created purpose (pg. 63 of Revise Us Again). What do you believe this is? How should it shape our day-to-day lives?

Frank: Well, it’s not something I can explain easily. I’ve written a 300-page book entitled From Eternity to Here which unveils the eternal purpose of God from Genesis to Revelation and makes it practical.

I’ll simply say that Genesis 1 and 2 and Revelation 21 and 22 are unique to all the Bible. They are the only chapters in Scripture that are untouched by sin. Genesis 1 and 2 are pre-Fall; Revelation 21 and 22 are post-Fall.

If you count the items in Genesis 1 and 2, you will find around 30 of them. Interestingly enough, all 30 reemerge in Revelation 21 and 22.

Your Bible is the unfolding drama of those 30 themes. And they have everything to do with what Paul calls “the eternal purpose” in Ephesians 3.

Your readers can get a taste of what I’ve written and spoken on the eternal purpose by checking out this blog post. I’ll simply say that God’s purpose goes far beyond saving lost souls and making the world a better place. People come to this conclusion because they begin the story in Genesis 3 with the Fall, which is very common. But the story begins in Genesis 1.

Jen: We aim to help readers see the ordinary through God’s eyes (pg. 122 of Revise Us Again), specifically with our ‘Living’ articles. What ordinary moments strike you personally, and why? How has this outlook been transformative?

Frank: If you examine the Lord’s parables, He spoke about many ordinary things. Birds, lilies, trees, mustard seeds, farmers, wheat, tares, etc.

Because Jesus was in constant communion with His Father, He learned to see these ordinary things through His Father’s eyes.

Just take the Lord’s teaching in Matthew 6, for instance. There He speaks about the birds of the air not worrying about what food they will eat. And the lilies of the field not worrying about what they will wear.

Jesus repeatedly said that everything He taught came from His Father. So imagine Him in His twenties thinking about how He would put food on the table to feed His family (Joseph had passed away, and Jesus was the firstborn, so He was responsible for caring for the family).

Imagine Jesus walking across a field with lilies. He also sees some birds flying over the field. Then imagine the Father speaking within Him something to the effect of, “My Son, look at the birds. I take care of them, and they don’t worry for a second about food. The lilies don’t worry about what to wear, for I clothe them each day. How much more are you worth to me than these things? Worry not, I will always take care of you.”

Later, Jesus gives this as a teaching to us.

In a similar way, throughout the years, the Lord has taught me various things through nature about Himself and about the Christian life. The same with events and even films. (I have blogged about seeing Christ through films.) The things I’ve learned through those “ordinary things” make up the content of much of my books, blog posts, and audios. 

Jen: What role does community play in spiritual formation? What does it look like to receive another’s spiritual portion (pg. 132 of Revise Us Again)? 

Frank: In the book, I explain how Paul makes clear in 1 Corinthians 12-14 that we not only hear the Lord as an individual, but we hear Him through His body. Specifically (according to the text), a functioning body of believers in a particular locale.

Each Christian is a member of the body of Christ. None of us have all truth, revelation, and knowledge. The hand cannot do what the foot does. They need each other.

One of the main purposes of assemblying together (what we call “church” or ekklesia), according to the NT, is to give what we have received from the Lord to the others parts of the body. And to receive what they have been given. This brings us to a NT word that we don’t hear much about today. That word is “fullness.”

When a local body of believers is functioning as it should, the life of Jesus Christ is supplied to the members of the body from the members of the body and Christ’s fullness is made manifest.

I’ve written an entire series of books about this called the ReChurch. In it, I explore and raise questions about how ekklesia (“church”) in the NT meant something very different from what most Christians experience or mean when they use the word “church” today. And what the practical implications might be.

Jen Wise, over at Restoration Living, recently interviewed me on the subject of rescripting the Christian life. This is part 1 of a 2-part interview. The interview follows her introduction:

I recently had the honor of interviewing author Frank Viola on his recent book, Revise Us Again. I am delighted to share with you an in-depth look at the experiences behind the words, the theology that shaped the book, and his journey to understanding the issues within.

Revise Us is a timely book that approaches many issues that often go untouched, but deserve our attention. It is a ‘must’ for anyone entering theological studies or ministry (possibly in the same way ‘A Little Exercise for Young Theologians’ is used) as it touches on issues of Spiritual Conversation Styles, Christ as our chief pursuit and the pitfalls to avoid as a mentor (or mentee).

This is also a compelling read for those outside of vocational ministry. Chapters exploring God’s three-fold voice and His felt presence are both compelling and stretching on a personal level. A close look at ‘The God of Unseen Endings’ will be a comfort for anyone who has traveled through rough waters in life.

Join us below as we dig in to all these issues from a unique Restoration Living perspective.

~ Jen Wise

Jen: How have we been ‘scripted’ (through upbringing, culture, etc.) to see our faith as a portion of our lives rather than holistically?

Frank: It seems to me that as Christians (= followers of Jesus Christ), most of our scripting comes from the particular tribe of Christianity to which we belong or grow up in, the teachers we listen to, and the fellow believers we hang out with.

These all play a major role in how we view and approach the Bible, how we view the Lord, and what sort of religious habits we acquire.

In Revise Us Again, I deal with ten areas of the Christian life that are rarely addressed today. They are areas that I’ve faced in my own struggle to follow Jesus. The book is really a conversation. Some of the questions the book raises and explores are:

*How do you handle the times when God doesn’t meet your expectations and seems to neglect fulfilling His own promises?

*How do you cope with not feeling or sensing God’s presence (even at times when others do), and what does that mean exactly? And what does it not mean?

*What is the experience of “the dark night” in the Christian’s life and why does it happen? (This is greater than a dry spell. It’s when God seems to completely walk off the stage of your life.)

*How do you deal with people who are always saying “The Lord told me”? Or “Let me pray about it” – which for them is Christian code language for “no”?

*Why is it that so many Christians argue over their views of God and the Bible, when in reality they agree more than they assume. They are just using different styles of communication to describe the same things? (Some of the recent discussions over hell is largely – though not completely – due to differing conversational styles.)

*Why do so many mentors turn on the people they are mentoring, and how does one deal with that? And if you are or will one day mentor others, how can you avoid falling into this trap?

*What is a legalist? What is a libertine? And what’s the difference between legalism and submitting to Jesus’ Lordship? What’s the difference between license and liberty in the Christian walk?

*What do the resurrection appearances of Jesus showing up and then vanishing teach us about how the Lord interacts with us today?

*What does it mean to be captured by the same spirit you oppose, and how can we avoid it?

*How should we evaluate the Charismatic movement and its strong emphasis on spiritual gifts, power, and miracles? What things can we take away from the movement that’s helpful and separate them from what’s not so helpful?

*How can two groups that don’t believe the same about spiritual gifts come together and meet as one local church? What must happen for this impossible venture to take place?

*Where did “What Would Jesus Do?” come from, is it biblical, and does it work in real life?

Jen: You reference the need for regular evaluation and re-evaluation of our ‘script’ (pg. 10 of Revise Us Again). What does this look like for you personally? What are some warning signs that re-evaluation is needed?

Frank: I’ll give one example (there are others in the book).

As a young believer, I was taught that God is obligated to fulfill His promises in His Word. He is bound by them. As I grew in my walk with the Lord, I encountered events in my own life (and in the lives of other Christians) where God didn’t seem to be faithful to His Word.

I’ve had good friends–very devout Christians–who weren’t healed. Some of them passed away as the result of sickness. In those situations, the Lord’s grace didn’t seem to be sufficient.

During those times, I met a God who refused to meet my expectations. I met a God who didn’t seem to fulfill His own promises.

All Christians will someday meet this aspect of the Lord if they haven’t already. And simply saying that the person in question just didn’t have enough faith is often a cop-out. Doubt can certainly throw an obstacle in the way of God’s movement in a person’s life (the NT gives many examples of this). But in the cases I am referencing, I believe faith was present.

Through the years, I’ve watched many believers fall away from the Lord when they met this aspect of God. Their attitude was, “I tried Jesus, but it just doesn’t work.” Or “God isn’t good after all.” Or “ever since I’ve been a Christian, I’ve missed great opportunities, and my life has gotten worse. Following Jesus isn’t worth it.”

So instead of grabbing overly-simplistic answers to explain the complexity and mystery of God’s working, I had to “revise” my theology.

As a result, I learned about the deeper ways of God in the area of suffering, testing, and walking through fire. I discovered the meaning of “My grace is sufficient” even when all human reason screamed that it was not.

In short, I met the God of Resurrection. A God who takes away that He might establish. A God whose ways are higher and deeper than my own. This is the God that the Scriptures reveal to us. So it seems to me anyway.

Jen: You describe the three forms of God’s voice as Torah-speaking, prophetic-speaking and wisdom-speaking (pg. 20 of Revise Us Again). Similarly you described three spiritual conversation styles: Quoter, Charismatic and Pragmatic (pgs. 46-54 of Revise Us Again). These descriptions line up exactly with the three spiritual emphases we have identified (and are working to merge) of goodness (wisdom-speaking, pragmatic), truth (Torah-speaking, quoter) and beauty (prophetic-speaking, Charismatic). What do you believe caused the development and division between the three strands? How can we work to weave them together both personally and in the Church? 

Frank: Part of the cause, I believe, is in allowing the human soul to be divided up and govern the things of the Spirit. Many students of the Bible have discovered that there are three basic parts of the human soul: mind, will, and emotion.

Emoters gravitate toward a certain form of Christianity (the Pentecostals are an example). Intellectuals gravitate toward another (the Anglicans are an example). And those who live in the will are drawn to another (the Baptists are an example).

So in the body of Christ, there are feelers, thinkers, and doers. Every Christian denomination tilts hard toward one of these. Christian movements and Christian youth-oriented organizations tend to combine two of them (typically, mind and will or emotion and will).

These three parts of the soul also account for the communication styles that Christians are inclined to unconsciously use when discussing spiritual and theological things.

I observe a lot of spiritual/theological conversations on Facebook, blogs, and forums. And I’m always amazed that much of the disagreements are not really rooted in substantive differences, but in the varying conversational styles that the participants are unconsciously using. (I explore the matter of spiritual conversation styles in one of the chapters in the book.)

In Jesus, we can see all three aspects coming together and being governed by the Holy Spirit. The same is supposed to be true in the local assembly as I try to demonstrate in the book.

In sum, I believe we need the feelers, thinkers, and doers all working together, giving and receiving from each other, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and govern. Today, they tend to segregate from each other and form their own isolated camps.

Click here to read Part 2.

When I was a young Christian in my late teens, I was “rebuke-happy.” I had no problem confronting and correcting the faults of others. The people I looked up to modeled this to me, and I benightedly followed their example.

I knew the Scriptures well; so I was cocked and loaded for bear with my Bible verses in hand. Some of my favorite texts at the time were those in Proverbs that say wise people love reproof and fools hate it (Proverbs 9:8; 12:1; 13:1, etc.)

As I grew in the Lord, I came to some painful discoveries. One of them was that I had no idea how to correct another believer in the spirit of Jesus Christ. And I did more damage than good with my “corrections.”

Another was that God didn’t want me correcting everyone else, even when I spotted faults and flaws in others (which, by the way, is no great gift or something to boast about).

Adjusting the behavior of my brothers and sisters in Christ wasn’t my job or duty. And I needed to pay more attention to my own spiritual walk than that of others (James 4:11).

(In my early years as a believer, I was part of a Christian tradition that was trigger-happy to straighten everyone else out. It was bad teaching that bred legalism and self-righteousness. And I was guilty of embracing it.)

Still another lesson I learned was that in those times when the Lord actually wanted me to correct another person, if I didn’t deliver that correction in Christ, I would end up losing a friend.

An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars (Proverbs 18:19).

I wish back then that someone taught me what correction looks like when done in Christ.

Hence this post.

While this article is by no means an exhaustive treatment of the subject (it’s a blog post, not a book), here are 14 things that I learned about correcting another child of God.

Note that I’m not talking about reviewing someone’s writings or analyzing their teaching. Though this too should always been done in a spirit of grace and first offered to the authors in question directly and privately before publishing a critique publicly. Intellectual integrity demands this to ensure that misrepresentations aren’t published and spread.

In this post, I’m rather focusing my attention narrowly on correcting a person’s flaws or actions. Here are 14 things to consider before you correct another Christian:

1. Never base your correction on second hand information. That is, what a person allegedly said or did. Always go to the person you are concerned about directly. Hearing one side of a story is a horrible basis upon which to correct someone. I’ve been guilty of this in the past.

2. Just because you see someone else’s faults doesn’t give you the right to point them out and correct them. The ability to spot the flaws of others is no gift. If you begin riding that horse hard, your card will eventually be pulled. Fault-finding is something that Scripture condemns (Jude 1:16).

3. There have been many Christians damaged because someone corrected them in a way that was contrary to Jesus Christ.

4. If you correct someone outside of grace, you will surely lose their friendship (Proverbs 18:19).

5. Your spiritual instincts will lead you on how to deal with an offense. One way is to bear the cross, be wronged, and forebear (Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:2; 1 Corinthians 6:7; Matthew 5:39). Another is to talk to the person privately and correct them in a spirit of meekness (Galatians 6:1; Matthew 18:16). Still another is to find a mediator to help you resolve the conflict (1 Corinthians 6:1-6)

6. Sometimes Christians correct others when they shouldn’t; other times they let serious problems go unchecked without bringing needed correction. Both mistakes can end up destroying others (1 Corinthians 5:1ff). For instance, if someone is hurting, oppressing, harassing, or misrepresenting another person(s), ignoring it is virtually always wrong.

7. If your brother or sister is doing something that just makes you feel uncomfortable (instead of actually hurting you or someone else), then you should think thrice about correcting them.

8. When correcting someone, go to them privately as Jesus taught us to do . . . “between you and him/her alone” (Matthew 18:15). This fulfills what Jesus taught us in Matthew 7:12. “Treat others the same way you want to be treated if you were standing in their shoes.” Going to others (beyond the person you are correcting) about the problem is only warranted if the person has rejected the correction and keeps on sinning (Matthew 18:16ff.) Or if they are sinning against others in public way. For instance, if someone is misrepresenting another person in a public forum, then the person who is spreading the misinformation should be corrected in that public forum.

9. Ask yourself these questions before you correct another believer:

Is it my place to correct this person? Do I have a personal relationship with them? Or am I being a busybody in another person’s affairs? (1 Peter 4:15; 1 Timothy 5:13).

Have I forborne this problem for a long time? Has longsuffering and patience run its course?

Am I reacting out of pride, anger, or some other dark motive?

Have I agonized before the Lord, asking Him to remove the dark parts out of me before I talk to my sister or brother?

Has the spirit of self-righteousness and cruelty been extracted from my heart?

Have I prayed for this person, asking God to correct them Himself?

Have I gone to the cross before I pulled the trigger of correction?

And perhaps the most important of all: How would I want to be corrected if it were me who needed the correction?

If you cannot answer these questions with a “yes,” then you’re not yet qualified to correct your brother or sister.

10. Be keenly aware that you are just as fallen and deserving of judgment as the person you are correcting. The sin of self-righteousness is the result of regarding some sins (that of others) as being more serious than other sins (those of our own). Jesus equated anger with murder and lust with adultery (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28), and James said that if you break one point of the Law you’re guilty of breaking every Law (James 2:10). That puts all of us on the same needy level. Be careful not to fall into what Philip Yancey painfully observed: “Christians get very angry toward other Christians who sin differently than they do.”

11. If you aren’t broken by the cross of Jesus Christ, the Bible can be an instrument of death in your hands. “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life,” said Paul. Wielding the Bible with unbroken flesh is a dangerous thing.

12. If your correction of your brother or sister hurts them more than it hurts you, you probably haven’t corrected in Christ.

13. If you do not correct someone in gentleness and utter humility, there’s an excellent chance that you will fall into the same temptation or worse. Many years ago, I remember reading a book by Watchman Nee where he said that in his experience, anytime a believer corrected another believer with a judgmental self-righteous attitude, that same believer who did the correcting later fell into something equally serious or worse. Paul said so much (1 Corinthians 10:12; Galatians 6:1), and I’ve watched it myself over the years.

14. In everything, be swift to hear the whole matter, slow to speak, slow to draw a conclusion, and slow to anger (James 1:19; Proverbs 18:13).

Again, an entire book can be written on this subject. These are just some lessons I’ve learned over the years. And I hope they encourage you.

May we as God’s people take higher ground when it comes to correcting the faults of our brothers and sisters in Christ.