Object of our affections — the idolatrous Church

We live in an age full of distractions. All one must do to be convinced of this is to turn on a TV, flip the lid on a laptop, get a job, a family, or even start a casual conversation with a neighbor. Obviously none of these things are inherently “sinful” — and yet, if we step back and assume a third-person view of our lives, how many of us will be able to say that these things are not often of a higher priority to us than our God and Savior? In a practical sense, we’re far more fascinated by our friend’s new Xbox 360, or who our prospective spouse will be, or which politician will win that high-profile government position than we are by our relationship with Christ. We live our lives professing Christ as the object of our joy and affections, all the while ignoring Him in favor of the latest gadgetry or that “hot” celebrity who was on the cover of the latest issue of “Epicurean” magazine.

The Church has become obsessed with comfort and entertainment. Our idea of what a congregational Church meeting should be often has more in common with a coffee house and a motivational speaker than with an assembly of believers. Long gone are the days when Christians would spend hour after hour simply reading the Word, worshipping, and praying. Long gone are the days where Christians understood what it means to be a “citizen of Heaven” (Php 3:20), to be “aliens” or “sojourners” here on earth (1Pe 2:11). Instead, we are more rightly called “Sunday Christians,” and little worldlings the remaining six days of the week.

By our lives we affirm the message of Hosea (if you are not familiar with Hosea, I would certainly recommend you take the time to read it); that God will save men and women who have committed themselves to spiritual  whoredom — seeking joy from the things of the world when it is their Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, who should be the object of their deepest affections and the source of their greatest joy. Our reaction to this should be one of sorrow — but even greater than sorrow, we should be overjoyed by God’s overwhelming grace: that He would send His Son to die upon the cross, paying the consequences of our sins, and seek us out for salvation so we may spend eternity in fellowship with God as His adopted sons! The mere fact that we are so easily consumed by the things of the world, despite God’s work of redemption (which is far more costly than any man could ever comprehend) is a testament to the extreme depth of our depravity!

We, as Christians, need to turn back to Christ and away from the things of the world (for indeed, one cannot be both of the world and of Christ). We need to reemphasize our personal and intimate relationship with our Savior — and recognize that it is the single greatest blessing we will ever receive. Finally, out of our love for our Savior (which should be unparalleled in our lives), we need to set ourselves about His business: preaching the Gospel to the lost (Matt. 28:19), caring for those in need (Matt. 25), building up our brothers and sisters in Christ (Eph. 4:29).

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Earlier yesterday I heard a song by David Webb called “Wedding Dress,” I think it captures much of what I wrote above extremely well. Ironically, the song also caused much controversy amongst Christians for its use of “strong” language. One must wonder if those who objected to the song even read their Bibles, as the message itself is entirely Biblical, and even tame compared to some of the language and themes contained in the Word itself. This is another dangerous trend amongst Christians — watering down parts the Word because they’re “culturally” offensive or “crude.”

Wedding Dress by Derek Webb

If you could love me as a wife
and for my wedding gift, your life
Should that be all I’ll ever need
or is there more I’m looking for

and should I read between the lines
and look for blessings in disguise
To make me handsome, rich, and wise
Is that really what you want

Because I am a whore I do confess
I put you on just like a wedding dress
and I run down the aisle
I run down the aisle
I’m a prodigal with no way home
I put you on just like a ring of gold
and I run down the aisle
run down the aisle … to you

So could you love this bastard child
Though I don’t trust you to provide
With one hand in a pot of gold
and with the other in your side

Because I am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers so less wild
That I would take a little cash
Over your very flesh and blood

Because I am a whore I do confess
I put you on just like a wedding dress
and I… run down the aisle
I run down the aisle
Well I’m a prodigal with no way home
And I put you on just like a ring of gold
and I run down the aisle
I run down the aisle to you

Because money cannot buy
a husband’s jealous eye
When you have knowingly deceived his wife

So I am a whore I do confess
I put you on just like a wedding dress
and I… run down the aisle
I run down the aisle
Well I’m a prodigal with no way home
I put you on just like a ring of gold
and I… run down the aisle
I run down the aisle

Well I am a whore I do confess
I put you on just like a wedding dress
and I… run down the aisle
I run down the aisle
Well I’m a prodigal with no way home
I put you on just like a ring of gold
and I… run down the aisle
run down the aisle… to you

2nd Century Christians

I stumbled upon this while reading some early Church documents. I found it quite fascinating to read an account from a Christian of the 2nd Century on what Christians of the time were like.

The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus.

Chapter V.—The manners of the Christians.

For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking (Literally, “paradoxical.”) method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. (Literally, “cast away fœtuses.”) They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. (Comp. 2 Cor. x. 3.) They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. (Comp. Phil. iii. 20.) They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. (Comp. 2 Cor. vi. 9.) They are poor, yet make many rich; (Comp. 2 Cor. vi. 10.) they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; (Comp. 2 Cor. iv. 12.) they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.

Chapter VI.—The relation of Christians to the world.

To sum up all in one word— what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world. (John xvii. 11, 14, 16.) The invisible soul is guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known indeed to be in the world, but their godliness remains invisible. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it, (Comp. 1 Pet. ii. 11.) though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves (Literally, “keeps together.”) that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preservers (Literally, “keeps together.”) of the world. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies], looking for an incorruptible dwelling (Literally, “incorruption.”) in the heavens. The soul, when but ill-provided with food and drink, becomes better; in like manner, the Christians, though subjected day by day to punishment, increase the more in number. (Or, “though punished, increase in number daily.”) God has assigned them this illustrious position, which it were unlawful for them to forsake.

–  From The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, Philip Schaff (available online at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.iii.ii.v.htm).

As an end note, I’m of the personal opinion that every Christian should acquaint themselves with the writings of the early Church — though any such study should be done with extreme caution. Remember, early Church writings give us a good historical background for the Scriptures, but they do not in any way equal God’s word. In fact, some very notable early Church leaders ultimately began to espouse heresy — Tertullian, for example, who became a believer in Montanism. That said, lets hear your thoughts!

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At the moment my only plan for this blog is to use it as a point of intellectual output (read as: “something to avoid boredom”). So don’t expect any fancy posting schedules or rigorous adherence to a specific topic; if it crosses my mind, and I feel like sharing with the world, it’ll be here.