A HOLINESS VOCABULARY

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified . . .

1 Thessalonians 4:3

Do we need a new vocabulary for teaching holiness?  This is what I’ve been hearing for the past few years when the topic of holiness comes up.  God has a great many things to say about holiness throughout scripture. He says four times in Leviticus (11:44,45; 19:2; 20:7), “Be holy, for I am holy.”  The Apostle Peter quotes the Leviticus passages and adds, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15,16).  The Apostle Paul makes it clear that this was God’s plan from the very beginning when he writes “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight . . . to the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:4,6).  And Peter again proclaims the privilege of God’s people of faith.  We “may participate in the divine nature” (2 Peter 2:4) which we understand is holy love.  Holiness “to the praise of God’s glory” (Eph. 1:14) is the “not-so-new” normal throughout scripture. 

We understand holiness to be a major, underlying theme throughout the Scriptures.  William Francis, in his essay “Being Like God . . . Holy,” states “The Hebrew word for holy (qadesh) and its derivatives is used more than 700 times in the Old Testament.”  Its importance to the Christian life is easily notable throughout the life and teachings of Jesus, the New Testament writings of Paul, Peter, James, John, the author of the book of Hebrews, and the patristic literature of the early church fathers.  The history and biblical vocabulary of holiness is long and established as inspired and gifted by God.  But, nevertheless, there is the concern that the language of holiness is out-of-date and ineffective in communicating the idea of holiness to present and future generations.

I am strongly inclined to respond with a sophisticated theological expression: “Baloney!”  The idea of an established vocabulary being outdated is largely bogus.  The problem is not with the long established vocabulary, but with our benign neglect of teaching holiness using the words, concepts, and ideas that the use of Scripture and historical writings occasion.  If we look to other areas of knowledge and understanding, we find a richness of vocabulary with long histories of practical value.  These include medicine, engineering, architecture, information technology, literature, philosophy, business, economics, psychology, and so on.  No one says, “the vocabulary of medicine, or economics, or engineering is outdated. Let’s make-up a new one.”  I concede that each area of learning increases in new words and concepts as understanding and discovery progresses, but that takes place on a preexistent foundation of learning. 

There is a deeper problem.  In his letter to the Ephesians (3:18), in talking about the magnitude (high, wide, long, deep) of God’s love, the Apostle Paul, in reference to love, suggests that there is “knowledge that surpasses knowledge.”  It is not a cognitive knowledge of mere intellect.  Rather, it is the deep knowledge of the heart. Whether a new or old vocabulary were used in the teaching of holiness, the failure of discipleship would be the same if it did not convey a personal understanding of holiness as a knowledge that surpasses knowledge, an experiential knowledge of the heart communicated beyond a particular vocabulary.  The essence of holiness is the essence of God, pure love.  It must be taught with a pure heart and as early as possible in a child’s life.  That topic is worthy of follow-up postings. 

Do we need a new vocabulary? I’d be grateful to hear what you think!

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

1 Thessalonians 4:7

HINDSIGHT & HEALING: HE MAKES THE LAME TO WALK AGAIN

Hindsight & Healing

God is the giver of good gifts.  This Christmas I am thanking God for the gifts of hindsight and healing.  Hindsight is a great gift. It informs giving thanks when we remember how God is faithful.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth (2 Cor. 9:8), "God is abel to make all grace abound toward you . . ." The verse goes well with a song sung years ago and reminds me of God’s ability to do remarkable things beyond belief.  The song goes like this:

He’s able. He’s able. I know he’s able.

I know my Lord is able to carry me through.

(Repeat)

He heals the broken hearted, and sets the captives free.

He makes the lame to walk again, and causes the blind to see.

He’s able. He able. I know he’s able.

I know my Lord is able to carry me through.

On June 30 of 2013, I officially stepped down from the privileged post of President of Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia (Canada).  At the time, my health was a train wreck.  It had been deteriorating over the previous two years. The  likelihood was continuing decline.  With the job laid down, Irene and I moved back to the United States and took up residence in Wilmore, Kentucky.  We were then in striking distance to some of the best medical care in the states in nearby Lexington.  My new rheumatologist’s diagnosis of my condition was bleak: “stage four, severe RA, rheumatoid arthritis.”  Great pain accompanied getting out of chairs, buttoning my shirt, working zippers, going up or down even two or three steps at a time, getting out of the car, and even the simplest duties of personal hygiene.  My diet had totally changed to the complete avoidance of any foods that inflamed my body.  Severe pain all the time in every joint was the norm.  Yet, God was faithful.  The pain was a reminder of the pain our Lord when through.  It brought me closer to Christ.

Gluten & Cow Dairy

It’s been two and one half years since and I see clearly God’s faithfulness.  Several things happened along my five year journey from the time in early 2011 when I thought something was seriously wrong.  First, while still in Canada, Irene introduced me to excellent naturopathic physicians who tested me for food sensitivities.  I am allergic to gluten (especially wheat products)and cow dairy (cows milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt).  They rev-up my inflammation like a pottery kiln. Over the years my wife has been amazing at shifting our food selections and diets, finding recipe alternatives, managing the quality of our intake, and avoiding foods that inflame my RA.  This continues today.

Secondly, I was blessed to find an excellent rheumatologist at the Lexington Clinic whose care has been remarkably helpful, actually transformational.  It’s been a gradual process of prescribing integrated amounts of three types of medication (one daily, one weekly, and an IV infusion once every eight weeks).  This combination of meds looks like the path I’ll be on to for the foreseeable future.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, two good friends from my college days, in their lives as pastors, have blessed many with their healing ministries.  Soon after moving to Wilmore, they took an interest in my condition and were willing to lay their hands on me and pray for my healing (one with anointing of oil).

The way I see it, God is faithful.  He engaged four key people as human agency, means of grace, in the improvement of my health.  Today, I am almost completely without pain, only a tweak now and then.  I am totally mobile, no longer crippled.  I am functioning normally, something I thought would never be possible again.  God sometimes heals through a multivariate equation, in my case a combination of the food consumed, medical care received, and the prayers of petition for healing by good friends.  Upon reflection God is faithful.  Now, looking back, this scripture has even greater meaning:

Now unto him who is able to do immeasurably more

than we ask or imagine . . . to him be GLORY!

Ephesians 3:20 & 21