Charismatic vs. Reformed vs. Do-gooders

I've been thinking about this recently. There seem to be three main pieces to one's relationship with God: The knowledge/intellectual piece, the desire/feeling piece, and the action/works piece.  I'm sure there are many other ways to think about these things but this makes a lot of sense to me.

Different people connect with God in different ways. While every believer ought to have some knowledge, some desire, and some action, it seems that each of us naturally lean towards one of these areas more than the others. Some of us find that we come most alive to God's presence and glory by learning about theology and the Bible. Others of us come most alive to God through engaging our desires in prayer, meditation, singing, and other devotional practices. Still others connect with God most by doing good works and serving others.

It is helpful to recognize that each of these areas are given a high value in scripture. Regarding knowledge: "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3) and, "May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" (2 Peter 1:2). Regarding the desire/emotional piece, "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you" (Ps. 63:1), and "Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!" (Ps. 96:1). Lastly, James shows the necessity of works by saying, "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (2:17).

What I have noticed in myself and others is that the area that we naturally lean towards is probably where we are also most likely to make an idol. It's easy for me to make an idol of gaining and possessing knowledge of God. Others will be prone to idolatry by always looking for an emotional connection with God or by trusting in their good works to make them right before God.  

What is interesting is that Paul has strong words for each of these positions in his chapter on love (1 Corinthians 13). To those seeking emotional experiences, he says, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." To those prone to idolize knowledge, he says, "And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."  And to those whose religion is merely good works, he says, "If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."

So what's the takeaway? God has made each of us unique. The way we best connect with God won't necessarily be the same way someone else best connects with God. The charismatic (often desire/feeling type) is prone to judge the reformed person (often knowledge/intellectual type) as all head and no heart. The reformed person is prone to judge the charismatic as pursuing emotional highs and forsaking wisdom and knowledge. The works/action type is prone to puff up themself as doing more practical good then both the others. And the cycle of judgment and mistrust continues, dividing Christians from one another.

We must remember Paul's warning that no matter how great our spiritual gifting is, if we are without love for God and for one another, we are nothing! Knowledge is good, desire is good, and works are good. But love is best. Pursue the former things with passion but be most concerned not to lose sight of love. 

Why Jesus?

Why Jesus?  What difference does Jesus make?  You can't get away from the centrality of Jesus in the Bible.  I have been studying 1 John recently and while the author discusses many subjects, he never strays from the centrality and significance of Jesus.  

He opens the letter with a prolonged appeal for the historical, physical reality of Jesus.  We have “heard...seen with our eyes...looked upon...touched with our hands."  John has eyewitness testimony that Jesus really lived and walked on the earth.  Yet John also argues that Jesus is more than just an extraordinary person: He was "from the beginning."  He is the "word of life."  He is the Christ, God's anointed one.   Jesus is God incarnate, God among us. 

What does this have to do with us?  How is Jesus relevant to our lives in the 21st century?  As I discussed in a recent post, everybody worships something.  We are worshipers by nature.  In a similar way, I believe that everybody looks to something for salvation, something to justify themselves and make them acceptable to God (even if the God they look to isn't a real god). 

The Bible is clear that salvation is found through Jesus alone.  He is the "way, the truth, and the life."  We can't get to God apart from Jesus.  This is the exclusivity of Christianity.  Christianity is both inclusive and exclusive.  It is inclusive because all are invited, all are welcome.  It is exclusive because there is one way to God and salvation-Jesus Christ.  

We look for salvation and rightness with God in many other ways: religion (what I do for God), morality ("I'm better than you so I must be good enough for God"), spirituality ("I'm in touch with the spiritual world and that's all that matters"), hedonism ("God just wants us to have a good time on earth so I must be in his will"), etc.  But God has provided one way to a right relationship with Himself.  It's not through anything we do but through what Jesus has done.  

He lived the perfect life that we should have lived.  He died the death that we deserved to die.  He rose from the dead and conquered death once for all.  He defeated all the powers of the the devil and darkness.  The life of Jesus as a historical reality makes all the difference in the world.  By faith and trust in Him we have peace with our God and Maker and freedom from guilt and shame.  

We all need salvation.  We all look for salvation in some way.  God provided Jesus to meet our greatest need and our greatest desire.