Canaan's Rest

Arron Renn  on his blog site, featured an article entitled “Christian Buddhism” by Dr. John Seel.   The opening sentence got my attention.  “A number of home grown features of today’s American evangelicalism echo Buddhist themes.”  We live in a mix and match world, where religious seekers are described as “Remixed.”  In Seel’s view there are Buddhist-like tendencies in conservative orthodox evangelical Christian circles due to a “low grade of biblical literacy” that leads “to an impotent faith that has little relevance in the real world of day-to-day existence.”  

There is a wide acceptance of a truncated gospel, that views the gospel as narrowly judicial and gnostic.  Forensic justification as a divine verdict of acquittal pronounced on the believing sinner, can make the cross the telos of Jesus’ redemptive purpose.  This view has been called the “two-chapter gospel” (fall + redemption) or the “gospel of sin management.”  But Dallas Willard and N. T Wright favor a kingdom-oriented gospel or a “four-chapter gospel” (creation +fall +redemption + restoration).  

The telos of the gospel is not merely dealing with the forensic guilt of sin but inaugurating a new kind of resurrection life within the believer.  The failure to appreciate a holistic understanding of the gospel is a “foundation flaw” of Christians today. Willard notes,  “The final hope of Christian is not simply ‘going to heaven,’ but resurrection into God’s new creation, the ‘new heaven and new earth.'” In other words, the gospel is not about getting you into heaven, but to get heaven into you via the indwelling presence of Christ through his Holy Spirit. 

An alternative spiritual story differs in three ways.  First, the story begins here, right now.  Willard maintains, “The gospel is the good news of the presence and availability of life in the kingdom, now and forever, through the reliance on Jesus the Anointed. ” Secondly, eternal life is an intimate interactive relationship with Jesus in daily life.  Thirdly, “the gospel is about making this invisible spiritual connection visible in our bodies and transformative in our world now.” Wright summarizes  this view by saying, “the work of salvation, in its full sense, is 1) about whole human beings, not merely souls, 2)about the present, not simply the future; and 3) about what God does through us, not merely what God does in and for us.”    

Seel sees the influence of Eastern religious perspective in three ways.  First, the aim is to connect with the divine spark within which is intrinsic to your being.  This brings about a sacralized autonomy or a spiritualized self-centeredness.  Secondly, this connection is invisible, immaterial, and impersonal. Rather than connecting to a person, we are connecting to a cosmic energy.  Thirdly, these connections do nothing to challenge  the autonomy of self.  These connections are all Gnostic in spirit.  

“But on closer examination, the promise of the gospel requires repenting of your self-centered life orientation, placing yourself before a personal and moral Creator, acknowledging your sin, and then through accepting the grace of the cross connecting to an indwelling incarnate presence of God within that becomes the presence, purpose and power of your life.”  The great tradition of  Christianity tells a much different and better story.  

My testimony – I daily cry out for discernment to have a clear understanding of my walk with Jesus.  I am not a Christian Buddhist.  Why!! 1) I confess I am a beloved sinner,  loved by God is my stink.  He saved me.  2) God lives within me.  I have joined the dance of the Trinity.  4)  I now live in the presence of the kingdom,  and 5) It is God who works in and through me, not myself.  All honor and glory go to Him.

In the book of Malachi, God, warns of religious worship actually being contemptuous of God, by offering defiled sacrifices in worship.   God accuses his people of despising him with their “shoddy, sloppy, defiling worship” (Mal 1:7 -Message).  “The altar of God is not important anymore; worship of God is no longer a priority ……And when you offer worthless animals for sacrifices in worship, animals that you’re trying to get rid of – the blind and sick and crippled animals – isn’t that defiling” (Mal. 1:8 – Message).  

God  exhorts them, “Get on your knees and pray that I will be gracious to you.  Your priests have gotten everyone in trouble.  With this kind of conduct, do you think I’ll pay attention to you” ( Mal 1:9).  God reminds them that all over the world He is honored and worshipped.  He, however, tells them, “All except you.  Instead of honoring me, you profane me.  You profane me when you say, ‘Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,’ and when you say, ‘I’m bored – this doesn’t do anything for me.’….And when you do offer something to me, it’s a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless.  Do you think I’m going to accept it?” (Mal 1:12-13 – Message).

Then God expresses how serious he view shoddy, sloppy and defiling worship.  ” A curse on the person who makes a big show of doing something great for me – an expensive sacrifice, say – and then at the last minute brings in something puny and worthless!  I’m a great king, God-of-the Angel-Armies, honored far and wide, and I’ll not put up with it” (Mal. 1:14 – Message). 

I am convicted of how quiet I have been regarding the profane manner God is treated in our culture. As nation we have lost our way.  Our worship of God does not reflect an awe of an holy and almighty God.  Our worship is “shoddy, sloppy and defiling.” By dishonoring God with our indifference,  judgment can already be discerned by the faithful “watchmen” looking into the future.  Malachi’s prophecy is warning us, “Count on it: The day is coming, raging like a forest fire” Mal. 4:1 – Message).  “All the arrogant people who do evil things, will be burned up, like stove wood, burned to a crip, nothing left but scorching earth and ash – a black day” (Mal 4:2-3).  

But for those, whose worship is whole hearted and sincere it will be like a sunrise.  “The sun of righteousness will dawn on those who honor my name, healing radiating from its wings.  You will be bursting with energy, like colts, frisky and frolicking.  And you’ll tromp on the wicked. They’ll be nothing but ashes under your feet on that Day” (Mal. 4:2-3 – Message). 

Writing this blog on Malachi’s prophecy has convicted me.  I want to publicly make a commitment.  First, I will not be silent.  I will quietly, yet confidently warn those in my sphere of influence that God’s judgment is coming on a nation that profanes Him.  Secondly, I will make my warning as simply as this:  Jesus is Lord and King of all history – He has already won the battle – His kingdom is here – We have a choice to make – Make him Lord or suffer the consequences.  

Since I am in the fourth quarter of my life here on earth,  thirdly, I will “not be ashamed of the of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).  Only Jesus can save us from ourselves and fourthly, I am willing to count the cost of following Jesus. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).