Category Archives: Theology

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Which God Are We Worshipping?

Exploring the perfections of God is a wonderful way to express worship to God. After all, if we do not know the God who has revealed Himself to us…then which God are we worshipping? One of my favorite attributes is God’s self-existence. It blows the mind to think about…but is also an amazing source of comfort and confidence.

“God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I Am has sent me to you.”—Ex. 3:14.

“For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have in himself.”—John 5:26

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breadth and everything else.”—Acts 17:24-25

“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, … all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”—Col. 1:16-17

“God doesn’t just happen to exist, as if by accident. Rather God exists by a necessity of His own nature; it is impossible for Him not to exist. Moreover, God does not depend upon any other being for His existence. God alone is self-existent, and everything else depends on Him.”—William Lane Craig

God is…period. And that is a glorious truth.

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Why the Church Needs Artists and Artists Need the Church

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Recently I came across a great post by my friend John Stonestreet at Breakpoint talking about the leading edge in cultural formation–the arts. It also talked about how churches can discourage Christians who are artists in their church (BTW – that is not a good thing).

Here is a partial (but very helpful) list:

First, they said, treat the arts as window dressing for the truth rather than the window into reality it’s intended to be. Second, embrace bad art just because it’s “Christian.” Third, value artists only for their artistic gifts, but not for the other contributions they can make as thinkers and servants with a unique perspective. Fourth, demand that artists only give answers in their work, but never raise questions. Fifth, never pay artists for their work—take advantage of them in ways we would never do with plumbers or accountants. And finally, only validate art that has a direct salvation application.

But equally important is for artists to learn that the goal of art (if Christianty is true) is not merely self-expression. Its about paraphrasing Reality.

Artist Makoto Fujimura argues that for the Christian, art must be more than self-expression. It must be communication, because as Christians we deal with objective reality. As one of my mentors once said, art’s job is primarily to “paraphrase reality.” I like that. We can present beauty without being trivial, evil without being gratuitous, and redemption without being hokey.

And the Christian artist is a communicator also because God created through communication—through His spoken word. The creative individual made in the image of the ultimate communicator must be one who communicates as well. Not just what we feel, but what is true and real. Art’s job is to paraphrase Reality. Now this doesn’t mean Christian art must be preachy or obvious, but it should make us think more deeply and better about life and the world.

Living out the Christian worldview means caring about ideas and the imagination. Its a both / and not an either / or.

Read the rest of the excellent commentary at Breakpoint

Read the article by Philip Ryken on the Arts

I also address the arts and the Christian worldview in my latest book.

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John Stott On Our Sufferings In Light Of The Cross of Christ

I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. … In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world. But each time after a while I have to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in Godforsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in light of his.