Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The danger of being right

Christianity is one of those things you just can’t be wrong about. In fact it is unlike anything else in that it has eternal consequences with no “do-overs” for being wrong. There is nothing more dangerous that being wrong about Christianity.

A distant second but a real danger nevertheless is being right. Why is being right dangerous? I like being right and I pretty much always assume that I am. I spend a lot of time thinking and writing about topics where I put forth a position held by someone else and then tell you why they are wrong. But as Alan Knox (beating me to the punch!) wrote, being “right” is not ministry:

So, we get distracted by these kinds of arguments (eschatology, soteriology, and, yes, even ecclesiology) and we call our distractions “ministry.” Meanwhile, real ministry (serving other people) never gets done… or rarely gets done. But we think we’re doing good things… all the while we’re distracted from the things that God has called us to do.

The foundation of this problem is that we’ve been distracted by rightness. There’s a misconception that our goal is being right and that we should always point out where (we think) other people are wrong. Of course, this is normally true when it comes to the gospel, but (especially since the Reformation) Christians have begun to separate over, demand allegiance to, and defend all kinds of teachings and doctrines that are not related to the gospel.


I think that captures exactly what I was talking about. For example, I think it is wrong to baptize infants and in some ways I think it is dangerous to baptize someone and raise them thinking that they are part of the church because of that. Having said that, me arguing and even proving my position regarding baptism is not ministry. Instead of staking my claims about baptism, I ought to be taking the Gospel to people and watching God work in their lives to regenerate their hearts. I would go so far as to say that in much of the church, arguments about who is right on a matter of doctrine takes up so much time and effort that our desire to be right interferes with carrying out the very doctrines we are talking about.

I love having deep conversations about theology but I and many others need to remember that talking about the Gospel is not the same thing as proclaming the Gospel.

5 comments:

Les said...

[Having said that, me arguing and even proving my position regarding baptism is not ministry. Instead of staking my claims about baptism, I ought to be taking the Gospel to people and watching God work in their lives to regenerate their hearts.]

I really resonate with this statement. As you know, I have been one in the past who argued, often fiercely, for my views on baptism. For some reason I thought that God had called me to win everyone else over to my view. I'm in a PCA church, so that tells you where my view is.

But sometime last year I came to see more and more how unfruitful all those blog arguments really were. Our views on the mode and even the timing of baptism are not the gospel (assuming we all agree that baptismal regeneration is definitely heretical).

And also as you know, I'm involved partnering with a Baptist brother in helping him build a building for their Baptist congregation.

None of this is to at all pat myself on the back. Far from it. It demonstrates just how skewed my practice was and that by God's grace I'm moving in a better direction.

Bethany W. said...

These are good thoughts from both you and Alan. Thanks for sharing.

But, just so you know - I am always right. Just ask my husband ; )

Bethany

Tim A said...

"being “right” is not ministry"

Now that is a bazaar statement. Knowing and living the truth is essential to sharing the truth. It's all ministry. The key dynamic of eldering is living or setting an example of the truth or what is right.
1 Peter 5:3,4
3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

In my opinion the main problem is many people think they are right but have not examined what they have been told to see if it is true. The Berean dynamic is a huge cure for second hand faith that is often wrong while claiming to be right.
Acts 17:11
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Believers have systematized taking in what they are told by their local expert and doing no homework to see if it's true. Paul assures us that if we do this homework, we will have a "more noble" faith.

God is after saints who are right and righteous. He is looking for a bride with no spots or wrinkles. We should be working that direction. That is all ministry. Satan gets the saints off track with subtle twists or ignoring of the truth.

If saints have an unexamined, second-hand faith, I don't want them giving out the gospel. They will harden the soil for others to have to dig up again. Let them be distracted until they are willing to be noble about their faith.

Tim A said...

"I would go so far as to say that in much of the church, arguments about who is right on a matter of doctrine takes up so much time and effort that our desire to be right interferes with carrying out the very doctrines we are talking about."

I don't think there is much arguing going on in churches. Peoples personal styles and preferences are all systematized in one brand or another. They can easily find a brand like they want. There may be some in church, but probably a lot more in seminary where the newby-experts are being trained to coral enough sheep so they can get paid out of the offering plate. Most saints don't take their faith serious enough to argue about it. They're more into one-way communication than two-way. Any two-way communication is off-the-cuff and unprepared.

If a believer is right, it's worth contending for.
Phil 1:27; 4:3; Jude 1:3.

Arguing is a shallow dynamic that lacks substance, proof or example. It's more an emotional assertion. Contending for the truth implies a strong basis and proof. Believers who are a "living sacrifice", have rejected conforming to the world, and are renewing their minds, are able to "prove what is the will of God. Rom. 12: 1,2

Arthur Sido said...

Les, I am right where you are brother. It wasn't that long ago when I saw my mission in the world as converting Christians to be Reformed Baptists and once we got that squared away, if we had time left over, we could go to the lost.