Election years can be frustrating for followers of Jesus. This election is set to be one of the most divisive we have seen in recent history. Christians have been widely misrepresented by both parties. Politicians throw around the word “evangelical” to somehow describe every person who votes and has ever sat in a pew or darkened the door of a church. Is that who we are as Christians in America, just another voting block?
Us Versus Them
I’m tired of politicians and prosperity “preachers” getting to define terms and paint us with their worldly brushes. I’m tired of the “us versus them” brand of religion they throw around. That’s not the gospel, and it’s not what Jesus is all about. Please don’t misunderstand me. I love America, and I am thankful for the earthly freedom my family and I enjoy because of it. But have we forgotten what Kingdom we are citizens of? Have we forgotten that one day both candidates (whoever they end up being), along with everyone else who has ever existed will bend the knee to our King, Jesus? May we never allow some politician or false preacher to hijack the gospel and pretend to speak for us. There is no room for “us versus them” in the gospel.
It’s Us for Them
It’s not us versus them, it’s us FOR them. We live our lives for the sake of the lost.
1 John 3:16
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
We lay down our lives, if necessary, to show the world that Jesus is our Supreme Treasure. We can love Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Mormons, and Atheists because Jesus first loved us. We can love republicans, democrats, libertarians, socialists, and communists because Jesus first loved us. We can love people with any skin tone, who speak any language, and are from any nation, because Jesus first loved us. We can lovingly preach the need for repentance and belief to anyone because we used to be counted amongst the enemies of God. Remember, the Son of God gave His life to save His enemies.
Romans 5:8
. . . but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
We are called to do the same. This is genuine, blood-bought, eternally perfect unity. God is calling people from every nation on earth into His family. He is turning ISIS “Saul’s” into evangelist “Paul’s.” He can save the abused and the abuser. He is adopting sons and daughters as you read this; refugees and proud citizens, rich and poor, every skin color and language will be represented in His Kingdom. Remember, brothers and sisters, we are united by the blood of the Lamb. No government or policy can ever fix the heart of man. The message the world desperately needs is this; give up on your own attempts to earn salvation and trust in the cross and empty tomb of Jesus! That’s the Gospel.
It’s not “us versus them,” it’s us FOR them. We will love them no matter what. We will share the life-giving good news no matter what. Jesus loved His enemies as they were crucifying Him. He loved us while we were still God-hating rebels living in sin. May we pray for courage to always preach true unity. That unity is found in one thing, our adoption into the family of God by the blood of His Son.
John Piper says,
“Pursue Christ-exalting, gospel-driven racial and ethnic diversity and harmony—especially in the family of God, the church of Jesus Christ . . . The blood of Christ was shed for this. It is not first a social issue, but a blood issue. The bloodline of Christ is deeper than the bloodlines of race.
When we are finally gathered around the throne of our King, we will sing of this blood bought unity.
Revelation 5:9:
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Fueled by the conviction that stories sustain us because we were made to be nourished on the good, the true, and the beautiful, I determined to read one fiction book a month for this past year. And I read some very good stories! In addition to fiction, I have benefitted greatly this year from some solid works in philosophy, theology, biography, and spiritual formation. Without further ado, here are my favorite books read in 2023. As is custom, in my book log, I record the book title, author, and date completed, along with a one sentence description. This has been my practice since 2009. My book log now includes 635 entries. This year I read 43 books.
I love to read. Of course, being a professor helps. I get to read as part of my job. That’s good. But I also love to read for the sheer pleasure of it. When it comes to fiction, I love entering into secondary worlds and journeying along with the characters of the story. Often non-fiction reads like a good story too: life is life, story is story, and often the two kiss (a loose paraphrase of one of my favorite nonfiction stories of the year, All that is Sad is Untrue). (more…)
I love to read. It’s partly why I’m an academic today. What could be better than reading, writing, teaching, and learning every day? Reading books awakens me: to truth, goodness, and beauty. I try, each year, to read broadly. This year, I managed to read 47 books. I’ve been recording every book read in a book log for over 10 years now. Whenever I finish a book, I list the date finished, the title, author, and a one sentence summary of the book. As has become my custom, I offer to you my favorite reads of the past year in philosophy, apologetics and theology, fiction, and non-fiction. (more…)
Fueled by the conviction that stories sustain us because we were made to be nourished on the good, the true, and the beautiful, I determined to read one fiction book a month for this past year. And I read some very good stories! In addition to fiction, I have benefitted greatly this year from some solid works in philosophy, theology, biography, and spiritual formation. Without further ado, here are my favorite books read in 2023. As is custom, in my book log, I record the book title, author, and date completed, along with a one sentence description. This has been my practice since 2009. My book log now includes 635 entries. This year I read 43 books.
I love to read. Of course, being a professor helps. I get to read as part of my job. That’s good. But I also love to read for the sheer pleasure of it. When it comes to fiction, I love entering into secondary worlds and journeying along with the characters of the story. Often non-fiction reads like a good story too: life is life, story is story, and often the two kiss (a loose paraphrase of one of my favorite nonfiction stories of the year, All that is Sad is Untrue). (more…)
I love to read. It’s partly why I’m an academic today. What could be better than reading, writing, teaching, and learning every day? Reading books awakens me: to truth, goodness, and beauty. I try, each year, to read broadly. This year, I managed to read 47 books. I’ve been recording every book read in a book log for over 10 years now. Whenever I finish a book, I list the date finished, the title, author, and a one sentence summary of the book. As has become my custom, I offer to you my favorite reads of the past year in philosophy, apologetics and theology, fiction, and non-fiction. (more…)