ReGrace

by Frank Viola

  Give no time to bring it to the Lord. Stone that angel who is telling you to wait because you’re not in the Spirit. Instead, let your emotions control your reaction.

  6. Presume to know what another person is thinking and assume you know the motives behind their words and actions.

  Put yourself in the seat that only God Almighty occupies and impugn their intentions. (Anytime a person says something like, “You said that because” . . . or “You were trying to xyz when you said or did abc,” that person is judging the motives of another mortal.)

  7. Engage in “drive-by” character assassination by posting a comment on other people’s blogs that smears the reputation of another child of God.

  Don’t post your real name and your real email address when you leave the flaming comment. And hope that the blogger is sloppy enough not to notice the comment so they don’t delete it immediately. (As heinous and immature as this is, I’m sorry to say that some “Christians” actually do this sort of thing. Interestingly, every comment left on a blog has an identifiable IP address. So it’s not that difficult to identify the person.)

  8. If someone gives you a response, ignore their response and repeat your points over again.

  Have the attitude, “Don’t confuse me with the facts,” and disregard what they say. Just keep pushing the same points over and over again, hoping they will eventually agree with you.

  9. With forethought and deliberation, completely misrepresent what another person has said or written, then play the victim.

  For instance, accuse someone of attacking others when they’ve attacked no one. Accuse them of holding to beliefs and ideas that they don’t hold to. Play on the fact that some Christians will believe whatever you write instead of going to the source to verify the accuracy of what you’re saying. While this is the height of fleshly activity, it’s fitting for the one who is perfecting the art of being an online jerk.

  10. Forget what your Lord taught you.

  Defy your spiritual instincts and grieve the Holy Spirit of God by treating other people (especially those you don’t like) in a way that you would never want to be treated yourself. Post things online to and about others that you’d never want posted to and about you or your loved ones. In other words, claim you believe Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:12, but disobey them without flinching.

  20

  Warning: The World Is Watching How We Christians Treat One Another

  If Christians cannot extend grace through faithful presence within the body of believers, they will not be able to extend grace to those outside.

  ~ James Davison Hunter

  Recently, someone asked me the following question:

  Frank, if I had to summarize your ministry, it would be that Jesus is more than we ever imagined and we can learn to live by His life which is evidenced by treating others the same way we want to be treated. Would you say that this is accurate?

  My answer:

  Yes, that sums it up well. These two themes are underscored in many of my books and blog posts.

  Several years ago, I wrote a piece for a periodical explaining why I am a Christian. I ended the piece by asking why those who aren’t Christians have decided not to follow Jesus (yet, at least). Here’s what one person wrote:

  I’m not a Christian because of how most of the Christians I’ve known treat each other. Not loving like their founder taught but just the opposite. I like that your list wasn’t apologetic or combative but personal and I respect that. Rare but nice to see.

  This harkens back to Gandhi’s famous line,

  I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. . . . If it weren’t for Christians, I’d be a Christian.

  Take a look at this graphic which shows how people search on Google for “Christians” in comparison to “Muslims” and “Jews.” (Credit goes to my friend John Saddington for this analysis.)

  This graphic shows some of the serious stereotypes that we Christians are up against. Unfortunately, the stereotypes are often painfully true.

  It’s not uncommon for some Christians to throw verbal assaults at one another on Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and other internet venues. As a result, the world sees people who profess to follow Jesus—the Prince of Peace—fighting, misrepresenting one another, and even “blocking” one another.

  But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. (Galatians 5:15 ESV)

  There once were two cats of Kilkenny

  Each thought there was one cat too many

  So they fought and they fit

  And they scratched and they bit

  ’Til excepting their nails

  And the tips of their tails

  Instead of two cats there weren’t any.

  Civil disagreement and even debate, when done in the spirit of Christ, are healthy and helpful.

  But when disagreements descend into second-guessing motives, distortions of one another’s words, mischaracterizations of one another’s views, and personal attacks, then we’ve moved into the flesh.

  The net is that the name of Jesus gets tarnished in no small way.

  So how do we change that?

  Here are seven points to consider the next time you think you have a possible disagreement with another Christian.

  1. Go to them privately and ask them what they meant by what they said, did, or wrote or what they allegedly said, did, or wrote.

  Jesus said to go to our brother or sister in private if we have an issue with them. Since we don’t want to misrepresent others in public, going to them directly helps prevent this. And you would want the same treatment if the shoe happened to be on your foot.

  About six months ago, I was reading someone’s Facebook wall where they quoted a friend of mine who came out with a new book on evangelism. The entire thread was about what my friend may have meant or didn’t mean. People got angry at one another. Some began blocking others. (These are Christians, mind you.)*

  Finally, a woman jumped in and said, “Excuse me, but instead of questioning what he may have meant or didn’t mean, why don’t you just write him a message and ask him? He’s on Facebook, you know.”

  Her remark arrested everyone and you could smell the embarrassment. Amazingly, no one ever thought to even try to contact my friend and ask. If they had done so in the beginning, the whole issue would have been resolved and the carnage wouldn’t have even begun.

  2. When you go to another believer privately, ask them questions. Don’t make accusations.

  Again, put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself, “How would I want to be treated if this person was me and I had concerns or possible problems with them?” In my experience, I’ve found that accusations based on second- or thirdhand information are usually inaccurate. And they are often rooted in misunderstandings.

  One time Jesus made a statement about one of His followers, saying,

  “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Because of this remark, a rumor spread among the disciples that the disciple Jesus was referring to would never die. But Jesus never said that this disciple would not die; He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” (John 21:22–23)

  If Jesus—the perfect Teacher—was misunderstood by those who were in His corner, how much more does it happen with us?

  3. Never, ever, evah, nevah judge the motives or intentions of another human being. To do so is to sin against them and against God.

  You and I cannot read someone else’s heart. While it’s fine to question someone’s judgment, it’s wrong to judge their motives. Love “thinks no evil,” Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13 (NKJV), but it always believes the best of others. Again, this is covered under Jesus’ gold-plated “do unto others” commandment.

  4. Never entertain gossip or slander about another sister or brother in Christ.

  Again, treat others the same way you want them to treat you. J
esus not only commanded this, He said this commandment fulfills the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12). By the way, I’ve found that many Christians don’t know what slander or gossip is (unless it’s happening to them). They mistakenly think that if something is true or half true, it’s not gossip or slander.†

  5. Seek peace with all you have. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone,” Paul said in Romans 12:18.

  We aren’t going to agree on everything. In fact, I am unaware of any book that exists where all Christians agree with every word or understand every word the same way. That includes the Bible itself.

  So we should be open for correction. But how you approach someone is incredibly important. How we treat one another while we disagree is just as important as the nature of our disagreement.

  6. Remember that the world is watching how we Christians treat one another and talk about one another.

  You can be the greatest evangelist on planet Earth in terms of being able to boldly witness to non-Christians about Jesus. And you can blow the loudest trumpet about mission and discipleship. But if you treat your fellow sisters and brothers in Christ in ways that you would never want to be treated yourself, then you nullify your evangelistic efforts. In addition, how you treat your fellow brothers and sisters is monumentally important to our Lord.

  7. Remember Jesus’ last prayer on earth before He gave His life for us.

  It gives us a peek into what’s foremost in His heart.

  My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20–21)

  *My editor was concerned that some of my readers wouldn’t know what “blocking” someone on social media is. So for those of you who are reading this book in the twenty-second century, to block someone on social media means that they cannot see your social media updates. You are invisible to them and they to you.

  †For a superb article on the biblical meaning of gossip and slander, see frankviola.org/slander.

  21

  Misrepresentations

  People understand me so poorly that they don’t even understand my complaint about them not understanding me.

  ~ Søren Kierkegaard

  It’s common courtesy in the academic world to send a manuscript which critiques someone else’s work to the author of that work before the manuscript is published and circulated (via a blog, magazine article, or book).

  The reason is simple. Intellectual honesty demands accuracy in the critique. It’s important to truthfully and fairly represent someone’s work when critiquing it. Without such, straw-man arguments get passed off as honest critiques. This breeds the misrepresentation of a person’s work (which is largely exacerbated by the internet, which is noted for making misinformation viral).

  One of the lessons God has taught me is that He sovereignly uses misrepresentation for His own purposes. It’s yet another case of God doing what He’s so good at—writing straight with crooked lines.*

  So if you are an author who is breaking with status quo thinking or practice, you would be wise to accept misrepresentations as coming from the hand of your Lord.

  Sometimes the Lord uses such misrepresentations to keep certain people from reading a book or hearing a message at a certain time in their lives. Perhaps at those times when they are not ready to receive it.

  Other times it is to humble the person whose work is being misrepresented. Sometimes it’s to give opportunity to demonstrate to others how to accept criticism and unfair critiques, handling them with grace and refusing to attack back or defend oneself.

  Still other times it’s to magnify the truth. When a person must resort to misrepresentation and/or ad hominem (personal attacks) to discredit a spiritual statement, it only underscores the truth of that statement.

  In July 2010, an ex-pastor in his thirties visited me. We had breakfast together, and he told me a fascinating story. He said that when he was serving as a pastor, he kept hearing about Pagan Christianity.

  But he was told not to read it, that it was just an attack on Christmas and Easter and other trivial matters. So he had no interest in looking at it.

  Yet every time he would pray, strangely, the title kept coming to his mind. Time passed and one day he was at Barnes and Noble. Before entering into the store, he asked God what book he should buy and read (he had done this before—praying about what book to buy and read before entering a bookstore).

  As he walked through the Christian section, he saw Pagan Christianity staring him in the face, and he intuitively knew he should buy it.

  Upon reading it, it wasn’t anything like he had thought or heard. There wasn’t a word in it about Christmas or Easter, for example. All told, he said the book changed his life and put him on a brand-new journey with the Lord and His ultimate intention.

  Beware the person who quotes short excerpts from a book and then purports to interpret the author of the book. In many (if not most) cases where the interpretation is negative, the person is misrepresenting the author. You’ll also discover something else in virtually every case—the person quoting and interpreting has never gone to the author to ask if she is understanding the author correctly.

  Point: If you think you disagree with an author, go to the author directly and ask if you are understanding her or him correctly before you make your views public. Intellectual honesty demands it.

  To my mind, this act alone would remove 95 percent of the misrepresentations that abound in the Christian community today.

  *Unfortunately, many contemporary Christians have never been taught about the principle of the cross and how God uses suffering and mistreatment to accomplish His purpose in transforming us into His image. For a discussion on this neglected aspect of biblical teaching, see my books God’s Favorite Place on Earth (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2013) and From Eternity to Here (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2009).

  22

  Possessing a Mind to Suffer

  One of the Lord’s apostles wrote these remarkable words:

  Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1–2)

  Suffering is a big topic in the New Testament, but it’s largely overlooked today. No one wants to hear that the Christian life holds everything for you that it held for Jesus Christ, including His sufferings.

  Nonetheless, those who will grow in Christ have learned how to be run over, be taken advantage of, be stapled, bent, folded, and mutilated.

  The resolve in their hearts has been, “They can string me up, nail me, scalp me, quarter me, burn me, scatter my ashes and do a happy dance over them. But I still won’t recant my faith in Jesus Christ or His Word. Nor will I retaliate in kind.”

  Many of our forefathers of the faith possessed this resolve. They had a mind to suffer, and they did in the most violent ways.

  While those who live in the West right now will rarely experience physical persecution for their devotion to Christ, they will often receive verbal—and cyber—persecution.

  And sadly, the shipment of nails will be delivered to their door from fellow “Christians”—usually out of jealousy or a doctrinal difference.

  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12 KJV)

  Thus part of regracing is to possess an attitude to suffer (1 Peter 4:1).

  23

  The Essentials of Our Faith

  I will not quarrel with you about my opinions; only see that your heart is right toward God, that you know and love the Lord Jesus Christ; that you love your neighbor, and walk as your Master walked, and I desire no more. I am sick of opinions; am weary to bear them; my soul loathes th
is frosty food. Give me solid and substantial religion; give me a humble, gentle lover of God and man; a man full of mercy and good faith, without partiality and without hypocrisy; a man laying himself out in the work of faith, the patience of hope, the labor of love. Let my soul be with these Christians wheresoever they are, and whatsoever opinion they are of.

  ~ John Wesley

  There’s a question that my readers ask me all the time. (Truthfully, they rarely ask me anything, because who cares what I think. But let’s keep up the pretense.)

  My readers ask me all the time what the essentials of the Christian faith are—you know, those beliefs that tell us who is in and who is out of the kingdom of God.

  A seventeenth-century quote, which has been wrongly attributed to Augustine, goes like this:

  In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.1

  But what are the essentials of the faith and what does one do when someone violates them?

  C. S. Lewis defined the essentials of the faith as “the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.”2

  An earlier version of the same idea was put forth by Vincent of Lérins in these words: “Christianity is what has been held always, everywhere, and by all.”

  In Reimagining Church, I set forth the authority of the Scriptures as being the unchangeable standard for Christian faith and practice—including church practice. In the course of that book, I also discuss the creeds of the Christian faith, saying,

  Historic Christian teaching on the essential doctrines of the faith plays a crucial role in keeping a church on scriptural track. Throughout the centuries, Christians have preserved the core beliefs of our faith: Jesus Christ is God and man, He was born of a virgin, He was crucified for our sins, He rose again in bodily form, etc.