(Continued from part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4.)

The very act of writing this week’s series has taught me more about its theme.

For months since starting YeHaveHeard, I have had doubts. This site will never be another Challies.com or Gospel Coalition (and in fact, I don’t want it to be like that). Still it’s very difficult to avoid thinking: am I doing enough? Is this site Big enough?

Such a notion is more insidious than I thought. I’ve had it even while writing about how Christians often subtly believe they’re not doing enough Hard Things.

True, God saves His people for the purpose of spreading His Gospel and making disciples from all nations (Matthew 28: 18-20). His gospel is of unearned grace, yet will result in good works (Ephesians 2:10). Still, God’s redeemed saints so often ask more of themselves than He asks.

Millions of Godly Christians are not do-do-do-ing all the obvious Hard Things:

• We may not be sailing around the world, or raising a million dollars for charity before age 17, or publishing books, or being as spiritually impactful as this or that famous missionary.
• We may not be leading huge churches that pack out the pews, blogging to thousands or writing the next bestseller with endorsements from D.A. Carson, Mark Dever or J.I. Packer.
• We may not be charging into politics to Change the Nation and Preserve Societal Morals.
• And we may not have the widest-read blog in the world.

… But God only wants His people to be faithful to what He has given them to do. And He is clear throughout Scripture that any motivation to do, do, do, is in the Gospel, and nothing else.

So I’ve slowly come to realize: maybe I don’t need to turn out some complex and in-depth essay twice a week. Maybe instead I can work to be faithful in the little things — like putting up a short post, or long post, every day. Maybe that is how I can best glorify God in this way, and not keep building up projects in my own mind as if they must be Big, or else I shouldn’t try.

It seems this commitment has actually helped me do actual Big Things this week after all. I’ve not only blogged here every single day, but helped re-launch the co-op blog Speculative Faith, and blogged there four days out of this week. Do I say this to brag? Not at all — only to cross-promote.¹ Yet it also reminds to me, that God will in His own time bring us to do the Big Things, if He has them for us, only when we’re faithful in the small things.

Wrapping up: on ‘radicals’

Much of this series was inspired by Todd Friel’s monologue on Wretched Radio some weeks ago. He finally worked to a close by discussing something that’s been on my mind for weeks: institutionalized Do-do-do-ism. Some Christians, often with very good and even Gospel-based intentions, give direct voice to the notion that if you’re not doing Big Things, you may not be faithful at all. It’s not so much that they oppose small faithfulness. They just forget about it.

I don’t worry about Christians who truly need to hear such a message, or about those who already have solid foundations — about the Gospel and how it affects all of life, not just the obviously spiritual parts. Instead, what about those who could assume that if they are not doing clearly Big Things, such as writing books or being missionaries, they’re not doing enough?

This emphasis these days (is on the notion that everyone must do obviously hard things to be a truly serious Christian) — and it’s sneaky, I’m telling you, it’s sneaky.

There’s another pastor out there — and I want to do a little more research before we get into it a little bit deeper, but I suspect it’s the same thing. “Unless you are living —” well, what a coincidence — “like me, in this crazy radical way, you’re not doing the Big Thing, unless you’re living like me.” Well I’m sorry, sir. That’s a type of yoke and a type of legalism, and do, do, do system, I’m not interested in.

(The Duran Duran song starts up again …)

We are to be faithful where we are.

(“Do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do, doo-doo …”)

And if God calls you someplace, then go, if you’ve fulfilled your responsibilities at home. That’s the Big Thing. That’s the Hard Thing. That’s the difficult thing to do. And when people try to load up stay-at-home moms or pastors with d-do, do, do —

(And) young people has got to be the third group. … Really, it’s all of us, but I think even more on the young group. “Hey —” and it comes a lot from the parents, doesn’t it? “We’re gonna get into sports, we’re gonna get you into athletics, we’re gonna get you into ballet, we’re gonna get you into drama, and you’re gonna do something big!” — as the world defines it.

How’s about this as a Big Thing for a kid? You wake up every single morning, and you make your bed, and you get your room cleaned up, and you come downstairs, and you help with the dishes after you’ve made yourself some food, and then you say to your mom and dad, “Mom and Dad, I’m so grateful to be here. And I’m so grateful that you’ve grown me up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. And I would like to show my gratitude to God and to you. How can you plug me in? I would like to do that today.”

And let me tell you something: that’s Big. … That’s harder than becoming a celebrity, or becoming a famous person. We must resist the temptation to do that to each other.

(Another Duran Duran song begins; apparently, “Hungry Like the Wolf” …)

Watch out for the do-do-dos.

Sometimes I wish I were a talk-radio host — a Christian talk-radio host. I’d have the advantage of people expecting me to talk on and on about my favorite topics. I’d get to pontificate ceaselessly. And I’d get to be goofy for money. (Side effects for the Christian host may include crossover of put-on radio persona into real life, and increased susceptibility to un-Biblical pride.)

Perhaps best of all: I’d have access to the Sound Board, a very powerful instrument capable of interjecting fun effects into my vocal performance. Even better, the Sound Board can ascribe fun, possibly memorable ditties to underscore, literally, whatever point I’m making.

Case in point: Todd Friel, host of Wretched Radio. He himself would jovially admit it’s a less-than-perfect show.¹ One thing he does well, however: seeking Biblical balance and infusion of Gospel-based grace into every teaching Christians do. And speaking of do, that’s his new ploy:

“Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do …”

… Playing that frequently, when discussing some Christians’ (real or not) constant refrain to “do, do,” while either not mentioning, minimizing or overtly opposing basing this on the Gospel.

First it was something by The Police(?). Then it was a song by something called Duran Duran.

Either way, now it’s stuck in my head. And I’d like to share this joy. Seriously, it’s helped me remember: some Christian leaders, books, sermons and other teachings only encourage us to Do, Do, Do. And often it’s almost like they intentionally ignore Jesus Christ’s Done, Done, Done.

This isn’t just those darned Emergents, either. I’ve noticed some orthodox Christians falling into this (and should it surprise us that we struggle too?). And in their case, it’s not so much failure to believe the Gospel, but failure to remember it as having higher importance than all the encouragements to Do, Do, Do. The results not from a “lie” of commission, saying “the Gospel doesn’t matter as much as what you do,” but of omission: simply ignoring other Gospel truths.

Todd Friel himself, this past Monday, put this truth together with at least three things I’ve been considering for some time. And yet even his admittedly-often-disorganized mind did this very well. All I can do is quote him, after a laborious (and only slightly edited) transcription.

Why is it these days that in Christendom and in politics and in our society that if we’re doing anything to be considered big and important, it’s got to be something like politics or Hollywood? Or “hey, if you’re gonna be a pastor, if you don’t have a megachurch, or if you don’t have a bestselling book or if you haven’t made a movie — well, I guess you can stay, but you haven’t done something big for God.”

We gotta watch out for that. Faithfulness is what God is asking for. And that is plenty.

And we have got to resist the temptation of thinking that if we’re to be radical Christians, fanatical, sold-out, on-the-narrow-road Christians, that it requires doing something big. That it requires being in politics. Don’t get me wrong — nothing wrong with being in politics. Go ahead and do that. But staying home and taking care of your kids: that’s a big thing too. That’s an important thing. And doing your job, and being faithful at your church, and raising your family.

Continued tomorrow:  Beware turning “do hard things” truths into “do obviously big things.” …

It’s happened again — an “emergent” professing Christian on his Facebook profile posts a note making imbalanced claims, and I start offering responses. Others then add more responses, and they seem not to get anywhere with the post-writer or others sharing his views.

They tend to say things like “Christians seek both religious and political power and prestige,” without qualifier, as if seeking religious and political power is the only problem in the professing Church. Others like me say back that the Church has many problems, resulting from worse lack of belief in the Gospel. We get ignored in favor of more trendy slams against the Church, and on and on it goes, the great circle of internet time-wasting life. It’s quite a kick.

Here’s one sample, edited only slightly.

Counting up the stereotypes in your recent comment [. . .] I think you’ve been reading too many [George] Barna surveys without critically evaluating the kinds of people surveyed or the language used to qualify real “Christians.” (However, I’m surprised you also didn’t mention “Christians’ divorce rate is the same as the world”! )

Are all these supposed greedy-power-hungry-warmongering folks true Biblical *Christians* or merely professing ones?

(Even if they are Christians, should we condemn them for surface symptoms, or seek to understand and correct the roots of these errors: wrong views of Christ and the Gospel?)

Anyway, I know plenty of Christians who are not all about Stuff. They give their lives and resources for others. Plenty of popular Christian leaders, such as John Piper, directly oppose the idea of Christianity-and-the-”American-dream.” If you truly haven’t seen them, you need to get out more.

I don’t need to remind you of Jesus’ infamous (and sobering) reminder later on in Matthew 7: 21-23 that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter His Kingdom.

“Jesus told us not to judge”? Actually, He cautioned against hypocritical judgment.¹ Then He goes on to warn of false teachers that come in among the flock like wolves. You yourself are doing quite a lot of judgment in your comment. So am I, and judging in itself is okay, as long as we strive to judge without hypocrisy and with Christ-honoring love.

I think you already believe this. Still, I hear a lot of Christians being careless with their language. “Jesus told us not to judge” is a wrong statement that reinforces wrong views.

No, Christians are not perfect and have a lot to learn. Who would say otherwise? Yet looking to Him and the Gospel, not bemoaning problems, is the solution. Pulpit-pounders of previous generations (and some survivors today) decry the lack of moral behavior in the Church, but stop there.

Let’s not do that. Let’s point to Christ Himself and His Word, His Truth, His love for us and our resultant love for Him, our gratitude for Him saving us, as the basis for better living. That is the only way to wash the Bride’s garments cleaner: looking to its Groom and loving Him before than ever.

Naturally, this resulted in several Prayers of Salvation right there in the Facebook discussion.²

Well, maybe next time I’ll have this next quote on standby — thanks to my re-reading a little book by Randy Alcorn called The Grace and Truth Paradox. It’s the best summary I’ve seen so far by a popular yet Biblically based Christian author, about how Jesus is both grace and truth — and therefore, His people should be too.

Grace without truth is no longer grace, Alcorn writes in this little 90-page hardback. Without truth, “grace” turns into harmful, dangerous “tolerance,” a pathetic substitute.

And truth without grace ceases to be truth, he adds. “Truth” alone becomes self-righteousness.

That could summarize the entire book, which a trained reader could likely start and finish inside one afternoon. Thus a lengthy review might be half the length of the actual book! Yet I thought I’d post this brief excerpt, specifically addressing how the Christian grace/truth living affects how we perceive modern political platforms. Christians cannot claim a single party or cause without qualification, Alcorn says — something I wish “emergents” and others would remember.

Political Grace and Truth

Often, conservatives emphasize truth (morals), and liberals emphasize grace (compassion). Conservatives want to conserve what’s right; liberals want to liberate from what’s wrong.

Liberals’ commitment to fighting racism in the sixties was commendable. But sometimes liberals fight against true standards, life the beliefs that abortion, fornication, adultery, and homosexual behavior are wrong. They embrace tolerance as a grace substitute. Liberal Christians often end up being liberals first, Christians second.

Conservatives want to restore lost values. They want to go back to the days when prayer was allowed in schools. But they forget that the same schools that allowed prayer didn’t allow black children! By trying to conserve so many things—even things that were clearly wrong—conservative Christians have sometimes been conservatives first, Christians second.

Why should we have to choose between conservatism’s emphasis on truth and liberalism’s emphasis on grace? Why can’t we oppose injustice to minorities and to the unborn? Why can’t we oppose greedy ruination of the environment and anti-industry New Age environmentalism? Why can’t we affirm the biblical right to the ownership of property and emphasize God’s call to voluntarily share wealth with the needy? Why can’t we uphold God’s condemnation of sexual immorality, including homosexual practices, and reach out in love and compassion to those trapped in destructive lifestyles and dying from AIDS?

We cannot do these things if we are first and foremost either liberals or conservatives. We can do these things only if we are first and foremost follower of Christ, who is full of grace and truth.