In Christ Alone, and Other Theological Foolishness

“…but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,”

– 1 Corinthians 1:23

My wife has an interesting degree.  We both met on the campus of Regent University in Virginia Beach.  This Canadian boy met a stunning southern bell and nothing ever has been the same.   We dated, married and shortly after she changed her major.  You know, I don’t even remember why.  I need to go ask her.  She changed from being a student of the theater to a degree in something called “Practical Theology”.

That’s right.  Practical Theology.  Since that time to now, it has been the brunt of so many of my jokes….

“…. Yah, Christie… here’s the thing…. just how practical IS Theology?????”

Turns out, a lot more than I originally thought.

So it’s not a big secret that I’m neck deep in job hunting.  For all who have been through such a time, you know the trails and twists and turns and emotional upheaval it can be.  It’s a time of trust.  It’s a time to lean on God.  It’s a time to say, “Wherever, whenever and however you want, Lord.”

That doesn’t mean I don’t have to do my share of hustle!  So many different interview for churches in so many different cities and states, all with so many questions….

….questions…

…..QUESTIONS!

Actually, that part I kinda like.  It’s nice to spend some intense time really thinking and praying about just what are one’s passions, skills and motivations.   My prize possession these days is a leather bound notebook given to me at Christmas.  It is in the process of being filled up with book summaries, strategy plans for sets, and security systems and interview from local pastors.  In truth, it’s the best education I’ve ever received.  So I really don’t mind all the interview questions after questions after questions.

That is, until we got to those inevitable questions…

…the ones about what my theology.

Don’t get me wrong.  These are very important questions.  It’s only right to find out not only is this candidate going to be a good fit, but are they even on the same wavelength.   So I expect these questions.  I can answer these questions.  It has, however always has been a bit of a journey to be able to give these questions an honest answer.  Does that make sense?

No?

Let me explain…

Mark Twain once said, “There was never a century or a country that was short of experts who knew the Deity’s mind and were willing to reveal it.”  Ok, that’s a bit cynical, but his point is clear.  Nothing has divided mankind quite like the topic of Theology.  We vastly disagree.  For example, one smart human, Stephen Hawkins says,

“Theology is unnecessary”

Another smart human, Billy Graham says,

“Sincere Christians can disagree about the details of scripture and theology, absolutely”

So when asked by a church where I stand theologically I usually start with the core… the stuff that puts us on the same page….

“In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas”

Don’t understand it?  Not brushed up on your latin?  Let me translate…

“In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity,”

Still a little vague?  Let me break it down further…

In what is core to our faith, let’s agree.  In that which is not vital for salvation, let’s give each other grace.  But we all need to be led by LOVE!

So whether these words were penned by St. Augustine (they weren’t) or by Rupertus Meldeniu (maybe) or by Marco Antonio de Dominis (I don’t even know who that is), the basis of this statement is this…

We, as the church of Christ need to be unified IN Christ.

St. Thomas Aquinas described theology as this…

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary.  To one without faith, no explanation is possible”

Yet he still wrote extensively on the nature and character of God, creating some of the core tomes of the Christian faith.  He wrote and he wrote and he wrote…

… until one day he stopped.

You see, on that day St. Thomas had a profound experience of Christ in his life.  It didn’t negate any of his work, or contradict it, or deny it, or dispose of it.  In fact, it seems in every way to have supported it.  What it did do, however for St. Thomas anyways, is outshine it.

When urged to return to his writings, after this experience, St. Thomas is attributed to have said

”I can do no more. Such secrets have been revealed to me that all I have written now appears to be of little value.”

He never wrote again.

So I agree with all the “essentials” that summarize my faith; the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, the band “Creed”.  And I either agree, disagree or (more and more) excuse myself from a number of the “non-essential” elements that make the church the wild and wooly body that it is.  I love to talk at length about the love the Christ has given to us all, and allow us to share with all who need.

And THAT is my true theology!

Do you have a song that speaks right to your bones?  One that you can’t even get through without wanting to sing at the top of your lungs, or raise a cheer, or break into tears?   To me, it’s the modern hymn “In Christ Alone”.  Don’t even get me started on that one!

Too late.  You got me started!

Let me point out some of my favorite parts… my “goosebumps” parts.  (I’ll add the entire song to the end and highly recommend the Owl City version)

Let’s start at the beginning…

“In Christ alone my hope is found”

Ok.  We can pack up now.  Mission accomplished.  That’s all I need.  Want me to sum up my day?  my year?  my life?  Oh sure, other things give me hope.  I love my kids.  My wife is reason enough to wake up every day.  But the rest of life put together is but icing on the cake.  You want to know what I will one day write on my grave stone?  This it is!

However, that would make for a short song.  Let me tell you exactly HOW this line came to be so important to me…

“What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!”

The prayer of Paul for the Ephesians is that they may truly know Christ’s love; how high and long and deep and wide it is.  Just when we think we know it… wow… there’s even more to know.  Let’s go on…

“In Christ alone! – who took on flesh, Fullness of God in helpless babe. This gift of love and righteousness, Scorned by the ones He came to save: Till on that cross as Jesus died…”

Yes, this we know.  This is part of our creeds!  This is the core of our “Essentials Unity”  This is the “how” in the “how can we be saved?”.  I will stand up with the church throughout time and praise God for this gift of life that he has brought me.  I will stand up and yell “YES AND AMEN!”

However, it’s the next line that really breaks me.

“The wrath of God was satisfied“

Wait! What????  That can’t be, right?  The wrath of GOD???  But God is LOVE!  He wants us all to be lead by LOVE!  Jesus died for LOVE!

Did Jesus have to DIE just to calm God down because he was TICKED OFF???

It is here that the true beauty and heart-break of the story lies.  It goes into what the essence of sin really is, and the righteousness of God and how that sin is just the very antithesis  of the very nature of God.

…and its punishment can only and always be death.

So is God Holy and righteous?

Yes.

And is God a God of love and forgiveness?

Also yes.

So how can He be both, and have a relationship with a sinful man such as I?

Only one way.

He would have to do something that broke His heart.

“For every sin on Him was laid; Here in the death of Christ I live.”

So there it is.  The sum of all my hope in life.

Jesus died for me.

Theology accomplished!

BUT WAIT… THERE’S MORE!

Oh yes, you see we’re only on verse 2!

Back to our creed, we know how death was not his master and sin was not his end.  Having it paid in full, He rose to life and now I to can live.  But even more, there is this one truth…

“For I am His and He is mine”

I’m getting that put on the doors to my office!!!!  I’m getting that tattooed on my arm!!!  I will do anything so I will stop forgetting the utter truth of this statement.  I will do anything so I will one day truly have this tattooed on my heart.  So what does this mean exactly?

Well, it means this…

“No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me; From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.”

Did you hear that?  It bears repeating…

“Jesus commands my destiny”

Now THIS goes back to what St. Thomas explained… to the world… foolishness.  To those who have known the love of Christ….

…well, as the old Cajun said, “Life don git no bettah dan that!”

and I don’t have to worry.  I don’t have to stress even though life lately is rather worrisome and stressful.  I don’t have to fear anything that there is to fear.  Because when I am His, and he is mine, well, the following can’t help but be true…

“No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand”

So why bother gripping on and on about how powerful hell can be, or how deep the schemes of man can get?  Yes, powerful indeed, and deep and scary, no doubt.

…Yet I know one stronger.

“Till He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.”

Wow!

I’ve got goosebumps!

Maybe you have to listen to the song.  Go on.  I’ll wait…

So, what is my theology you ask?

Let me repeat in case you missed it…

“I am His and He is mine.”

Right there.  And I will spend the rest of my life trying to know more and more about Him.  Yet, I know just as St. Thomas Aquinas found out, that nothing of which I will compile can even touch that which He speaks to my heart.

And that I find simply fantastic!  That I find life changing!

Hmmm….   Turns out I owe my wife an apology…

…Turns out, theology is rather practical after all!

In Christ Alone 

by Stuart Townend & Keith Getty

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My Comforter, my All in All,

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,

Fullness of God in helpless babe.

This gift of love and righteousness,

Scorned by the ones He came to save:

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied –

For every sin on Him was laid;

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,

Light of the world by darkness slain:

Then bursting forth in glorious day

Up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory

Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,

For I am His and He is mine –

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me;

From life’s first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand:

Till He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

Copyright © 2001 Thankyou Music