Category: Gospel and Culture

St. Patrick on Suffering

Patrick was a Romano-British citizen, kidnapped in Britain at age 16 and served as a slave for 6 years in Wood of Fochoill, Ireland.  He later returned to the homeland of his captivity, Ireland, to spread the gospel and plant churches.  His mission to Ireland 457-492 began at age 40 after being turned down after his first request to be commissioned as a missionary.

St. Patrick’s early captivity fostered a theology of suffering that sustained him throughout his ministry.  The precise area of his captivity is still unknown and was likely excepted from his confession because of his emphasis on the providence of God directing Patrick’s ways for his personal sanctification and the conversion of Ireland.  This redemptive theology of suffering is encapsulated in his reflections on captivity “and the Lord ‘poured down upon us the heat of his anger…and there ‘the Lord opened my heart to an awareness of my unbelief’ so that, perhaps, at last ‘I might remember my sins and that I might turn with all my heart to love the Lord my God’ (1.17, 20).”

Fighting Sexual Sin

In an article entitled “When the Problem is Sexual Sin,” John F. Bettler breaks down the problem of sexual sin into three areas: 1) Objects of lust 2) Relationship Lusts and 3) Life-meaning Lusts. Arranging these sins into a pyramid (Lust Objects at the top and Life-meaning lusts at the bottom), Bettler makes the point that removing the lust object only deals with the tip of the triangle. Of course, the tip needs to be dealt with, temptations should be removed, software installed on the computer, codes on the T.V. and so on; however, this is simply remedial, not redemptive.

In order to move beyond accountability and into grace-based victory over sexual sin, our heart issues must be exposed, our relationship lusts revealed. Sexual sin is frequently the result of unmet or over-met relationship desires. Thus, we must ask ourselves, What is it that we are looking for in our relationships? Do we want intimacy or safety, affirmation or space? Honest answers in this area will reveal how lust functions as a misdirected relational desire. It will help us understand some of the deeper issues and deviant beliefs that guide us into sexual sin. Once we honestly answer these questions, we can turn to asking the life-meaning lusts questions. Bettler defines life-meaning questions as: What do we believe we must have in order for life to work, to be successful? This will bring our idolatrous desires out into the light. It will show us the false promises we are believing…like “God owes me a spouse” or “I don’t need anybody.”

After answering these questions honestly, we can move into accountability, assess our relationships, and take action in cultivating proper belief and delight in God’s true and faithful promises in order to redirect our desires for safety, spouse, and intimacy into God himself. This will require repentance and big gospel, a message of hope and the person of Christ, who dies our death and lives our life offering us true acceptance and joy. Here is an outline to summarize Bettler’s advice:

  1. What are the objects of lust?
    1. Question: Where, when, how are the patterns of temptation?
    2. Action: Accountability is needed for this level. (1 Tim 2:22)
  2. What are your relationship desires? Close, distant, safe, risky, affirmation, space?
    1. Question: What do you desire most from your spouse, parent, and friend?
    2. Action: Assess relationships—excess or deficiency?
  3. What are your life and heart desires?
    1. Question: What do you really want/desire out of life or from God?
    2. Action: Act to take redirect ungodly desires in order to cultivate trust, hope, faith in God. (1 Tim 4:7) Discover how God in Christ rebukes misplaced desires and satisfies our true longings, demonstrating his infinite worth.

Covenant Unity or Diversity: Niehaus Responds

The discussion regarding the viablity of reading the Scriptures from a monocovenantal framework continues. Proponents of the view include Scott Hafemann, W. J. Dumbrell, while most Reformed folk and Niehaus disagree. Dr. Jeffrey Niehaus has kindly contributed to that discussion with a clarifying comment here and the discussion has continued here.