Evangelist Calls Apostles Sexist Pigs and Doubters

Transparency of failure, suspicion towards virtue and self-deprecation are as Christian as faith, hope and love. That's why Luke has no problem describing the apostles as sexist unbelievers in Chapter 24. Luke is a Christian. For him, irony and vulnerability are rather natural. What other religion openly admits that its founders lacked faith and virtue? Christianity dares not take its adherents too seriously. I think there are two reasons. One, Christianity is a gospel faith: the core of our belief and message is the idea that we can do nothing to deserve God’s attention, acceptance and love, but that God gives those things to us as an outburst of Divine love, by sheer grace. So, the greatest enemy of our faith is not failure to live up to God’s standards or doubt but the exact opposite: our seeming success to do so. If we believe that God owes us something because of our strong faith or moral success, we no longer believe the gospel of grace: God comes to you out of love and not out of obligation; Jesus died for you while you were and are a horrible failure; God loves you before you love Him; Jesus believes in you before you believe in Him. So, we have to look at ourselves with suspicion. We cannot take ourselves seriously because, if we do, we might believe that we deserve God’s acceptance.
Two, Christianity is a faith in Jesus: God limited Himself, allowed others to mock and hurt Him and died ridiculed by onlookers. So, like the apostles, we dare not make ourselves look good. Looking at Jesus, we realize that strength is hidden in weakness, life in death and Sunday in Friday.
Happy Easter! Christ is risen indeed!

Tim Keller at Northwestern

I went to hear Tim Keller at Northwestern in Evanston last night. It must be said that my respect for him borders on admiration. It seems silly to put Keller in the same category with Chesterton, Augustine and Chrysostom (to which, I am sure, he would object) , however his influence on me may have been greater than theirs. I discovered his sermons about 6 years ago while I was doing an internship at The Chapel in Michigan. I listened to The Gospel According to Abraham and was impressed with the depth of Keller's psychological insight and exegesis of contemporary culture. I have listened to many of his sermons since then and must admit that I have been thoroughly converted to his approach to preaching: Jesus-centered (every passage of Scripture is about Jesus), gospel-driven (believe the gospel and you will change) and culturally perceptive. There are plenty of free sermons on the Redeemer church site to get a good idea of his approach. http://sermons.redeemer.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=11
So, I went to see Keller and got him to sign his new book The Reason for God. I just started reading it but I have a feeling it is going to be a very very good book -- maybe, as good as Mere Christianity. Anyway, I think very highly of Keller and it was great to hear him live.