The following is reproduced from the October 2006 edition of Next Wave.
Christians have long recognized that there is opposition in this life to the ways of God, hindrances to the walk of faith. Typically, these have been delineated as the World, the Flesh, and the Devil (WFD). "The world" is a term used by Jesus and the biblical writers to describe the prevalent anti-God atmosphere that permeates human society (John 15:18-19; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 John 5:4). The trends that mislead, the attitudes that run contrary to divine wisdom, the choices that fly in the face of God’s will, these are said to be of "the world."
Next, there is "the flesh," which refers to the inner human inclinations to violate God’s commands, the tendency within us all to ignore our created purpose. Everything that is wrong about us is a related to our fallen nature and character. This is why Peter, for example, can write of those who "indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires" (2 Peter 2:10).
Finally, there is the devil, who, according to Scripture, is a personal being of rebellion, the ally and instigator of evil. Whatever one’s view of the paranormal, the Bible clearly teaches that nefarious forces, living unseen entities, vie for our attention and seek to lead us astray. In fact the world is said to "lie in the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19).
The World, the Flesh, and Devil. We need not enter into detailed discussion of this three-pronged attack to spiritual well-being. It is enough to acknowledge that people make bad choices, wrong philosophies allure the unsuspecting, deception is an inescapable reality within any age, even a PostModern one.
The purpose here is simply to remind those of us who seek to postmodernize the faith, who desire to be on the cutting edge of what God is doing in our day, that we are not immune from falsehood. Indeed, it is often the case that harmful influences show up at precisely the time when God is most active. We should be aware, therefore, that ungodliness can show up during a revival, and pride is never far from even the humblest servant. But, what about now? Where might the demonic appear today? In what ways is the emerging church particularly prone to the temptations of the WFD?
Of course, from the perspective of the emerging church, it is precisely the traditionalists who went astray, having been duped by the WFD (though they might not state it exactly this way). Having succumbed to some of the more questionable presuppositions of the enlightenment, modern Christianity confused cultural ideals with biblical ones. Indeed, the emergence of an alternative (postmodern) view is due, in great part, to an increased perception of (and frustration over) these faulty ways. Postmoderns, in other words, are of the opinion that the traditional church has, on many points, been misled.
But how ironic it would be if, in criticizing others, we failed to see our own shortcomings. For this reason, it is all the more important for postmoderns to be cognizant of their own negative tendencies. What follows is a short list of ways in which the emerging church opens itself up to imbalance and, worse, deception.
When modern hubris is (rightly) condemned but is done so in a condescending way, something is amiss. Pride is something that no age can completely avoid.
Similarly, when dogmatism is opposed dogmatically, we are clearly off target. Sometimes, as mentioned above, this is evidence that we postmoderns cannot escape our worst qualities. Other times, it simply demonstrates that a certain kind of dogmatism still has a place in the emerging church.
Likewise, when postmodern humility (a potentially wonderful commodity) starts to sound like naivete, it’s time to reevaluate. We need more caution and discernment, but foolishness and an unwillingness to stand for the ways of God is never good.
When reason is minimized through the use of reasoned argumentation, perhaps we have "thrown out the baby with the bath water." Reason as the sole arbiter of truth is a modern myth, but reason as one facet of the image of God is an unavoidable (and potentially healthy) thing.
When the significance of narrative is stated in propositional form ("Thou shalt preach the narrative portions of Scripture"), one wonders how postmoderns miss the fact that, as meaningful as the stories of Scripture are, propositions deserve more than lip service (after all, Jesus is lord). Stories must be returned to their proper place in the life of the church, but propositions (especially when tied to these stories!) mustn’t be forgotten.
When community (a much needed emphasis) becomes so nebulous that it actually interferes with the needs of the individual, it might be time to take a closer look at what we are promoting. While there is something special and refreshing about community, the noble effort to embody this corporate concept must never interfere with personal accountability and the life of each individual believer.
When the quest for an experiential faith doesn’t recognize that experience should be fostered through truth ("sound doctrine"), perhaps we have failed to provide the proper (biblically oriented) contexts for these experiences.
When the written word is treated as passe through the medium of print, one wonders if some postmoderns even notice the inconsistency. The emerging church can still learn via books.
When image is emphasized with hardly a thought about the possibility of idolatry (visible or conceptual), it may be time to sit up and take notice.
Please don’t misunderstand. The purpose of these illustrations is not to "throw a wet blanket" on the postmodern motifs mentioned above, and I am certainly not advocating a "three steps forward, two steps back" approach. Indeed, it is my contention that we must consciously highlight such notions as community, mystery, humility, experience, and creativity. God, keep us from getting in the way of the wonderful things God is doing in this postmodern era.
At the same time, though, it is good to occasionally pause and look at ourselves. In our quest to catch the wave of God’s new dealings, amid the rejuvenated feeling of being in on something that is truly grand and wonderful, let us never think that we have arrived. Though God is providing a renewal of church, our hearts are still deceitful. While the Lord of history is actively leading us to embrace certain cultural trends, the world is still a dangerous place. Though our hearts resonate with Spirit-driven topics, the heart can still be a factory of idols, the inner chamber where half-truths sap the very life out of us.
WFD–the world, the flesh, and the devil–they still compete for our attention, seeking to take God’s people captive through the misuse of opportunities, and by means of the simplistic belief that these nemeses of the faith have little impact in today’s world. May the Lord preserve us from error, and may we learn to journey together through this world, excited by what God is doing but also cognizant that, in the end, what will matter most is not our ability to postmodernize the faith but that we faithfully serve the Rock of (all) ages, postmodern and beyond.
Christians have long recognized that there is opposition in this life to the ways of God, hindrances to the walk of faith. Typically, these have been delineated as the World, the Flesh, and the Devil (WFD). "The world" is a term used by Jesus and the biblical writers to describe the prevalent anti-God atmosphere that permeates human society (John 15:18-19; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 John 5:4). The trends that mislead, the attitudes that run contrary to divine wisdom, the choices that fly in the face of God’s will, these are said to be of "the world."
Next, there is "the flesh," which refers to the inner human inclinations to violate God’s commands, the tendency within us all to ignore our created purpose. Everything that is wrong about us is a related to our fallen nature and character. This is why Peter, for example, can write of those who "indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires" (2 Peter 2:10).
Finally, there is the devil, who, according to Scripture, is a personal being of rebellion, the ally and instigator of evil. Whatever one’s view of the paranormal, the Bible clearly teaches that nefarious forces, living unseen entities, vie for our attention and seek to lead us astray. In fact the world is said to "lie in the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19).
The World, the Flesh, and Devil. We need not enter into detailed discussion of this three-pronged attack to spiritual well-being. It is enough to acknowledge that people make bad choices, wrong philosophies allure the unsuspecting, deception is an inescapable reality within any age, even a PostModern one.
The purpose here is simply to remind those of us who seek to postmodernize the faith, who desire to be on the cutting edge of what God is doing in our day, that we are not immune from falsehood. Indeed, it is often the case that harmful influences show up at precisely the time when God is most active. We should be aware, therefore, that ungodliness can show up during a revival, and pride is never far from even the humblest servant. But, what about now? Where might the demonic appear today? In what ways is the emerging church particularly prone to the temptations of the WFD?
Of course, from the perspective of the emerging church, it is precisely the traditionalists who went astray, having been duped by the WFD (though they might not state it exactly this way). Having succumbed to some of the more questionable presuppositions of the enlightenment, modern Christianity confused cultural ideals with biblical ones. Indeed, the emergence of an alternative (postmodern) view is due, in great part, to an increased perception of (and frustration over) these faulty ways. Postmoderns, in other words, are of the opinion that the traditional church has, on many points, been misled.
But how ironic it would be if, in criticizing others, we failed to see our own shortcomings. For this reason, it is all the more important for postmoderns to be cognizant of their own negative tendencies. What follows is a short list of ways in which the emerging church opens itself up to imbalance and, worse, deception.
When modern hubris is (rightly) condemned but is done so in a condescending way, something is amiss. Pride is something that no age can completely avoid.
Similarly, when dogmatism is opposed dogmatically, we are clearly off target. Sometimes, as mentioned above, this is evidence that we postmoderns cannot escape our worst qualities. Other times, it simply demonstrates that a certain kind of dogmatism still has a place in the emerging church.
Likewise, when postmodern humility (a potentially wonderful commodity) starts to sound like naivete, it’s time to reevaluate. We need more caution and discernment, but foolishness and an unwillingness to stand for the ways of God is never good.
When reason is minimized through the use of reasoned argumentation, perhaps we have "thrown out the baby with the bath water." Reason as the sole arbiter of truth is a modern myth, but reason as one facet of the image of God is an unavoidable (and potentially healthy) thing.
When the significance of narrative is stated in propositional form ("Thou shalt preach the narrative portions of Scripture"), one wonders how postmoderns miss the fact that, as meaningful as the stories of Scripture are, propositions deserve more than lip service (after all, Jesus is lord). Stories must be returned to their proper place in the life of the church, but propositions (especially when tied to these stories!) mustn’t be forgotten.
When community (a much needed emphasis) becomes so nebulous that it actually interferes with the needs of the individual, it might be time to take a closer look at what we are promoting. While there is something special and refreshing about community, the noble effort to embody this corporate concept must never interfere with personal accountability and the life of each individual believer.
When the quest for an experiential faith doesn’t recognize that experience should be fostered through truth ("sound doctrine"), perhaps we have failed to provide the proper (biblically oriented) contexts for these experiences.
When the written word is treated as passe through the medium of print, one wonders if some postmoderns even notice the inconsistency. The emerging church can still learn via books.
When image is emphasized with hardly a thought about the possibility of idolatry (visible or conceptual), it may be time to sit up and take notice.
Please don’t misunderstand. The purpose of these illustrations is not to "throw a wet blanket" on the postmodern motifs mentioned above, and I am certainly not advocating a "three steps forward, two steps back" approach. Indeed, it is my contention that we must consciously highlight such notions as community, mystery, humility, experience, and creativity. God, keep us from getting in the way of the wonderful things God is doing in this postmodern era.
At the same time, though, it is good to occasionally pause and look at ourselves. In our quest to catch the wave of God’s new dealings, amid the rejuvenated feeling of being in on something that is truly grand and wonderful, let us never think that we have arrived. Though God is providing a renewal of church, our hearts are still deceitful. While the Lord of history is actively leading us to embrace certain cultural trends, the world is still a dangerous place. Though our hearts resonate with Spirit-driven topics, the heart can still be a factory of idols, the inner chamber where half-truths sap the very life out of us.
WFD–the world, the flesh, and the devil–they still compete for our attention, seeking to take God’s people captive through the misuse of opportunities, and by means of the simplistic belief that these nemeses of the faith have little impact in today’s world. May the Lord preserve us from error, and may we learn to journey together through this world, excited by what God is doing but also cognizant that, in the end, what will matter most is not our ability to postmodernize the faith but that we faithfully serve the Rock of (all) ages, postmodern and beyond.
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