John Piper writes that we live in a world that is “far too dense with man and distant from the sweet sovereignty of God.”
It’s an analysis that can scarcely be questioned. But what are the signs of its truth? And what would it mean to live otherwise? This post—adapted from my 2016 Synod address (see the full version here)—is an attempt to think these things through as I reflect on my diocese, and about the state of the nation we find ourselves in.
Too Dense to Pray?
I reserve my greatest appreciation for those who have committed themselves to prayer. People too dense with self have little time for prayer: they’re too independent; too busy trying to make a name for themselves.
But prayerful people, by contrast, surrender themselves in dependence upon God. They don’t seek statues or monuments but the heart of God and His will. They don’t seek a name for themselves but want Christ to be credited for everything they do. They aren’t looking for rewards in this life, but for the future “well done” of their Father in Heaven.
God’s richest blessings come through God’s answers to prayer, and I thank and praise God for the prayerful. I pray that we will all, in repentance, give ourselves to a life of prayer.
Too Distracted to See the Danger?
Sitting on your beach chair in Sydney or in North Queensland sounds like a great lifestyle but the posture in those two places should be very different. In Sydney, you can sit on a beach and be unaffected by the almost imperceptible movements of the tide. But in North Queensland, the tidal movements are so significant that if you snooze you could easily end up drowning or find yourself on a crocodile’s menu.
I believe that this is how things now stand for Australian Christians. For a long time, the Church has sat on the beach soaking up the sun, enjoying the material provisions of God, little bothered by the currents moving around us. We’ve barely noticed the tidal movements. We’ve tolerated a Christianity with low demands on discipleship.
But now the tide is running high and matters are moving quickly. Sleepy, vacillating and disobedient churches are going to be washed away.
Too Full of Now to Think of the Future?
Being too full of man can frequently make us foolish when it comes to disciplines for the future. We want whatever we can get now, and we don’t want to pay for it.
And this folly has been a hallmark of Western politics. Voters come to their leaders with a sense of entitlement, and politicians offer to give them what they want—even though the money isn’t there. Thus we get deficit after deficit and soaring debts that rob future generations to pay for our indulgence.
But Jesus asked, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” He knew that true joy was not found in the abundance of our possessions but in a relationship with the Giver of every good gift. To live without God is to not appreciate the Giver, to not wonder at His gifts nor find thankfulness and meaning in His good intentions for us. The shallow observer of life, too dense with self and distant from the sweet sovereignty of God, inevitably becomes dissatisfied with material pleasures, even bored with life, exploring options never intended by God.
Too Empty of God to Ever Fulfil?
This dissatisfaction reveals itself most clearly in modern sexuality.
The Bible is very clear that God intended sex for pleasure and procreation, to be enjoyed only between a man and woman, created physically compatible and to be entered into only within the bond of marriage.
But without a vision of God and his sovereignty, we are left to desperately manufacture for our own fulfilment. Our sexual fashions become increasingly bizarre. Our treatment of anything that gets in the way of our pleasure – unwanted children, wives and husbands – becomes more callous.
Too Full of Earthly Loves?
We find a particular weakness within ourselves here, as the church attempts to respond to the same-sex marriage challenge. Many Christians are determining their responses to same-sex issues not by their proximity to God, but by their proximity to loved ones who have chosen alternatives to God’s best intentions. This appears loving, but it’s an idolatry that elevates people’s desires over the expressed will of the God who created us, and it endangers a loved one’s eternal future. Giving permission under the guise of love to anything God is disapproving of, rather than offering prayers and calling for repentance, is not love at all. Again, it’s an approach that thinks too much of man, and not enough of the power and grace of God to care for those who struggle.
Our prayerful response must prioritise the glory of God, in whom is the only safety for all of life.
Too Full of Human Words to Make Space for God’s Word?
Issues surrounding human sexuality have also sharpened the debate on freedom of speech. It is distressing to see anti-discrimination laws being used to silence Christian witness—especially when it comes from groups that have no reservations about trying to indoctrinate school children with their own ideology.
But we too are sometimes guilty of silencing God’s voice by neglect. I recently heard Don Carson use an expression I had not heard before: “outsourced memory.” He spoke of the place of the internet and Google world, where the remembering of things appears unnecessary. When you need the information, just Google it.
But while information access may be helpful, a loss of memory is dangerous. The problem of internet dependence and convenience is that you no longer apply yourself to remember Bible verses, your cultural and Australian history and so much more. An unguarded mind that forgets the lessons of the past and does not enjoy instant access to wisdom will make instant responses to issues that flounder to find intelligent foundations. Of course, to a world too dense with man and distant from the sweet sovereignty of God, the wisdom of God’s Word is not more desirable than gold. While there is warning in them and great reward in keeping them, a mind with no door on it will suffer without them.
Too Great a Salvation to Feel Defeated
It is easy to feel fragile in the age we live in, but faith reminds us that we are eternal, with a heavenly citizenship. It is easy to be afraid in this age, but faith reminds us that God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. It is easy to feel intimidated by this age, but eternity is ours.
But if God is our refuge and strength, and if Jesus Christ is our Lord, the world should be afraid of us! It’s time for us to put away our fear and get back to the Gospel – to warn people of the judgement to come and to tell of the One rich in mercy, abounding in love, by whose grace those once dead in their sins have been made alive.[1]
There have been many times in history when people have sought to silence the message of Christ. Like the apostles, Peter and John, we need to stand before the swift and threatening tides of this age, unable to stop speaking of all we have seen and heard and received in Jesus Christ.
If we do not stand firm in our faith, be assured of the truth of the Scriptures… we will not stand at all.[2]
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[1] Ephesians 2:1-10
[2] Isaiah 7:9
