Boldness
Tuesday, April 11, 2006 at 12:15PM Tim Challies blogged on boldness yesterday. Carla blogged on it today. I agree on the need for an appropriate boldness but I'm not always sure we're talking about the same thing.
The emerging church is often accused of having more questions than answers. On the other hand, some are accused of going too far the other way:
Everyone I've ever met who claimed to have no doubts about the basic tenants of the Christianity has turned out to be dangerously imbalanced. The more people I meet, the more this is reinforced. I don't want to be around people who have no doubts. I don't even want a faith that takes my doubt away - that's no faith at all.Faith isn't what keeps me from doubting. Faith is what holds onto me in the midst of my doubt.
What Challies calls "boldness," I find, often has another name. When I find it in myself, most often it's "hubris," and I think the reason it's missing from a lot of the stuff you hear from the Emergent side of the aisle is simple: over on this side, we recognize it as sin, at least in themselves. It can get even worse; when "boldness" is employed to brow-beat fellow believers who express honest doubts, it has another, darker name: "spiritual abuse."
This all came up, of course, because McLaren talked about the four stages of faith on Saturday night. If I remember right, these stages come from his book Finding Faith, which I have not read.
I did leave this comment at Carla's this morning with a couple of thoughts I'm processing. Carla was writing on some passages in Hebrews which talk about approaching God with boldness and having assurance of faith. Here's what I commented:
Hi Carla,I think that passage isn't primarily about boldness about our belief system, but boldness in approaching God through Christ.
I am thinking about this whole topic because I think there is an appropriate type of boldness and many today are losing their nerve. But I would qualify it in two ways:
1) The most important thing about our faith is not how much faith we have but the object of our faith. Jesus said our faith can be as small as a mustard seed, but that wasn't as important as the object of that faith (which is Jesus). My confidence is not in how much I believe, but in the fact that Christ is trustworthy.
2) If we believe in sola scriptura, then we need to always submit our belief systems to Scripture. Not to say we should abandon our belief systems but our confidence is not in them. Our confidence is ultimately in Christ as revealed in His Word.
Hope that makes sense. I want everyone to have an appropriate assurance and boldness, but I'm not sure we're always talking about the same thing.
As always, you're appreciated.
An appropriate confidence, I believe, neither wallows in ignorance nor pretends to have all the answers. It certainly isn't a confidence in our own belief system. It makes room for appropriate doubt, which is a sign that we are taking God seriously. It's primarily confidence in God as revealed in Scripture. That's the type of boldness and confidence that I wish for all of us.
Reader Comments (13)
Great post Darryl. Thats a very important distinction I think with the Hebrews passage--its exactly what the passage is about. And points 1 and 2 are right on upholding confidence and the reality of our weakness.
Tim Challies made it quite apparent how uncomfortable he was with the conference and it's participants and he had the courage to admit that as best he could. It's unfortunate that included maligning others in his discomfort, but that's not an uncommon response in shy people. Appropriate skills can be learned, and he is an intelligent guy. Once back in his safe environment and using terms he is familar with, Tim acknowledges he almost cried. He was clear about more stress by acknowledging time constraints, traffic and asking his wife for help. Spiritualizing gets mixed up with his internal and external conflicts and some of his readers are quite happy jumping on a bandwagon he might not have intended. His personal discomfort was so apparent in his post I can see why some would focus on the word 'bold.' In a 1367 word post 'bold or boldness' was used 61 times - (it's not an article and he doesn't have an editor!) More isn't always better, it is how he expressed his dis-ease. Distinction does need to be made on meaning, without losing site of the person that wrote or abusing their intent. bold: {adj} fearless and daring {adj) clear and distinct (has to do with design, like bold relief Did Tim mean audacious, brash, foolhardy, nervy, rash?
hey Darryl. Good post. I am often confused when people start talking about "boldness". Boldness in what? In Jesus or in interpretation? I think many people believe these two to be one and the same. This is where some of my frustration lies. I am afraid too many people feel their beliefs ARE Jesus. I am more comfortable with the emerging conversation because it seems there is less confidence in interpretation, and more healthy doubt. More boldness in the Spirit and less on conclusions. More trust in the mystery of Christ and less on certainty of mind. I am still amazed that Paul could say "I want to know Christ..." after knowing so much about his gospel...
Tim, if you read the book of Acts, what the apostles did was preach the WORD with all boldness. Show me where they had a "healthy doubt" as they proclaimed Jesus Christ. Show me where they ever backed down from proclaiming Christ. Oh, that we should be so bold, we would turn our world upside down just as they did in their day. I hear so many in the emergent conversation talk about their "healthy doubt" or about their "doubt and ambiguity" like that is such a good thing. Where is your confidence in the risen Christ when you have all this doubt. If the risen Christ resides within you what is it exactly that emergents doubt?
George: We may be talking about different things. I think you can be bold even if you have doubts. Some people are blessed with a lack of doubt, and they have a hard time understanding why others struggle. I think you may fall into this category. I think you should praise God that you've been blessed in this way (with a lack of doubt). On the other hand, I think it's important for you to realize that not everyone experiences the same lack of doubt. Godly people in Scripture also seemed to struggle with doubt and questions, and it was rarely condemned. And it doesn't mean that they can't be bold either. I don't think that doubt is something that emergents embrace. Maybe they just recognize that honest people sometimes have questions, and that while we know a lot of things we don't know everything, and that's okay.
I agree. I don't think the emerging church is embracing doubt, but is seeing the value in acknowledging it. Doubt is not a goal - but for doubts to strengthen faith, they must be acknowledged. In matters of faith, doubt is either admitted or buried. Faith doesn't bury doubt, but wrestles it. I am a long way from admitting that my faith has doubt down for the count.
I think being bold on issues where the Scriptures are clear and are foundational doctrines of the Christian Faith is right and important. For secondary issues we should be careful. BTW, for those doubting fundamental elements of Christianity, I would encourage you to find those answers - get into the field of Christian apologetics. There are some awesome resources out there. Being able to give a resonable defence of our Faith is not an option but a command.
"Godly people in Scripture also seemed to struggle with doubt and questions, and it was rarely condemned." Darryl, I'm trying to determine who some of those might be. Of the New Testament saints, which ones might fall into that category?
Well, as for questions, I'd say Jesus for starters, but also Peter and Paul. As for doubts, the recipients of the book of Hebrews.
What doubts are they that today's professing Christians have? I say professing Christians because obviously not everyone who calls himself a Christian is one. If one is a born again follower of Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit residing within, with the incredible, awesome assurance of eternal life, does it make any sense that he or she would have doubt as a consistent characteristic of their walk with the Lord? That doesn't make sense to me. If people are struggling with all this doubt they need to seriously consider where they are in their relationship with Christ. If we are being changed by the Holy Spirit who resides within us, that's going to show up in less doubt and more boldness. If that's not happening, we need to ask ourselves why. The answer will have to do with our own lack of submission and obedience to Almighty God.
George: Most people I know who live as followers of Christ and with the Holy Spirit within still look pretty imperfect at times. Including you, including me. Could be that God isn't finished his work in us yet. I love the psalms. They are full of questions, complaints, and doubts - but also of trust. Even when we don't have all the answers and we have doubts, we can still hope in God. There will be a day when God's people don't have doubts. For now, when I'm standing at a graveside or beside a hospital bed and somebody expresses a doubt, or when somebody is wrestling with an issue, I will believe that God is big enough to handle it, and that faith like a mustard seed is sometimes enough.
In light of this discussion on boldness and doubt I thought folks might like to check out what Oswald Chambers has to say in todays devotional. It is great stuff, check it out http://www.rbc.org/utmost/" rel="nofollow">http://www.rbc.org/utmost/
Thanks, George. That is a good devotional.