Clarifying “Wonderful Plan” Language

- God’s “wonderful plan” for Christians may include times of suffering and persecution whereby we become more conformed to the image of Christ.

- The better, more biblical place to begin is to affirm that “God has a wonderful plan, period.” Salvation is not primarily about God’s plan for my life, but about God’s renewal of everything. It is only within the vision of the glorious new world that God has promised that we find the strength to cope with the fact that God may have a very difficult plan for our lives!

If you have ever looked at the backside of a quilt or a tapestry, you see that there seems to be no overall design or pattern. The quilt looks strange, without purpose or direction. But once you turn it around, you see how the individual patterns make up something that is beautiful.

Our lives do not always seem wonderful. But rather than trying to see what wonderful plan God has for giving us our best life now, Christians trust that the picture God is painting will be beautiful, so we look to experiencing our best life later. God has a wonderful plan, and because of his grace, we are part of that plan.

- from Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals

I always hesitate to write about my book, not because readers of Kingdom People aren’t interested, but because it seems self-promoting. And yet, it’s been several months since I’ve written about Holy Subversion, which was published by the good folks at Crossway earlier this year. So I sense that my blog readers deserve an update on the book and the feedback I’ve received since its release.

One of the joys of writing is hearing from readers. Knowing that more than a million books are published each year, I count it a great privilege that people would put mine on their reading list.

I’m excited to see the different ways that people have decided to read this book. Here are three:

~ as a companion to Tim Keller’s Counterfeit Gods

A good number of people have told me that they read Keller’s Counterfeit Gods and Holy Subversion back to back. Here’s what they say: “Keller’s book lays the foundational theology for understanding idolatry, and then Holy Subversion provides a direct and personal application of this theology.” Of course, one can find lots of practical application in Counterfeit Gods and there is certainly theological reflection in Holy Subversion. But overall, readers have told me that reading the two books together in a complementary fashion has been a helpful exercise.

~ as a small-group resource

I’ve heard from a number of church groups using Holy Subversion as a resource. From men’s Bible studies in the morning to co-ed classes on Sunday evenings, church groups have chosen this material as a conversation-starter about idolatry and its effects in our lives. The notes and emails I have received have encouraged me. I love hearing about the discussions that are started as a result of the book.

~ as a guide to personal repentance

Most of the emails I have received have come from individuals reading Holy Subversion on their own. They say things like: “This smacked me hard, but in a good way.” Or… “I felt like you were shining a spotlight into some areas of my life that I wanted to keep hidden.” Or… “I’m rethinking the way certain aspects of my life reflect my devotion to self rather than Christ.”

My response to this feedback? I totally understand. If you think it’s difficult to read a book on idolatry, try writing one! The Lord has continued to convict and challenge me since the book has come out. The further I go in my quest to live according to the gospel, the more God shows me how idolatry lurks in so many places in my heart and life.

So I go back to this prayer from Charles Spurgeon and seek to make it my own:

Lord Jesus,
take from us now
everything that would hinder the closest communion with God.
Any wish or desire that might hamper us in prayer
remove, we pray you.
Any memory of either sorrow or care
that might hinder the fixing of our affection wholly on our God,
take it away now.
What have we to do with idols anymore?
You have seen and observed us.
You know where the difficulty lies.
Help us against it,
and may we now come boldly,
not in the holy place alone,
but in the holiest of all,
where we should not dare to come
if our great Lord had not torn the veil,
sprinkled the mercy seat with his own blood,
and asked us to enter.

What about you? If you’ve read Holy Subversion, how did you do so? How would you recommend others use this material?

A biblical view of marriage will celebrate the picture of the gospel that marriage is intended to put on display.

Marriage has cosmic implications because it is a picture of God’s covenant love for us in Christ. When we minimize the sacredness of the gospel picture of marriage, we begin to treat marriage as a contract.

The main argument today in favor of same-sex marriage in the United States deals with the contractual rights and legal benefits that a civil marriage provides. Only in a society where the sacredness of marriage has already been devalued could we arrive at the stage where we speak of marriage only in contractual terms:

• Who gets what?
• How can I sign this away?
• Who’s in charge?

As Christians, we subvert the Caesar of Sex by tying sexuality to marriage and by insisting that marriage is not a contract, but a covenant before God.

Seeing marriage as purely contractual undermines marriage. That is why countries that long ago legalized same-sex unions have witnessed a dramatic reduction in the number of people getting married. Once sex is divorced from marriage and once marriage is no longer seen as sacred, the only people who continue the tradition of celebrating the marriage covenant are religious people who see a remnant of sacredness in the institution.

The prevailing view of marriage and sex in our society today actually makes it easier for Christians to subvert the Caesar of Sex. As we witness the devaluation of marriage and the abandoning of biblical sexuality, ordinary actions like saving sex for marriage, celebrating biblical marriage, and remaining faithful to our wedding vows become unusual. Christians stand out in a world of people who are settling for a sad series of “live-in” relationships.

The arrival of same-sex marriage in the United States is indeed detrimental to American society, but this new development provides the church with a unique opportunity to counter the culture with a robust biblical worldview, through “ordinary” acts:

• practicing chastity,
• remaining faithful to our spouses,
• cherishing our marriage covenants,
• and recommitting to fidelity.

It is in our “ordinary” acts that Jesus appears extraordinary to the world around us.

- from Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals, “Subverting Sex” – Crossway, 2010

A couple months ago, I worked on a short video that would sum up the message of Holy Subversion. Crossway has incorporated that video into a nice little promo (see it below). So… here’s the gist of the book in 3 minutes.

Holy Subversion from Crossway on Vimeo.

I have been doing a number of radio interviews in recent weeks for Holy Subversion, but have chosen not to link to them. Many of the shows are similar to each other, and I don’t want to bore you with promotion and publicity for the book.

So far, my favorite interview has been with Doug Baker, editor of the Baptist Messenger and the host of the popular Southern Baptist podcast, Insight. Doug gets to the heart of issues and isn’t afraid to hit the points of the book that might be controversial. Within a span of 35 minutes, we discuss these issues:

• How can “subversion” be holy?
• What is idolatry?
• Potential problems with “Four Spiritual Laws” type evangelism
• Is Testimony-based evangelism effective or lacking Biblical substance?
• Are Christians to change the world?
• Tim Challies versus Tullian Tchividjian on Transformational Christianity?
• The Romans Road? How about the Ephesians Road!
• The Doctrine of Election
• Can Christians ever resist the government?
• Evangelical Conference culture and Celebrity Pastors
• Is it possible to be a shepherd if your church is large?
• Evangelicalism – The Next Five Years

I hope you enjoy the interview and that you’ll follow up with comments below.

We are not merely called to tolerate those who disagree with us; we are called to love. The world’s idea of tolerance is a parody of the Christian understanding of love.

Tolerance is passive. Love is active.

Tolerance is a feeling of apathy. Love is accompanied by feelings of great affection.

Tolerance keeps people at arm’s length in hopes of not offending them. Love embraces people where they are and ‘hopes all things.’

Tolerance leaves people alone as individuals. Love ushers people into a community of generosity.

Tolerance keeps a safe distance between those in need. Love rolls up its sleeves in service even to those who may be unlikeable.

Tolerance avoids confrontation in order to maintain ‘peace.’ Love tells the truth boldly and graciously in order to bring about a deeper, more lasting peace.”

Excerpt from Holy Subversion (pp 145-146)

As of today, Holy Subversion is officially in stock at Amazon.com and will soon be in bookstores across the country.

Last Wednesday, I received my first copy of the book, graciously Fed-Exed to me by Crossway. It is indeed a wonderful feeling to hold your own book in your hands.

Now that the book is out, I’d like to mention a few things that I’ve learned about writing and about myself:

1. Writing is harder than most people realize.

As Corina looked through the book last week, she asked, “Can you believe that all these words are yours?” I looked at her and with a chuckle replied, “Frankly… YES!”

A writer slaves over his words for months. No matter how much you enjoy writing, you will find yourself bogged down in endless edits and continual rephrasing of your sentences.

It is absolutely imperative that you be passionate about your topic before you sit down to write a book. Passion keeps you going when the going gets tough. Have you ever found it harder to write a 5-page book review for a book you didn’t like than to write a 20-page research paper about a subject you found fascinating? Passion makes up the difference.

2. Writing is deeply personal.

Every writer puts a piece of his soul in his book.

As I looked through Holy Subversion last week, I scanned chapter 5, the chapter on subverting Leisure and Entertainment. Every time I look at that chapter, I remember where I was when I wrote it. That particular chapter came together the day that our daughter Julia was born. (No… I was not feverishly finishing the chapter while Corina was giving birth in the other room! I worked on that chapter all day, and Corina went into labor that evening. Just in case you were wondering…)

Likewise, I came up with the structure of the final chapter (“Subversive Evangelism”) while taking a walk one summer day through the downtown streets of our city. Even now, when I look at some of those sections, I can see the distinct buildings beside the road in front of me.

Writing is personal. That’s why, regardless of the nature of the book, authors take criticism of their work so seriously. Whenever you critique someone’s book, you are critiquing a part of their life, questioning ideas that they have devoted time and attention to.

Writers have to grow some tough skin. You write a book because you want your ideas to be made public. You invite criticism. It’s the nature of publishing. A solid critique should not be taken as a personal attack, but given the personal act of writing, it sometimes feels that way.

3. Every writer is deeply influenced and inspired by others.

The last few weeks, I have been filled with gratitude for the people who have poured themselves into my life – people like my former pastor Ken Polk, under whose expository, evangelistic preaching I sat for more than a decade growing up. I am thankful for my pastor Kevin Minchey, who has showed me what pastoral care looks like and has supported and taught me during this stage in my life.

I am thankful for parents who have encouraged me to live in light of God’s kingdom. They have always believed that ideas matter and are worth discussing, debating, and deliberating. Whenever my family gets together (brothers and sister and everyone), we don’t sit around and talk about the weather. We discuss and debate whatever theological or political issue seems most important at the time. Such conversations stimulate the mind and sharpen our thinking.

I am thankful for the quality education I received at Emanuel University in Romania and Southern Seminary in Louisville.

I am also thankful for the subscribers of this blog. I am honored by the fact that so many people would visit this site and read my book reviews and other articles. I am grateful for the writers who have participated in interviews here, and for the other bloggers who link to my work.

The good folks at Crossway have been great to work with. I will be forever grateful that they believed in this project enough to take on the risk of publishing an unknown, first-time author.

4. Authors are never fully satisfied with the final product.

Much time goes by in between the submission of a manuscript and the release date of a book. I began writing Holy Subversion in the summer of 2007. I finished the first draft in late summer, 2008. The final edits were approved in May 2009. The book hits shelves now, in 2010.

As I look back over the work, I find phrases here and there that I would tweak. A writer is never fully satisfied with his project. By nature, we are “word-tinkerers”. We keep playing with them until the publisher says, “That’s it. Time to hit the press!”

5. It is difficult for the Christian author to realize where book promotion ends and personal ambition begins.

It is not easy to separate book promotion and self-promotion. Since writing a book is such a personal endeavor, it is no wonder that it is difficult to separate the two.

A friend at church told me, “Trevin, as long as your motivation is to do good for the kingdom, you don’t need to worry about the sin of self-advancement.” That’s easier said than done. Truth be told, even my best motivations are tainted by sin, and I recognize them as such.

As I have weighed my own motivations and feelings as the release date has drawn closer, I’ve come to realize that two statements are true:

1. If the book did not result in bearing fruit for God’s kingdom, I would be disappointed.
2. If the book did not result in advancing my own name, I would also be disappointed.

The first statement is gospel-driven. The second is idolatrous.

I recognize that I am a mixed bag with mixed-up motives – some that need to die, and some that need to live. Writing a book and hoping it does well can be a terrible temptation to pride. I am praying that God would humble me so that he can use me.

The more I pursue humility, the more I realize that humility is a by product of pursuing something else – namely the kingdom of God and the fame of Christ. So I am constantly asking God to root out the wrong motivations and replace them with love for my King and his kingdom.

I am challenging believers to a life of holy subversion. There is no one who needs that challenge more than me.

The cross is the climax of the great themes of reversal found all throughout the Old and New Testaments.

In Mary’s song, often called the “Magnificat,” she speaks of the mighty being brought down from their thrones and God’s exaltation of the humble. She sings about the rich being sent away empty and the hungry being filled with good things. In the kingdom of God, everything is being turned upside down.

God’s view of our world is radically different than our own.

History books about ancient Egypt list all the Pharaohs and their accomplishments. It is interesting to note that the Bible never tells us the name of Pharaoh during Moses’ day. However, in the book of Exodus, we are given the names of the two Hebrew midwives who protected the Israelite babies and defied Pharaoh’s orders. From God’s point of view, the faithfulness of Shiphrah and Puah are far more important than the pyramids of Rameses the Great.

And nowhere is the “Great Reversal” more evident than in the seeming weakness of the Lamb that is slain and yet sitting on the throne in Revelation. The slain lamb would appear to be a picture of ultimate weakness, and yet a glimpse of God’s throne room shows us that Jesus is the conquering king who has won the victory through his death and resurrection.

Power in the biblical sense affirms God’s glory, not our own. We should take the earthly power and authority that God has given us and exercise it in such a way that it shines a spotlight on God’s magnificent grace.

- from Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals

In Holy Subversion, there is a chapter on how the church should subvert the world’s understanding of power. This excerpt is particularly relevant for this time of year, as it contrasts the power of God’s kingdom with the power of Caesar’s rule:

Consider Jesus of Nazareth alongside Caesar Augustus.

At the time of Christ’s birth, Caesar had issued a call to the Roman world that everyone be counted and properly taxed. As he enjoyed luxurious accommodations in his Roman palace, he hoped to demonstrate his own greatness before a watching world by publicizing the great number of people under his domain. And yet in an unnoticed corner of Caesar’s kingdom, in a simple stable, sleeping in a feeding trough, the Son of God had come to show the glory of his Father.

The nature of infancy teaches us something about weakness, and it teaches us something about our God. Every Christmas we celebrate not Caesar’s triumphant census, but our Emmanuel: God with us.

The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus made himself a servant. The infinite God enclosed himself in a woman’s womb for nine months. God the Son was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger for a bed. God made himself vulnerable.

Picture Jesus, the firstborn above all creation, the one through whom God spoke the creation of the universe, sitting on his mother Mary’s lap, learning to read and write! Such mysteries can never be fully explained. But it is the story of God coming to earth – God’s being with us – that lies at the heart of the Christian worldview.

Imagine Caesar in his palace and Jesus in the manger. Which one looks more like a king?

What would you do if you were in Bethlehem at the time and you had to choose to pledge your allegiance to either a baby boy who excited a few rugged shepherds, or the ruler of the known world with an army of thousands at his command?

Who was more powerful? Caesar or Jesus? Things are not always as they appear.

Christians must have a radically different conception of power. After all, when Jesus was crucified, it appeared that he was dying as a weak man at the hands of the strong. Pilate appeared to have the authority and power. “We have no king but Caesar!” the people shouted.

Caesar ruled by conquering lands and subjugating people. Jesus conquered sin, death, and the grave by suffering and dying – by bearing the full weight of God’s wrath towards the evil of the world and then rising again to new life.

Ed Stetzer is the president of LifeWay Research and a prolific author of too many books to list here. (OK, here are a few recent ones you should note: Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them, Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living, and Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community.)

Ed has also written the Foreword to Holy Subversion. I’ll be posting a few sections of that Foreword in the coming weeks. Before he wrote the Foreword, he wrote an endorsement for the book, included below.

I’m thankful for Ed Stetzer’s commitment to encourage us young guys. I’m also grateful for his contributions to the Southern Baptist Convention and the wider world of evangelicalism.

In the midst of much debate and uncertainly about the Kingdom of God in the world today, Wax makes it clear that Jesus’ kingdom challenges our allegiances. Wax looks at issues of idolatry and stronghold and, one by one, show us how the gospel of the Kingdom requires a new loyalty. Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals is a helpful and challenging book.

- Ed Stetzer