While our faults always seem small to us due to the natural self-justification of the heart, you can be sure they don't look so small to others. … Read More
William Graham Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced cha-vi-jin) is the Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A Florida native, Tullian is also the grandson of Billy and Ruth Graham, a visiting professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, and a contributing editor to Leadership Journal. More…
Aug
13
2012
Two weeks ago, I sat down with Dr. Paul Zahl to talk about his book Grace in Practice: A Theology Of Everyday Life. Below is Part 1 of our conversation.
Grace in Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life | Paul Zahl and Tullian Tchividjian from Coral Ridge | LIBERATE on Vimeo.
4 Comments
“AA a profoundly graceful phenomenon”? AA’s “powerless” must never be equated with dependency on Jesus (John 15:5).
Firstly, AA’s powerlessness is over a substance, not over the human condition. And with only a 10% success rate (as measured in innumerable valid scientific studies), this is just an unsound analogy.
Secondly, Dr. Zahl should not emphasize that we should start with anthropology, “with who we are and what we are”, and also declare AA as a “profoundly graceful phenomenon”. The AA ethos emphatically asserts a false, negative, failure identity (“I am an alcoholic”), a false premise (“with a disease”), and a biblically antithetical claim (“over which I am powerless”).
God does not see His children as “addicts”. This is not “who we are”, at least not from God’s perspective. Furthermore, why should any child of God say they are powerless when the Bible says we have been given a spirit of power (2 Tim. 1:7) and can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13)?
We’ll be stronger Christians in our everyday lives when we stop syncretizing the “Big Book” with the eternal, life transforming truths of the “Good Book”.
Right,
AA is great, as far as it goes and it has helped countless people regain a handle on this life.
But we need more. The grave awaits us all. Our lives and the life of this world are not progressing…but are being brought to an end.
We are going to need new life again, and there’s only One who can give that to us.
Pastor
The first paragraph says a great deal. “The Law crushes us and Grace lifts us up. ”
Good to remember when I feel like the wreck of the Hesperus.
Hi Tullian,
Long time…I know this is not the place for this but…I hope all is well with you. looking forward to your return. I hope that Bill is doing better now. I understand he was under observation. Know that we care about you and yours… Hope to see ya soon.