Tag Archive for Kevin DeYoung

Knowledge So That

May 3, 2010 Quotes, The Word 2 comments

-by Kevin DeYoung

A few weeks ago I started a Sunday evening series on 2 Peter. We’re only seven verses into the book, but already I can see the importance of knowledge in this epistle. In verse 2 Peter asks that grace and peace be multiplied to his hearers in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. In the next verse we see that we have been granted all things necessary for life and godliness through our knowledge of Christ. And again in verse 5 Peter instructs us to add to our faith virtue and to virtue knowledge. Growing in knowledge is clearly central to our growth in godliness.

No doubt, this knowledge is more than an awareness of doctrinal propositions. Peter wants his Christian audience to grow in discernment and in a relational “knowing” of God. But it would be a mistake to make “knowledge” nothing but a synonym for living a godly life. Why specify the need for knowledge in verse 5 if it is not different than virtue or self-control or godliness? When Peter talks about grace and peace coming through knowledge he means that learning about God, which includes a cognitive dimension, is key for Christian maturity.

Now, some Christians love to talk about knowledge and learning about God. But, as we all know, the smartest doctrinal whipper-snappers don’t always set the standard for Christlikeness. Because of this, and for a host of other reasons I imagine, some Christians are eager to downplay the importance of knowledge. They are quick to point out “knowledge puffs up.” They will talk about how doctrine matters, but a lot of other things matter too. And make no mistake, the “but” in that sentence is what really matters.

So how should we talk about knowledge, doctrine, and learning in the Christian life? I want to propose a simple change of the conjunction that may help clear up a lot of problems.

Instead of saying “Knowledge of God is important, but…” let’s say, “Knowledge of God is important, so that…” In the first sentence knowledge is quickly affirmed, only to be subtly undermined in the second half of the sentence. But if we use “so that” instead of “but” we’ve managed to affirm knowledge without apology while affirming that knowledge (the good kind at least) is producing something. Growing in knowledge is crucial so that we can receive peace and grace and be empowered for holiness.

The problem is not too much knowledge or too much doctrine or caring too much about thinking. The problem is when knowledge of God becomes a vat instead of a vessel. Doctrinal knowledge is to the Christian life what blood is to the human body. If the blood flows through vessels, it literally gives life to the whole body. But if you just collected blood in a big bucket, some kind of grotesque vat, then you’ve got something unnatural going on. Blood isn’t meant to be stored in a vat. It is meant to flow through vessels of veins and arteries. Likewise, knowledge is not meant to be pooled in a giant theological noggin. Good doctrine and a robust understanding of God is meant to flow through us, producing fruit, leading to worship, making us more like Christ.

We need to find ways to stop pitting head Christians against heart Christians. We shouldn’t allow some churches to be “doctrine churches” and others to be some other kind of church. Every Christian must have knowledge and grow in knowledge. After all, as Peter reminds us, it’s how grace and peace will be multiplied to us. It’s how we receive power for life and godliness.

So we need not make any apologies for insisting that Christians and churches care about knowledge and grow in knowledge. Let’s just add a “so that” before someone else tries to put in a “but.”

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2010/04/06/knowledge-so-that/

Win Them With Love

November 19, 2009 The Church No comments

from Kevin DeYoung
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2009/10/20/reaching-the-next-generation-win-them-with-love/

The evangelical church has spent far too much time trying to figure out cultural engagement, and far too little time just trying to love. If we listen to people patiently and give people the gift of our curiosity we will be plenty engaged. I’m not arguing for purposeful obscurantism. What I’m arguing for is getting people’s attention with a force more powerful than the right lingo and the right movies.

We spend all this time trying to imitate Gen X culture or millennial culture, and to what end? For starters, there is no universal youth culture. Young people do not all think alike, dress alike, or feel comfortable in the same environments. Moreover, even if we could figure out “what the next generation likes” by the time we figured it out they probably wouldn’t like it anymore. Count on it: when the church discovers cool, it won’t be cool anymore. I’ve seen well meaning Christians try to introduce new music into the church in an effort to reach the young people, only to find out that the “new” music included “Shine, Jesus, Shine” and “Shout to the Lord.” There’s nothing worse than a church trying to be fresh and turning out to be a little dated. Better to stick with the hymns and the organ than do “new” music that isn’t new or do the new music in an embarrassing way.

The evangelical church needs to stop preaching the false gospel of cultural identification. Don’t spend all your time trying to figure out how to be just like the next generation. Be yourself. Tell them about Jesus. And love them unashamedly. I think a lot of older Christians are desperate to figure out what young people are into because they are too embarrassed to be themselves and too unsure of themselves to simply love the people they are trying to reach.

Jesus said it best: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Jesus did not say “They will know you are my disciples by how attune you are to new trends in youth culture.” Or “They will know you are my disciples by the hip atmosphere you create.” Give up on relevance, and try love. If they see love in you, love for each other, love for the world, and love for them, they will listen. No matter who the “they” are.

Talk to people. Notice visitors. Invite new people over for lunch. Strike up a friendly conversation at the greasy pizza joint. Let your teenagers’ friends hang out at your house. Love won’t guarantee they young people will never walk away from the church, but it will make it a lot harder. It won’t guarantee that non-Christians will come to Christ, but it will make the invitation a whole lot more attractive.

Church Criticism and Consistency

September 28, 2009 Quotes, The Church No comments

Kevin DeYoung, in Why We Love the Church (pp. 87-88):

“But then again, consistency is not a postmodern virtue. And nowhere is this more aptly displayed than in the barrage of criticisms leveled against the church.

The church-is-lame crowd hates Constantine and notions of Christendom, but they want the church to be a patron of the arts, and run after-school programs, and bring the world together in peace and love.

They bemoan the over-programmed church, but then think of a hundred complex, resource-hungry things the church should be doing.

They don’t like the church because it is too hierarchical, but then hate it when it has poor leadership.

They wish the church could be more diverse, but then leave to meet in a coffee shop with other well-educated thirtysomethings who are into film festivals, NPR, and carbon offsets.

They want more of a family spirit, but too much family and they’ll complain that the church is ‘inbred.’

They want the church to know that its reputation with outsiders is terrible, but then are critical when the church is too concerned with appearances.

They chide the church for not doing more to address social problems, but then complain when the church gets too political.

They want church unity and decry all our denominations, but fail to see the irony in the fact that they have left to do their own thing because they can’t find a single church that can satisfy them.

They are critical of the lack of community in the church, but then want services that allow for individualized worship experiences.

They want leaders with vision, but don’t want anyone to tell them what to do or how to think.

They want a church where the people really know each other and care for each other, but then they complain the church today is an isolated country club, only interested in catering to its own members.

They want to be connected to history, but are sick of the same prayers and same style every week.

They call for not judging “the spiritual path of other believers who are dedicated to pleasing God and blessing people,” and then they blast the traditional church in the harshest, most unflattering terms.”