A Biblical View of Singleness

One of the courses being taught at NETS this semester is called "Gender, Singleness, Marriage and Family" (yes, I know we really need to come up with a better title 😂). In general, Namibian culture has a fairly negative view of singleness and places a high priority on bearing children and having descendants. This makes sense when many traditional religions venerate their ancestors as mediators between them and God. Marriage and family is the expectation and extended singleness is considered at best, weird, and at worst, a curse. So I was excited for the opportunity to be a guest lecturer for this course teaching the section on singleness.

The Bible actually offers an incredibly positive view of singleness lived in purity for the sake of God's kingdom. When the disciples considered Jesus' comments on divorce, they responded, Perhaps "it is better not to marry." And the remarkable thing is... Jesus agreed with them! In Matt 19:11-12, Jesus said:

"Not everyone can receive this word, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it."

A eunuch was a man who was castrated. Some men may have received it as a birth defect. Sometimes, particularly in the palace, male slaves would be castrated to keep them away from the royal women and protect the dynasty. But others choose it voluntarily for the sake of serving God’s kingdom, whether literally (Origen being the most famous case) or figuratively in the sense of choosing to remain single. And Jesus remarkably says that those who can actually accept this statement should live this way! Living as a single person serving God's kingdom purposes is a good thing!

In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul affirms the same truth. In vv.8-9, he says, "It is good for them to remain single" as long as they have the self-control to live with purity. In vv.32-35, he comments how married people have divided interests, because just practically they need to care for their spouses and families. But a single person can spend their time and energy fully devoted to the Lord (like the eunuch for the sake of the kingdom). He ends off in v.38 saying, "So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better."

Not taking anything away from the goodness of marriage (the Bible regularly confirms the goodness of marriage), but singleness lived in purity for the sake of God's kingdom purposes is a very good thing! One professor helpfully illustrated it like being part of the special forces in the military.

But what about the idea of children and descendants? Certainly in the OT, having many offspring was a blessing (e.g., Gen 1:28; Deut 7:12ff; Ps 127:3-5). Barrenness was a curse and having no posterity was a fate worse than death because your name would be blotted out from the face of the earth (e.g., Deut 29:20; 1 Sam 24:21; Ps 109:13). But Isaiah introduces us to two fascinating characters: 1) The barren woman of Isa 54:1-5 will have more children than the married woman! And 2) The eunuch of Isa 56:4-5 will be given “an everlasting name that shall not be cut off,” and one that is “better than sons and daughters.” What is the great hope for single people that Isaiah describes here? Who are these offspring?

Looking forward into the NT, Paul recognizes that Christ is the ultimate offspring of Abraham through whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed (Gal 3:8, 16). And from the single divine offspring come many offspring, for all those who are in Christ are also “Abraham’s offspring” (Gal 3:29). So if we are in Christ we are Abraham's spiritual offspring.

So then, the physical multiplication of Israel in the OT becoming as numerous as the stars in the sky and sand on the seashore was a picture pointing forward to the spiritual multiplication of God's people to become an innumerable multitude from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Rev 7:9). So now, the primary mission of the church is to raise and nurture spiritual children through making disciples and expanding the kingdom of God (Matt 28:18-20; 2 Tim 2:1-2). Paul regularly talks about those whom have come to Christ through his ministry as his spiritual children (e.g., 1 Cor 4:14; Gal 4:19; 1 Tim 1:2; Tit 1:4; Phlm 1:10). Certainly families raising godly children is an important way to make disciples, but the mission is broader than this. And in that mission, single people have a very important role to play in raising spiritual children.

So, singleness is not a curse, or a disease you need to be cured from. It is a gracious gift from God, a time in your life when you can be undivided in your devotion and service of Him. The real question then is, what are you doing with this gift? Are you using it for God’s glory and mission, expanding His kingdom through raising and nurturing spiritual children?

Covid Update

Over this past month, during our lockdown, the situation has improved. Our daily new infection rates have dropped from about 1600 to about 800. But along the way Namibia has become first in the world in deaths per capita due to covid. Starting tomorrow things will open up a bit with no regional travel restriction, a later curfew, and groups of up to 50 people. And, thankfully, we'll be able to return to face-to-face teaching at the seminary.

Regarding vaccines... I mentioned earlier that we did have two different vaccines available (AstraZeneca and Sinopharm). I even had an appointment earlier this month, but before I could go for the appointment our whole city ran out of vaccine stock. 🤦🏼‍♂️ We have now received more stock, but with the sudden spike in cases now everyone's interested and the lines are long. For some people the wait has been 3-7 hours (not exaggerating!). That's not for the poke, mind you, but due to all the hand written paperwork (🤦🏼‍♂️again). But even still, only 6.1% of our population have gotten their first shot, and only 1.8% have been fully vaccinated.

But in all this I have great peace, because the truth is any suffering we experience is a microcosm of God's great story. Remember from literature class, the tension of any plot line cries out for and points us toward the resolution. So any pain and suffering we experience in this world, is only a temporary precursor to life eternal! As Paul said, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us" (Rom 8:17).

I love the lyrics from Andrew Peterson's great song, "The Dark Before the Dawn":
I had a dream that I was waking

At the burning edge of dawn
And I could see the fields of glory
I could hear the sower's song
And all that rain had washed me clean
All the sorrow was gone
And I could finally believe
The king had loved me all along
I saw the sower in the silver mist
And He was calling me home

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

At church we are going through a series about spiritual warfare called "He Will Fight For You". I was tasked with preaching on one of the most familiar stories in the whole Bible, David and Goliath. But it is also one of the most misapplied to our lives today. Understanding David’s perspective on his battle with Goliath helps transform, not just how we view his story, but also how we view the battles in our own lives today. You can check it out here.

God, Our Healer

During February our church is having a month of prayer and fasting. To go along with that we've been preaching through a series on prayer. I was asked to preach on the topic of sickness and healing. Whether it’s ourselves or someone we know, one of the most common prayer requests is asking God to bring healing for someone. But does God still work healing miracles today? How should I pray for healing? Understanding how sickness and healing fits into God’s big story will not only help us to pray better, but will also help us to live our stories well. You can listen to the message here if you'd like.

False "Profits"

One of my co-lecturers at Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary (NETS) has long been an Evangelical voice against the prosperity gospel in Namibia. His latest brazen response against these false teachers, published in today's Namibian newspaper, gives an unfortunately accurate picture of a large segment of "Christianity" in Namibia and the effects on its followers. You can read the article online here: The Spiritual Supermarket.

Village Life

Everything is a bit slower in the village. You can take your time waking and getting ready for the day. Meals take longer to cook. Recreation takes longer to organize. Preaching messages (as they're translated) takes longer. Even slow conversations in the shade of a tree fill the long afternoon. The only thing that's shorter is the amount of time you can run the water in the shower.

I was invited to speak at an Easter Conference for Grace Reformed Baptist Church. One of the members was hosting the conference at his homestead in the village, over 100km off the tar road and some 30km into the bush past anything even resembling a town. What I mean by village is a number of spaced-out plots each with a house and a cattle krall, surrounded by some communal grazing land. It doesn't even get a name on the map.

We were the first to arrive at the homestead in the late afternoon and helped others set up their tents as they continued arriving throughout the evening. After dark the men sat around the fire drinking tea while the women were preparing a late dinner on the same fire. The meal was pap and soup and of course, some meat. Fortunately they served me chicken, figuring I probably wouldn't be interested in what everyone else was having . . . cow stomach. They were right. (Note: I wasn't just copping out. I've tried cow stomach before and was not a fan!)

The theme of the conference was "The Wrath of God." I was asked to do four sessions on the doctrinal aspects, while another speaker was doing four talks on the practical side of it. At first the prospect was a bit intimidating, but the more I prepared and studied the more excited I became about it. The doctrine of the wrath of God is certainly under attack in our culture today. It makes God seem judgmental and angry, when really we just want Him to be tolerant and loving. Therefore, I presented a defense of the wrath of God based on the consistency of His character. The first morning we looked at God's wrath as a response to His holiness (2 Sam. 6:1-11). During the second session we looked at God's wrath as the necessary response of His justice (Gen. 18:16-33). The third lesson was reconciling God's wrath with His mercy, seen in Christ's death on the cross satisfying God's wrath on our behalf (Lev. 16; Mark 15). And then the last evening we looked at the wrath of God still to come on those who reject Christ (Rev. 19:11-21), and God's patience allowing them more time to repent (2 Pet. 3:9). I never thought I would be much of a fire and brimstone preacher, but sometimes that's what teaching the full council of God's Word requires.

By the end of the weekend I had heard a lot of encouraging feedback. One guy, being challenged by the over 2 million people dying in Namibia without Christ, wanted to leave his job in the city, move back to his town and start a small business to support the family, and commit his time to sharing Christ in his own community. In reality I don't imagine he will go to those lengths, but it shows that his heart was stirred to action. And that was our goal, as our final prayer together was that we may be doers of the Word and not hearers only.

We had a friendly guest crash the conference, usually at meal time.

We organized a game of volleyball despite the gusty wind.

Speaking at one of our morning sessions

A baptism after our Sunday morning church service

The whole crew at the conference

Brokenness

My fan broke today. The other day it was my sunglasses and my camping chair. A few days before that it was my toaster. It frustrates me because we pay money for things expecting them to work. But everything keeps breaking. And then we have to pay more money to fix it or replace it. Nothing lasts.

But actually, that’s the kind of world we live in. It’s broken. Romans 8:20 says, "the creation was subjected to futility.” Everything moves toward deterioration. Our stuff, our bodies, our societies, everything. And there’s nothing we can do to stop it. No matter how much we try to patch things up, cover them over, glue them back together, or medicate them, it’s inevitable. Time and age are patient. They will always outlast our best efforts. Everything wears out. Nothing lasts.

If that sounds a bit depressing and hopeless, I think it’s suppose to. Because I think every time something breaks, it points forward to a time when everything will work, when nothing will decay, when ‘broken’ won’t even be part of our vocabulary. Romans 8:21 speaks of the hope "that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” You see, this world is not the end. Brokenness, deterioration, decay, it’s not the end. So when I go to replace my broken fan, I’ll try not to get frustrated because I know it’s just a reminder that He “is making all things new” (Rev. 21:5).

Blossoming Deserts

This is exactly why I call my blog "Blossoming Deserts." All it takes is a little bit of rain and the desert bursts into bloom. What was once dry, brown dirt becomes a fertile field of different shades of pink, yellow, purple and green.

That’s exactly how God’s Word works in the lives of dry souls. Jesus calls Himself the living water that becomes within us a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Just like the driest desert before the rain, Jesus can transform even the driest soul.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall My Word be that goes out from My mouth;
    it shall not return to Me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

                                                       ~ Isaiah 55:10-11

Knowing God

“How can we turn our knowledge about God into knowledge of God? The rule for doing this is simple but demanding. It is that we turn each truth that we learn about God into a matter for meditation before God, leading to prayer and praise to God.” (J.I. Packer, Knowing God, p.23)

I could do some research and tell you all kinds of information about President Abraham Lincoln, where he was from, how he rose to power, when he was married, inaugurated, and died. I could quote for you from some of his speeches and legislation. I could tell you a lot about him, but that doesn't mean that I actually know him. There's a big difference between head knowledge and experiential knowledge. The same is true regarding knowing God.

One of the great risks of theological education is that we fill our heads with knowledge about God, but we never actually come to know God Himself. This idea has come to the forefront as I prepare to teach a course this semester on the theology of God. We could read lots of theology books and study the details of God's attributes and perfections, His character and His work, and never actually have a true encounter with the living God. We could read our Bibles all day, but if it remains only a piece of historic literature then we will never experience God through it.

The study of God is simply the means through which we encounter Him. Our aim and ultimate purpose is not the knowledge in itself, for "knowledge puffs up" (1 Cor 8:1), but our goal is the God whom that knowledge is about. This is, as Packer notes above, where disciplines like meditation, prayer, and praise come in. So the question is, am I seeking knowledge about God for its own sake, or am I seeking to dive deep into the infinite depths of the God whom I'm studying, to let wave after wave of His greatness crash over me and overwhelm me, and to love Him deeper for the knowing?

"A Spectacle to the World"

One of the most popular false teachings here in Africa is that God’s primary goal is to give you material blessings and a comfortable, easy life. Pastor’s often become the spectacle of this philosophy. They convince their poor congregations to give every last cent as “seed” money, while they are living the high life as a demonstration of their godliness and faith evidenced by their material blessing.

Lately I’ve been reading through 1 Corinthians in preparation for my class on the theology of the Church. In chapter 4:8ff, I couldn’t help but resonate with Paul’s rebuke of the Corinthian church in light of my current context.

“Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us [apostles] you have become kings!"
They were boasting of their spiritual maturity. They were arrogant about what they considered wisdom. They were puffed up and proud, as if they had earned for themselves anything they were given.

“And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!”
Paul takes a sarcastic stab turning on his use of the word ‘kings.’ For one day we all will be ‘kings and queens’ reigning with Christ. So if they had actually been ruling as kings, then it would mean Christ had returned and Paul and the apostles would also be reigning with them.

“For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.”
But true leaders shouldn’t put themselves first, but last. Paul, the apostles, his missionary partners, they have been put on display as an example of what leadership should look like.

“We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.”
The example of the apostles is exactly the opposite of what the world would hold up as exemplary, and what the Corinthians exhibited. It’s not arrogant and boastful, trying to prop oneself up. Rather it’s humility, recognizing weakness, through which God gets all the glory.

“To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands.”
They certainly weren’t in the business to get rich and fat, have big houses and fancy clothes. But none of these hardships where cause for them to give up, cash it in and choose another profession. These are simply the accepted occupational hazards. It comes with the job.

“When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat."
And resistance doesn’t mean that you don’t have enough faith or that God is punishing you. It usually means you’re doing something right! We should expect slander, persecution, cursing, hatred. The world and the devil don't like our message so they’re gonna put up a fight. Jesus said if the world hated Him then it’ll hate His followers too. But neither is this reason to give up. Rather it should encourage us to continue, to press on even more so.

"We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.”
Wow, what does this say of our own culture of celebrity pastors and Christian pop icons?

Christianity is not about propping ourselves up. It’s not about seeming wise or getting rich, famous, and powerful--even if it's in the name of Jesus. The apostles have set for us an example of humble servanthood, following Christ with abandon above all else, making His name famous. But how busy do we often get decorating our reputations, coddling our comfortable lifestyles, or lining our retirement accounts? Thanks for the reality check, Paul.

Why I Am (Still) a Christian

I first became a Christian when I was 5 years old. I vaguely remember one of my parents sitting at my bedside telling me about Jesus, and I decided heaven sounds like a way better option than hell, so I chose Jesus. Growing up in the church, I got born-again again any time a preacher talked about hell, just to make sure I meant it for real this time. I also learned to navigate Christian legalism by doing the right things and avoiding the wrong things. I went to Sunday School and youth group and didn’t smoke or drink, and I was applauded for being a “good little Christian.” But as my sinful nature grew to maturity, fear of eternal damnation, family tradition, or some legalistic moral code weren’t gonna cut it as motivations to cling to Christianity. I needed something greater.

Jesus liked to tell stories, which is good because I like stories. Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a man who unearthed a treasure in the middle of a field. He quickly reburied it, and joyfully sold all he had to purchase that field. Again, he told of a jewel merchant who found a pearl so valuable that he too sold everything he had in order to buy it. Jesus’ stories challenged my paradigm of Christianity as a religion of Law and duty and eternal destiny. He described something so great and valuable that one would joyfully forsake all else to obtain it. Either Jesus didn’t understand Christianity very well, or I didn’t.

Another thing Jesus said was, “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). My understanding of eternal life had to do with sitting around heaven forever and ever. Honestly, it sounded kinda boring to me. But this abundant life seems different than eternal life. Eternal life seems to imply quantity, starting now and continuing forever. But ‘abundant’ is a qualitative word. It describes the quality of that life. Not only will it last forever, but it will be full, fruitful, desirous, satisfying! That kind of life sounds great! I would gladly forsake all else to obtain that abundant life! But it certainly wasn’t to be found in my Christianity of religious duty. It was time for me to put my childish Christianity behind me and relentlessly seek this life Jesus had to offer.

The missing piece came in this truth, that God Himself is that infinitely valuable treasure. He alone is ultimately satisfying. In Him “there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). We are commanded to “delight [ourselves] in the Lord” (Ps 37:4). Our greatest happiness/enjoyment/satisfaction is found in God alone because He is infinitely and supremely valuable! And when we find our ultimate satisfaction in God we demonstrate to the world that He is indeed supremely valuable. That’s what worship is, attributing worth to something. So being satisfied in God is worshipping God! By finding our greatest joy in Him, we are giving Him glory! Pastor and author John Piper says it this way, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him” (Desiring God, 50)

Conversely, sin is finding our satisfaction in anything other than God. Certainly God has given us all things for our enjoyment (1 Tim 6:17). But those are only secondary pleasures, which find their ultimate source and fulfillment in God. When we seek our ultimate satisfaction and joy in lesser things, we are attributing more worth to them than we are to God. We are worshipping them, and thus committing idolatry. So all sin is ultimately a form of idolatry.

In a stirring passage, C.S. Lewis wrote:

“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (The Weight of Glory, 2)

I was always told that Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship. Religion seems to emphasize duty, whereas relationship emphasizes love. A man does not compliment or give gifts to his wife out of mere duty, but out of love. Love will always be a stronger motivation than duty. Christianity is not about doing the right thing rather than the wrong thing, or believing the right doctrine rather than the wrong doctrine.* It’s about loving supreme value rather than insignificance. Satan and sin can only offer us what Piper calls “two-bit, low-yield, short-term, never-satisfying, person-destroying, God-belittling pleasures of the world” (Desiring God, 20). Only God can give us ultimate satisfaction, because He alone is ultimately valuable.

I am still a Christian because I came to understand what true Christianity is all about. It’s more than a set of rules telling me what I can and can’t do. It’s more than some kind of fire insurance for the afterlife. It’s more than rousing some temporary spiritual emotion. It’s about finding my satisfaction in the One of greatest value, namely God Himself. He is the Treasure I can joyfully forsake everything else to obtain. So I can say with Peter and the apostles, “Lord, to whom else shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life” (John 6:69).

* Naturally, as we love God and find our satisfaction in Him, we will delight in holiness rather than sinful behaviors and thought patterns, and we will delight in true doctrine over false teaching. Thus behavior and doctrine are an essential part of Christianity, but perhaps not as central as some Christian groups have made them each to be. Are not the Greatest Commandments to love God and love others (Matt 22:37-40)? It’s about love, not duty. Yet, if one loves, he necessarily fulfills his duty out of love.