When I first left school, I wanted to be a journalist. Some people pursue a career in the media because they want to change the world. An aspiring journalist might see the power of words, or the possibilities of capturing ‘history in the making’, and so set out on the journalistic path with noble aims.

Sadly, and embarrassingly, my aims weren’t quite so noble. I wanted good seats at the footy.

There was probably a bit more to it than that, but my basic motivation at the time was something like this: “I love sport.  Look at those guys on the radio and writing all those articles in the paper. They get paid to go and watch sport – wow! What a life! What could possibly beat that?!” It was the height of maturity I could muster at age 17, I’m afraid.

That was half my life ago, and by God’s grace pretty much everything has changed for me since then. But one thing has stayed absolutely the same: I love sport.

Sport and I go way back. I’ve been a fan of pretty much everything sport-related for literally as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are saving my pocket money to buy a South Sydney Rabbitohs yo-yo, the joy of heading off with my Dad to watch the cricket or the footy, and being allowed to stay up late (or get up early) to watch the big sporting events being beamed in from England.

Playing it, watching it, reading about it, chatting about it, whinging about it, rejoicing over it, compensating for my lack of actual ability by playing it on the computer – you name it, I’m there. I’m not even sure why I love sport so much. I have some theories, but it’s really not all that logical.

Get the point? Sport = good.

So whatever happened to my childish childhood ambition? To make a long story short, I did study communications and worked in various media roles for a few years. But right around the time I finished studying, I became a Christian. That helps with all kinds of things, including growing up. My ambitions changed, and God graciously took my life in a very different direction. I ended up going to theological college and becoming a Christian pastor.

But because my love of sport remains, it leaves me with big questions: What does God think about this whole topic, which consumes so much time and conversation for me, and for a large number of my friends, family and congregation members? Does he care about it at all? Is God a Wallabies or an All Blacks fan? (Well, maybe not that last one…)

(Before going any further, here’s my pitch for all the non-sports fans to keep reading (I know, this is one of those topics where you can lose people quickly). Reading this might help you to understand someone you know (and love?) just a little bit better. It might help you to understand either the sins that someone else is struggling with, and/or the issues they’re thinking through, and/or how they spend their leisure time, and/or the blessings that come to them through their love of sport. It might help you to engage with your culture a little better. Unconvinced? No worries, see  you later – thanks for making it this far! 🙂

For some people, sport and theology are like oil and water: they just really don’t mix. Or if they do, it goes about as far as being happy that a Christian athlete mentioned God in their speech after the SuperBowl. One comment I read on a blog recently said, “Watching and playing sports is fun. Athletes aren’t gods, shouldn’t be treated as gods, and are fallen human beings just like the rest of us. Is there really that much more to it?”

I’ve noticed recently that Christian books pour forth at a great rate on all kinds of subjects, especially on most aspects of ‘pop culture’. It’s pretty trendy to consider what the Bible says about the music we listen to and the shows we watch, or to review every new movie from a Christian point of view. But there is really very little material out there on the topic of sport – which is strange, considering how many people are united by having some level of interest in (or obsession with) sport.

So is there really that much more to it? I’m sure the answer is yes, there is a lot more to it. God is the God of everything, and he cares about everything that goes on in his world. As the name of this website says, we are to take ‘every thought captive’ to Christ – including the ones that go through our head while we watch or play our favourite sport.

But what does God think about sport? That’s what I’m going to try to work out.

So over the coming weeks (or months, depending on time constraints, etc), my hope is to post some thoughts on this blog that develop my theological thinking on the topic of sport. How does sport fit in with God’s big plans and purposes in the world right now, focusing on Jesus Christ and his gospel going out? What does the Bible teach us about sport (apart from 1 Tim 4:8)? What does God think about this thing that I spend so much time watching, talking about, enjoying, lamenting over?

No conclusions for now, just raising the idea and setting out some basic plans. I already have a bunch of ideas of the kinds of things that might be relevant, but if you’ve made it this far and have thoughts on what would be worth reading, I’d really love to hear your comments. What aspects of ‘God, the Christian and sport’ would it be most helpful for you to think about?

Now I’ve gotta run. Gotta check today’s NBA scores before bed…

A few years ago, an American pastor named John Piper was diagnosed with prostate cancer. As he awaited surgery, he wrote an article called ‘Don’t waste your cancer’, hoping that people in his church (and beyond) would learn to see times of suffering and trial through God’s eyes – maybe even as a blessing from God.

Stealing John Piper’s title seemed appropriate at a time like this. Yet trying to make sure we ‘don’t waste the earthquake’ may seem like a strange – or even offensive – way of thinking.

For one thing, it assumes that we should aim for more than just ‘getting over’ the earthquake and its impact on us. But it also assumes something else, something much bigger: that the quake was actually part of God’s will for Christchurch – something designed and intended by him, for our ultimate good.

This kind of thinking will be a huge leap for many people. Of course, we thank God that there was no loss of life in the quake, and that we’ve seen his goodness in so many ways over the last couple of weeks. But are we prepared to take the next step and reflect on why this happened, and what God wants us to learn from it? Could we even get to the point where we are ready to thank God for the earthquake? Should we?

In his book The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis wrote: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Lewis was getting at the idea that God is not absent during times of hardship. On the contrary, God sovereignly uses those times for the good of his people. This perspective matches with what the Bible itself tells us. For example, “we know that for those who love God all things [not just the enjoyable things, or some things – but specifically all things] work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28)

My aim here is not to offer an exhaustive reflection on suffering and evil in this world. There are so many questions and areas of thought that we can’t even raise here, and I hope that doesn’t leave you frustrated. Remember, keep reading the Bible, keep praying, and keep talking about these issues together!

Also, while Liz and I have experienced the same feelings of fear and uncertainty as everyone else, I’m very aware of writing this as someone whose home has been almost completely unaffected. I know many of you have faced much harder times than we have over these last two weeks.

That being said, what I’m hoping to do here is simply offer a few reflections on what we can learn from the earthquake – how it might work together for good in God’s purposes, and how we can make sure we don’t waste it.

Probably the first thing we need to do is re-define ‘good’. None of us would have chosen the earthquake. But then again, none of us is God. And God’s ultimate good for us is not that we live in secure houses with running water. God’s will for our lives is much bigger: he wants us to grow in holiness and godliness (1 Thess 4:3); to love and treasure him above everything in the world (Psalm 73:25-26; Matt 22:37-38); to become more and more like Jesus (Romans 8:29).

We could go on and on, but the point is this: what matters most to God is not always what matters most to us. All too often, we focus on what is temporal, earth-focused and human-centred; God focuses on what is eternal, heaven-focused and Christ-centred.

So if we understand ‘good’ in these kinds of ways, how has the earthquake been a good thing? What should we focus on to make sure we ‘don’t waste the earthquake’? Here are some suggestions to get us started.

We will waste the earthquake if it doesn’t remind us how much we need each other. When God saves us, he doesn’t leave us on our own. As well as pouring out his Spirit, he gives us one another and calls us to belong to a local church where we are members of ‘the body of Christ’ (1 Cor 12:27), using our gifts to serve one another in love. Galatians 6:10 says, “as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” 1 John 3:18 tells us we should “not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”

The earthquake is a powerful reminder of just how much we need one another, and that we are actually God’s gift to one another. It reminds us that God gives us other Christians so that, together, we can persevere as his people and run the race marked out for us. It reminds us that we should never take ‘church’ or Christian relationships for granted.

To be honest, I think this is one area where St Stephen’s as a parish is generally strong – and I thank God for that. But as we support each other through this time, remember that what’s needed is more than (though not less than) providing a meal or offering a spare room to a friend. Pray for each other! Pray with each other! Pray that God would help us to fix our eyes on what is eternal, not just on what is temporal. Weep together and share your fears, but always aim to point each other back to our great God and Saviour, our refuge and our strength and our ever-present help in times of trouble. Let’s use our conversations and our practical shows of support in ways that encourage one another to stay focused on Jesus.

We will waste the earthquake if we don’t let it show us, once and for all, that “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Read through the parable in Luke 12:16-21. We should thank God that we’ve received this reminder without anyone’s life being demanded from them! But we will waste the earthquake if we don’t “seek God’s kingdom” and pursue “treasure in heaven that can never be exhausted” more zealously than ever before (Luke 12:31, 33). We will waste the earthquake if we don’t heed Jesus’ warning in Mark 8:36: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

On top of that, situations like this remind us of how to handle the anxieties of life: entrust ourselves to our loving heavenly Father, and seek first his kingdom. I wrote about Matthew 6:19-34 in last Sunday’s ‘Weekly Word’, so won’t go into any details here. But what a wonderful passage to remind us of God’s very real care for us, and the need to store up ‘treasures in heaven’ instead of ‘treasures on earth’! Every earthly treasure we have lost in the earthquake should remind us of our heavenly treasure that can never be damaged.

We will waste the earthquake if we don’t realise how small and fleeting our own plans are, and how much we depend on God to direct the course of our lives. Think back to this time three weeks ago. What plans did you have for the rest of the month? The rest of the year? What’s happened to those plans now?

In James 4, we read a warning directed at those who forge ahead with their own ambitions while forgetting God’s sovereignty over their lives. “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’.” (James 4:13-15).

Sometimes, when people ask me about my plans, I remember to add a token ‘God-willing’ at the end. It’s always been little more than a throwaway line. But in one moment, at 4.35am on September 4th, we were all shown the foolishness of trusting ourselves and our carefully organised schedules and plans. No doubt, many of our plans and priorities will slowly come back into focus as our city and our lives return to normal. But whatever plans we make, don’t forget who’s really in charge: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” (Prov 16:9)

There’s one final point worth making. In the face of earthquakes and other natural disasters, we can be prompted to ask questions like, ‘Is this God’s judgment on us? Was God punishing our city?’

In Luke 13, Jesus is asked about a tragedy where some Galileans had been killed as they offered their sacrifices. In answering, he referred to a ‘natural disaster’ in which 18 people had died. Here’s his response:

“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:2-5)

We live in a creation that is subject to groaning and decay because of our sin. In a general sense, what happened on Saturday morning was part of living in such a world. But we have no reason to say that God was specifically punishing Christchurch, or anyone in Christchurch, on September 4th. We simply cannot draw a direct connection between particular sins (or sinners) and a particular natural disaster. There’s a word for that kind of thinking: karma. It’s not how God runs his world.

And yet, when we see first-hand the brokenness of our world, what a terrible waste if we fail to examine ourselves and repent of the sin in our own lives! What a waste if we fail to pray for those around us who don’t yet know Jesus, and who need to hear Jesus’ call to repent! What a waste if we fail to pray that the earthquake would serve as a ‘megaphone’ to rouse us from our spiritual slumber, or if we fail to pray that people’s eyes would be opened to what really matters in life, so that they would be prompted to consider the gospel in a fresh way. What a waste if we do not seek out opportunities to tell people of the reason for the sure and certain hope that we have.

There is still so much to be done as we pick up the pieces together and as we process all that’s happened. But let’s not forget, this earthquake is an opportunity. Don’t waste it!

Last night at church we finished off our sermon series on Romans 1-8, which ends with one of the best passages in the whole Bible. One of the reasons it’s such a brilliant passage is because of the assurance it gives to Christians. But there’s an important question often related to the issue of assurance: Can a Christian fall away and lose their salvation?

I thought about addressing this whole topic in the sermon last night but decided not to – mainly because it’s just too big, and it’s not really what Romans 8 is about. But since someone asked me about it after the sermon, I thought it might be helpful to share some ideas for anyone who’s interested.

If you don’t want to read through this whole thing but you’re still interested: (a) don’t be lazy! 🙂 (b) I’ve put a bullet-point summary at the end.

Remember this is just my way of thinking through the issue, and plenty of Christians who are older and/or wiser than me would think differently. So don’t just take my word for it – check if what I’m saying matches with the Bible.

1. Don’t!
The first thing to say is that the Bible doesn’t really directly answer this question with a yes or a no. If anything, the closest thing the Bible gives us to a direct answer is ‘Don’t fall away!’

As you probably know, the New Testament has plenty of passages that warn people against the dangers of abandoning their faith in Jesus Christ. Some of the clearest ones are Hebrews 6:4-8, Hebrews 10:26-31, Matthew 10:22, Mark 13:13, and John 15:1-7 – which all warn Christians not to let go of Jesus. We have to keep trusting him, relying on him for forgiveness of sins, living for him, serving him, abiding in him.

How do these warning passages fit into the whole issue? We’ll come back to that in a minute.

2. Okay, but can a Christian fall away? No!
If we want a ‘yes or no’ answer to this question, I think the answer is no. A Christian cannot fall away.

Often we think about being a Christian from our point of view. We think about our decision to trust in Jesus, or our decision to say no to sin and live a godly life – the things that we believe and we do.

Those things are important, but let’s think for a moment about how Paul describes the Christian life in Romans 1-8:
• Christians are called (by God) to be saints (1:7)
• Christians are justified by God’s grace as a gift – so salvation is something that God does (3:24, 8:3)
• Christians have had God’s Spirit poured into their hearts (5:5); he now dwells in us (8:9-11)
• Christians have been united to Christ and so have been brought from the realm of Adam into the realm of Christ (5:12-21)
• Christians have died with Christ and will be raised with him (6:1-11), and we are now dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus
• Through Jesus Christ, God has delivered us from the body of death (7:24-25)
• God has changed Christians from being people who are hostile to him and cannot please him (8:7-8)
• God called us, foreknew us, and predestined us (8:28-29)
• Christians are God’s elect (8:33)

The point of all that is:
(a) Being a Christian is the biggest possible change – much bigger than we often realise
(b) Being a Christian is about what God does much more than being about what we do

So, can a person who is called, chosen, foreknown, predestined and elected by God since before the foundation of the world somehow slip through God’s fingers? Can a person who has died with Christ somehow un-die with Christ? Can God’s Spirit – who makes it possible for us to call Jesus ‘Lord’ in the first place (1 Cor 12:3) – fail to keep someone trusting in Jesus? Can we be un-united to Christ?

When we look at salvation from God’s point of view and remember that it’s all his work, the issue comes into focus. The question is not ‘can we fail?’ The question is ‘Can God fail?’ Surely the answer to this question is a massive ‘No!’

This doesn’t mean we never look at ourselves to make sure we believe the truth and live accordingly. In 2 Corinthians 13:5 we are specifically commanded: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.” However, the most important thing is to not just look at ourselves, but to look to God and trust everything he’s done for us in Christ. (Other great passages to read are John 10:27-30 and Eph 1:3-14.)

3. “But I know people who’ve fallen away…”
We all know people who have appeared to be genuine Christians, yet after a while have packed it in and now don’t want anything to do with Jesus. How do we make sense of this?

We need to remember that people who come to church a lot can have their morality and their way of life affected by just being around other Christians. More to the point, Jesus is so magnificent that it’s possible for a person to come into such close contact with him and be so compelled by him that it really does change their life – for a while. But over time, it becomes clear that there was never a real, saving faith in Jesus – no matter how much Jesus affected that person in other ways. So, in the end, we can conclude that a person like this was, tragically, never really ‘born again’ (as Jesus puts it in John 3:1-8).

We shouldn’t be surprised by this, for at least two reasons:
1. It happened to Jesus during his earthly ministry (for example, the crowds welcomed him into Jerusalem on ‘Palm Sunday’, then a week later were baying for his blood and wanted him crucified)
2. Jesus taught that this would happen. For example, in Matthew 7:21-23 he warns that many people will claim to be Christians (and even do great things in his name) but that his verdict on the last day will reveal that they never really trusted him. The parable of the sower also predicts that many people will hear the word and initially receive it with joy, only to have it ‘choked out’ (13:20-22).

4. The warning passages
If a genuinely saved Christian can never fall away, what’s the point of all those warning passages? Are they just pretend?

Basically, God uses these warnings to keep his people trusting in him, and to remind them of the danger of not trusting in Jesus. As Jesus says in John 10:27, his sheep will hear his voice. Part of hearing his voice will mean responding to the warning passages by heeding them and so not falling away.

God understands our human frailty, so he graciously relates to us in this way. Because he wants us to ‘work out our own salvation with fear and trembling’ (Phil 2:12), he doesn’t just bypass our ability to make decisions. Instead, he warns us and urges us to keep trusting in Christ. But as we do that, we can also take great comfort in knowing that, if we are Christians, ‘it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure’ (Phil 2:13).
5. So can we really have assurance?
So you might think, ‘If it’s possible for a person to look like they have genuine saving faith in Jesus, but they don’t really, what about me? How do I know I’m really saved?’

The best way forward is NOT to questions like, ‘Do I have enough faith?’ or ‘Am I good enough?’ or even ‘Am I really saved?’

Instead, the most important question we can ask is: ‘Am I trusting in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of my sins and for my salvation?’ (Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 3:14; Hebrews 6:12). Look to Jesus, not yourself.

Then, we can also ask ourselves other questions like:
• ‘Is there evidence in my life that the Holy Spirit is changing me?’ This doesn’t mean we trust in our good works, but it is right to look at our lives and expect (and pray!) that God’s Spirit would produce the fruit of the Spirit in us (Gal 5:22-23).
• Similarly, ‘Is my faith leading me to do good works?’ James 2:14-26 tells us that faith without works is dead. As the saying goes, “We are saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone.”

But the most important thing is to remember the source of our salvation: Jesus, and his death on the cross for us. If you want assurance as a Christian, look to the crucified and risen Jesus, and trust in him daily.

QUICK SUMMARY
• DON’T fall away! The Bible’s answer is not so much yes or no, but a warning not to fall away.
• NO, a genuine Christian can never fall away and will never fall away. Think about it from God’s perspective, not just ours. Christians are chosen by God, predestined, elected, called, etc. The question is not ‘Can we fall away?’ The question is ‘Can God’s purposes fail or be thwarted?’
• When someone ‘falls away’, sadly it means they weren’t really trusting in Jesus. He warned about this, and even experienced it himself (Matt 7:21-23; Matt 13:20-22; Matthew 21:9 –> Matthew 27:20)
• God uses the warning passage to keep his people trusting in Jesus
• Don’t look at yourself first, but instead look at Jesus. Are you trusting in him?