This Michael Jackson meets John Piper video is pretty funny. I've enjoyed a number of Piper's books, though I disagree with him on various issues. I couldn't disagree more with this viewpoint because Christians are righteous, not bad. I do think whoever put this together is clever.
Here's a singer I absolutely love to hear. My favorite song she sings is "The Deer's Cry."(I couldn't find video of that one.) This is her singing, "The Voice." Could anybody not see Christ in this song?
The Voice
I hear your voice on the wind
And I hear you call out my name
"Listen, my child," you say to me
"I am the voice of your history
Be not afraid, come follow me
Answer my call, and I'll set you free"
I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice, I will remain
I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone
The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow
Ne'er do I sleep thoughout all the cold winter long
I am the force that in springtime will grow
I am the voice of the past that will always be
Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields
I am the voice of the future, bring me your peace
Bring me your peace, and my wounds, they will heal
I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice
I am the voice of the past that will always be
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice of the future
I am the voice, I am the voice
I am the voice, I am the voice
I was in a Piper bible study- Battling Unbelief was the name of it I think- for a few weeks this fall. I finally left the group, not because I could find anything specifically wrong with Piper's teaching, but because I had a hard time seeing what he taught as the perspective of grace- and I don't find any value in reinforcing law in my life.
ReplyDeleteI understand your point, but I personally find that I can still learn from people whose views don't agree with mine. I think, for somebody who may just be coming to understand God's grace and who they are in Christ, a time to "detox from legalism" may be helpful. Once we're grounded in grace though, I think it stretches us to read people who we may not agree with on some things.
ReplyDeleteFrom a practical standpoint, if I only read authors who have completely abandoned legalism, I wouldn't be able to read very many books! :)
I think the Holy Spirit will show us what to read and what to put down (or as you did, to walk away from).
Issues like this often just boil down to word games. You see, Piper is a big proponent of grace, as is any Calvinist. And Piper would also agree that Christians are made righteous by Christ's work on the cross. But just because your view of Grace and Righteousness may be different from Pipers, you try to paint his views as something they are not. This is what frustrates me. People act like they are the only Christians that believe in Grace, or Righteousness, or [add your religious term here]. If you want to publicly disagree with somebody, at least present their beliefs accurately. If somebody didn't know any thing about John Piper, they would come away from your blog entry and comments thinking that Piper doesn't believe in Grace or Righteousness. And that's being deceptive. It also is very frustrating to see how carelessly we like to cast the term "legalism" onto others views that do not agree with our own "perfectly non-legalistic" views.
ReplyDeleteRusty, while Calvinists are strong on grace in salvation, many don't embrace the same position when it comes to sanctification. Many still think we are totally depraved, even as believers. The fact is that John Piper is not bad, nor is any Christian. Having said that, I didn't mean to open a theological can of worms here. I just thought it was funny. It was something I saw on the Internet and thought was clever. I often poke fun of myself and, to his credit, John Piper has indicated that this video isn't offensive to him. It's all it fun - nothing more. :)
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