Mockinghero Mark Galli, Senior Managing Editor of 
Christianity Today, does it again:
From Point of Crisis, Point of Grace: Why it’s crucial to recognize how little we’re being transformed.:
To those who wonder what good is Christian faith if it’s not going to make a difference, I reply: If you’re a Christian mainly because you want to be changed, that’s a problem. If you’ve given your life to God mostly because you are tired of yourself and want to be a different person—well, that may suggest you’re merely using God to fix you. That’s not faith. That’s not love of God. That’s love of self.
If you look into your heart and determine that you have given your life to God mostly because you are tired of the world and wish it were different and think that teaming up with God can make it so, then you are merely using God to fix the world you are sick of. That’s not faith or love either. Again, you’re just using God.
. . . . To put it theologically, there is no resurrection without crucifixion. And the crisis comes to a point like this: we look within and discover that despite our transformation talk, indeed our motives are corrupt, our hearts have been wicked and our wills perverse, and we recognize that we’ve been loving self rather than God.. . . It’s at this point, that we’ve come to the crisis point, the point of crucifixion. We know we’re as good as dead. Condemned to a life of self-centeredness. And thus condemned to a life without God. It is only when all hope is lost, of course, that grace rears its beautiful head. Grace only emerges at the point of utter hopelessness. If there is any taint of will, any notion that there is something I can do to resolve the crisis—be penitent, pray, do good—then we’re no longer talking about grace, but some sort of deal with God. So the crisis point is not a single point that occurs at the moment when one becomes a Christian. The crisis point is life itself. And thus life itself is a grace point.
Sounds a bit different than this:
Q: Well, you said, I don’t know of anything else that revolutionizes the interior of a person’s life like faith in Christ.
A:You know what, I’ll say this: If I knew something that did a better job of changing lives, I’d switch. (guess before you click)
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COMMENTS
15 responses to “Mark Galli on Transformation”
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Great post, Jady. On point per usual!
That is a moving and almost sublime paragraph from Herr Galli.
Thank you, Jady.
That preached to me in a gigantor fashion. I so much needed to hear that. Thanks, J.
Life-giving post. Let Mr. Galli be seconded by Mr. George Herbert:
The Holdfast
I threatened to observe the strict decree
Of my deare God with all my power and might:
But I was told by one, `It could not be;
Yet I might trust in God to be my light.'
`Then will I trust,' said I, `in Him alone.'
`Nay, ev'n to trust in Him, was also His:
We must confesse that nothing is our own.'
`Then I confesse that He my succour is.'
`But to have nought is ours, not to confesse
That we have nought.' I stood amaz'd at this,
Much troubled, till I heard a friend expresse
That all things were more ours by being His:
What Adam had, and forfeited for all,
Christ keepeth now, Who cannot fail or fall.
yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes
Let's hear it for "Gigantor".
That was a great show.
Didn't think I'd ever find myself defending Rick Warren, but… if you look at the quote in context, he's answering the question about why he thinks Christianity is so popular in Africa, not why he personally finds Christianity convincing. But that aside, I think this brings up an interesting point– I'm guessing we can all agree that grace has the power to bring freedom where we feel crushed and oppressed by our own sin. If it happens that I see someone experiencing that sort of freedom, and that observation coupled with the realization that I am crushed under my own sinfulness and inadequacy brings me to accept the truth of the Gospel, am I then "using God"? (This is a genuine question, not a rhetorical one!)
And then, what is the proper (and by proper I mean non-selfish) way to see and accept the Gospel? Is there one? I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility that I am so mired in my own selfishness that I can't come to the Gospel in a non-selfcentered way, but I'm interested to hear what others think.
this quote is so great and so true. The contemporary church, especially ones that are "reaching young people" are all about changing the world and not about God. One church I know of has the motto "Joining God in the renewal of all things", like we're partners with God or something. The problem is, as soon as you focus on transformation, you immediately exit the realm of the now, i.e. reality, for some futurized hoped-for, but never realized illusion
Emily– I was struck by your comment, which I think is so genuine and really probes the depths of this issue. I think what you suggest is absolutely true: there is no "pure" way to come to God. God can and does draw us to Himself in spite of our mixed motives, our desire to "change the world for Jesus" or our desire to be transformed into some illusory abundant life. God is a lot bigger than my self-deluded perception of why I am at the foot of the cross. I think Rick Warren is preaching the gospel. Maybe not in the way I might like, but God is using even that flawed message. If we are going to throw stones, maybe those who understand the gospel completely and preach it perfectly should be the first to heave ho.
Dear Emily,
I'm not sure what the significance of Rick Warren using Africa as the defense of his answer has to the issue at hand.
The question was:
COX: – but I wonder if you have any – I mean, one of the appeals I think that you have to journalists is all of the data that you present people. I just wonder if you have any data that would validate that, that Christianity makes more of a difference or a better difference in people's lives than other religions that have similar tenets, like the ones Sally mentioned.
Unless we think that people in Africa are somehow significantly different than we are, then the motivations have to be taken into account there as well.
This is not an answer to your deeper question, but only pointing out that I'm not sure the context really makes a difference here. . .
More to follow:)
Fondly,
Jady
Dear Michael,
There seems to be some recalcitrance on your part to categorize what is "the Gospel," and what is not.
Well, I hear you, and I certainly do not want to beat up on people unmercifully; however, it seems that there are some significant differences between what Rick Warren and Mark Galli are describing as "the Gospel" here.
This is not to question anyone's devotion to Christ, nor is it to impugn Rick's sincerity; nevertheless, it seems that we could, at some point, begin to draw some distinctions between two different ways of conceiving the Christian life.
If this means that, according to you,that I'm "throwing stones," then so be it (not disregarding the fact that no stones have been heaved:).
The Gospel is not about what God does in me, or what he creates in me, or what he creates out of me, but what he has done for me–period. Anything other than that may be Christianity (broadly defined), but that is not the "Gospel."I'll take Hooker on this as a "brother from another mother.":)
What Rick argues is:
WARREN: Well, I'll give you an example of that. Some of you guys know who Jim Collins is – Good to Great and Built to Last. Jim and I were speaking at Claremont grad school last week to a group of business leaders, and he sat down – and he's not a Christian believer – and he sat down: Rick, how do you explain this, that 12 guys and one of them flakes out in a Middle East – how does that multiply to 2.3 billion people today? I don't have an explanation for that except it's a God thing. I don't have any other explanation for that.
COX: So it is a faith, basically.
WARREN: I accept it by faith. As I said, it changes lives. I'm in the life-changing business. That's what I'm all about.
That is NOT what I'm all about, and I (daresay) that is not what Mark Galli is all about either.
Dear Emily,
(finally, I get to your question!)
I think that your point is incredibly helpful; namely, that we all "use God," in a sense, at first. . .no question. This is where the role of a good preacher comes in, because if you are left "using God" to fuel your selfish needs, then you are not hearing the Gospel (cf. Mark Galli).
It's like when we are presented with the Gospel as 12 year old confirmands (in an Anglican sense, at least). Do we know what it means to confess "Christ died for our sins," at 12? Probably not.
But, from 32, or 52 or 82–well, we probably have more appreciation for what that means, unless we have been told that the "Christian life" means "transformation." In that case, we will probably either be resentful of too little transformation, or contemptuous of those our own age who have not experienced the same. What the "Gospel" promises is not transformation (even if that is what we initially thought), but salvation. These are two different things that are being confused by many, Rick Warren included.
So, in answer to your question: there is no "proper" way to accept the Gospel–thank God that anyone at all has "ears to hear"!–but, there is a question about what is being presented.
If you get "saved" into the church of "transformation," then you are in trouble (cf. Ted Haggard); however, if you're saved into the church of "God's love for the ungodly"–then you'll have a longer shelf-life:)
just some thoughts. . . great question!
Fondly,
Jady
Jady, I have probably trashed Warren more than anyone, and I'm not too proud of myself for doing it. I agree with all your points. But he does preach Jesus Christ and him crucified for sinners. That has to count for something. Even Dr. Mattes at the mini-conference said that he believed in the sactification process, that we are transformed by the gospel. Even your claim that understanding the gospel gives us a longer "shelf life" is actually a claim the the gospel transforms us to keep us close to God in a way that preaching the need to be transformed does not. All I am saying is that the message is more convincing when it is put out there as a life boat to the drowning rather than a torpedo to those sailing along with a "purpose driven" head wind.
Dear Michael,
You said:
All I am saying is that the message is more convincing when it is put out there as a life boat to the drowning rather than a torpedo to those sailing along with a "purpose driven" head wind.
I couldn't agree more! Sorry if I misunderstood your previous comment (wouldn't be my first time:)
See you in April?
Fondly,
Jady
Dear Jady and Michael,
Thanks for the responses!
As for the Africa part of my comment, I only mentioned it because I thought that the quote in the original post suggested that Warren's personal reason for accepting the Gospel was its transformational power, and so when I read the interview I was surprised to see that it was actually his explanation for a social phenomenon… I think that leaves room to believe that his personal beliefs might be slightly more nuanced, but that might be overly optimistic. 🙂 I definitely agree that people in Africa are the same as people in the States– at least, I spent January in Uganda and I was struck by the similarities.
Thanks again for all your responses, and I'm sorry that I won't be at the conference in April for in-person discussion!