Humble Orthodoxy

Justin Taylor lives in Chicago. At 6' 2'' he's about twice as tall as me. He's at least that much smarter than me as well. I'm grateful for his friendship. God has given Justin a very sharp mind and he loves to use it to think about and delight in God's truth. His latest project at his job was to work with over 90 Bible scholars to create a new (and I would say, amazing) study Bible for the English Standard Version.

On the side, Justin also runs a blog that covers a wide array of theological and cultural topics. It's become one of the most popular Christian websites on the internet. And as a result it often becomes a battleground for Christians coming from different backgrounds and denominations. The comments can get ugly and personal. And often Justin is the target.

It's not easy, but I've watched Justin respond to angry words with kindness. I've heard him pray for people who are misrepresenting him and resist the urge to hit back. To me, Justin is a compelling example of humble orthodoxy. He cares about truth, but he's gracious toward those he disagrees with. He reaches out to Christians who differ with him on points of doctrine. He listens to them. He never budges in his commitment to orthodoxy, but he stands his ground with genuine humility. And when he encounters hate, he refuses to hate back.

Justin has helped me understand the causal relationship between humility and orthodoxy. As Justin puts it, humility leads to orthodoxy and orthodoxy leads to humility. Think about that. If we're truly humble, we'll acknowledge that we need truth from God. We won't think that we can invent or recreate our own ideas about who God is. Humility will lead us to accept God's words and his explanation for the world and our own need for salvation.

And in the same way, if we truly know and embrace orthodoxy it should humble us. When we know the truth about God--his power, his greatness, his holiness, his mercy--it doesn't leave us boasting, it leaves us amazed.

It leaves us in awe of truth. It leaves us humbled in the presence grace.

Genuine orthodoxy--the heart of which is the death of God's son for undeserving sinners--is the most humbling, human-pride smashing message in the world. And if we truly know the gospel of grace it will create in us a heart of humility and grace toward others. Francis Schaeffer, a Christian writer and thinker from the 20th century, modeled this kind of profound compassion. He genuinely loved people. And even as he analyzed and critiqued the culture he did so "with a tear in his eye."

That is humble orthodoxy. It's standing for truth with a tear in your eye. Telling your friend living in sexual sin that you love them even as you tell them their sexual preference is disobedient to God. It's remembering that angry, unkind, opponents of the gospel are human beings created in the image of God who need the same mercy God has shown you.

Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem that he knew would condemn and crucify him (Matt. 23:37-39). If we're to follow Jesus, we need to expect the same suffering and hatred and ask for the same heart of compassion that he had.

When we're arrogant and self-righteous in the way we represent orthodoxy, we're actually contradicting with our lives what we claim to believe. Like the story of the unforgiving servant that Jesus told, when we receive God's gracious pardon personally, but then turn and treat others vengefully, we violate the very truth we should embody (Matt. 18: 21-35). Our life tells a lie about the God we claim to serve.

The above is an excerpt from chapter 11 of Dug Down Deep entitled "Humble Orthodoxy." This is actually from of an early version of the chapter, the section on Justin Taylor didn't make the final version of the book. But I wanted to share it here to honor my friend and draw attention to the unique grace of God in his life. Justin's blog is called Between Two Worlds.