100th Post: Counter-cultural

I was browsing through this blog's pages and cleaning up stuff when I realize I've already hit 99 posts; which then, in turn, makes this my 100th blog entry. There's a feeling of joyful exhilaration and sober nostalgia mixing within me.

To be really honest, the only reason why I started a blog was because I had a lot of free time and blogging was the cool thing to do. It was a time when fashion bloggers and beauty vloggers were on the rise, and I wanted to be able to join in on the fun, and maybe if I got lucky, in on the fame too.

Faced with the challenge of staying relevant and the dream of seeing myself among the ranks of the top bloggers of the time, I wrote irresponsibly without any clear direction. I blogged about mundane things. I did the hauls, the reviews and updates on just about everything, believing that the more I was willing to share about my small decisions, I was taking steps in the right direction to blogger fame. But so much has changed about me over time; my writing, my convictions and even my dreams have shifted since when I first started writing.

Most of you who had been with me since the start know that I am a professing Christian. I have been one and still am one after all this time (by the grace of God alone). And over the years, I have come to learn that Christians are called to holiness. Not the legalistic perfectionism kind, but the progressive sanctification kind [emphasis on sanctification, not liberal progression, not that I needed to explain myself.]. A true follower's life is marked by a change in lifestyle and not merely principles. One of the many things that this implies is that as a believer, I cannot be writing about the same things that other people are writing when my life has been clearly set apart. Especially not in these times.

I've probably seen way too many people (myself included) quote this verse on their timelines or some form of social media at some point. But rather flashing it for other people to read, I think it's one of those verses that requires us to take a really long and reflective gaze into ourselves and hold up our hearts against the Word to see if we fall into any of the qualities described. See, the common theme I see happening around me both online and offline is that people are becoming the very things that Paul warns Timothy about and labels it as "keeping it real" or being authentic. Jon Bloom, co-founder of Desiring God says it this way: 

"We formulate an intuitive, somewhat vague ideal of what being real looks like from our cultural influences, influences inside and outside the church. These ideals, if we don’t subject them to careful biblical scrutiny, can develop into flawed assumptions and expectations that we bring into our friendships, churches, and small groups." 

For a time, I was definitely one of those who developed flawed assumptions on what authenticity looked like. A lot of factors contributed to it: opinions of friends and family who affirmed a secular lifestyle and harbored ill, destructive emotions in spite of being colleagues in the ministry; telling me that all was well because "there's room for grace anyway". I recently shared a TGC article on my social media which talked about how being authentic has trumped holiness in this day and age. Its a great article that properly outlines how the Bible calls for us to act based on our convictions in spite of how we feel [integrity]. At the time I shared it, I recalled a story of an instance when a fellow Christian had told me that they refused to be amiable with another person they didn't get along with. Because that to them would be considered fake and putting up a front. How ironic is it that this is the kind of person JC Ryle speaks about in his book called Holiness:

"Worldly people sometimes complain with reason that “religious” persons, so-called, are not so amiable, and unselfish, and good-natured, as others who make no profession of religion. Yet sanctification, in its place and proportion, is quite as important as justification."

The more and more I talk to Christians who subscribe to ideals such as this and many others, the more I realize that nothing is sacred any more, and no one understands what true authenticity is or what holiness really is.

Because of this, there is a huge need for Christians to write differently. Which is what this post is generally about. Just like preachers and teachers, writers are meant to "be heralds, not salesmen." (Alistair Begg) My writing has changed significantly over the last two years because I have come to realize that my life has been changed just the same. When the Holy Spirit awakened us with the gospel, He changes our hearts desires and allowed our convictions to bow down to Christ's holiness and authority. We didn't have that choice when we were in our natural, sinful state. But now, there is an opportunity to follow in His footsteps - so follow in His footsteps, we shall.

We are not a people who have simply started living with new behaviors in order "better ourselves". We have too many listicles and self-help books and magazines for that. Instead, at the most fundamental level, we are a people who have been given new hearts. [Ezek. 36:26] and point to the One who has given it to us. There's a second part to the JC Ryle quote I mentioned above which is most fitting for me to close out this entry with.

There is a clear warning here for people who study the Word closely to make sure they back up their doctrine by walking the talk. The holiness must stem from a clear understanding of the gospel. We cannot have one without the other. Understanding without transformation is arrogant and a disservice to the gospel; and a transformation without the understanding is futile, if not impossible. I don't assume that the desire for all things authentic will be going away anytime soon. As the culture dives deeper and deeper into instant, online connections, I can see that many will strive for things that feel real and lasting. But to that, I raise a challenge: do not be distracted by the world's definition of what is real and lasting. (Or even how your church defines what is real and lasting.) Because the reality is, those definitions will not last. Only Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.