Safe Space and the Gospel

The phrase “safe space” has multiple definitions. When used to describe campus life and culture, it usually means protection from emotional discomfort, according to a recent article in Harvard Political Review.

A poll conducted from May 5 to May 11, 2017 through the polling company Whatsgoodly, revealed that thirty-six percent of college students feel safe spaces are “absolutely necessary.” Between November 8. 2016 and January 21, 2017 we were inundated with a landslide of responses from people who opposed Donald Trump being President of the United States. We heard about everything ranging from pacifiers to Play Dough to guest speaker events being cancelled. 

I am wondering whether this "safe space" mentality is creeping into the church. Maybe it's my old age creeping up on me, but it seems like the character of God, and thus the gospel, is changing with the goal of presenting the church as a "safe space." While God is kind, good, loving, and merciful in dimensions we cannot yet fathom, He is also vengeful, wrathful, hateful, and judgmental. None of these characteristics are out of balance and this is what makes God holy and full of glory. The word "glory" implies weight and when perceived - just a little bit - it will drive us to our knees. A partial verse in James that we love to quote is "Mercy triumphs over judgment." The full verse is "For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment."     James 2:13 

My desire is to keep this blog to a readable length, while still making a point. God's love for us is not the equivalent of a 16 year old who is obsessed with the lead cheerleader. God's love for us is described adequately in these three Scripture verses:

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!" 1 Chronicles 16:34

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."    John 3:16

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."    Romans 5:8


And while He does draw us unto Himself by His Spirit, there is an aspect of His nature that is a bit elusive; so we are urged to seek Him. 
"Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you."    2 Chronicles 15:2

"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart,"    Jeremiah 29:12-13


And to those who do seek God and respond in faith to His grace, here is a sampling of the warnings which sound like anything but a "safe place."

"And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."    Luke 9:23

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."    Luke 14:26

"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,"    2 Timothy 3:12

 "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps."    1 Peter 2:21 


This short blog does not profess to spell out the whole truth, but to counter some of the "safe space" mentality that seems to have corrupted the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are called to be soldiers, engaged in a spiritual battle in a world filled with tribulation. Bit fear not, Jesus (our Commander-in-Chief) has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Habakkuk Goes to Las Vegas

In what has been described as the largest mass shooting in US history, 59 have been left dead and over 500 injured when a gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of a hotel on a crowd of more than 20,000 gathered at an outdoor country music festival.

While this has been labeled as the work of one crazed individual, unconnected to no larger plot to bring about death and destruction to our country, please allow me to connect a few dots. You can then decide for yourself whether or not there is a bigger picture to see here.

Imagine the prophet Habakkuk, not living in a period sometime between the Assyrian overthrow of the northern kingdom of Israel and the Babylonian overthrow of the southern kingdom of Judah (722 B.C. - 597 B.C.) Imagine instead that he was in Las Vegas, Nevada last Sunday night and following the carnage, cried out to God with these words: "The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. ² O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? ³ Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. ⁴ So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted."    Habakkuk 1:1-4 

This was not a prophecy, but a complaint to God. Between verses 5-11 God answers  Habakkuk basically saying, "You ain't seen nothing yet! You won't believe what I am going to do next. I am going to raise up a ruthless people, the Babylonians, to come in as a vulture, swooping to devour." In other words, the justice for which Habakkuk was seeking would be meted out by a people even more ungodly than the people of his own nation. The Apostle Paul cites Habakkuk 1:5 in " 'Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.' " 42 Acts 13:41. So we see the Word of God presented as sharper than any two-edged sword: In Habakkuk the unbelievable thing is a fierce judgment meted out by a pagan nation; In Acts the unbelievable thing is the amazing salvation wrought in the person and work of Messiah Jesus.

The judgment was national and affected a lot of righteous people (Daniel, for instance). The salvation is personal and affects whosoever, removing those who believe from a state of condemnation into a state of righteousness (John 3:18; I Corinthians 5:21). So can we see any parallels between Israel and the United States. It's interesting to note that an actual nation called Babylon was used as an instrument of judgment against Israel; while Revelation reveals a religious and economic system that impacts the whole earth in the last days known as Mystery Babylon and Babylon the Great respectively. These systems, while not yet in their full blown state, have been active in the earth for centuries. They are serpentine in nature and employ an innumerable number of tentacles to grasp and ensnare both people and nations.

When Habakkuk cries out because of violence that is tolerated, laws that are paralyzed, and justice that is perverted, he could easily be crying about the United States in the year A.D. 2017. Violence is not only tolerated, but it is promoted - in music, movies, media, and mother's wombs. Laws that flowed from nature and nature's God 200 years ago have become paralyzed in the face of Roe v. Wade and Obergefell v. Hodges. Justice has become perverted as evil has been celebrated as good and good has been judged as bad. And he may be hearing God say that He will use an evil Babylonian system, even if it manifests from within, to judge a nation that once honored Him. This may well include judging a "church" that once honored Him as well. And in the meantime, those who still love God and His Word will lament as Habakkuk did.

It is time for a gut check. Although Habakkuk cried out to God for a second time, with words like this: "You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and are silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?"   (Habakkuk 1:13) But God does not back off. Speaking of both the evil instrument of judgment and the righteous in the same breath He says, "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith."  (Habakkuk 2:4) This statement is also picked up by Paul in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11. Yes, whether it is in a time of national judgment, or in a season of grace, the righteous will always live by his faith.

"But," you may say, "the incident in Las Vegas was the result of just one crazed individual. How can God's judgment have anything to do with that?" On the practical side, there is already coming to light evidence that indicates that more than one individual was involved. Whether that plays out or not, here are two Scriptures that cannot be ignored:

"...therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you."    Ezekiel 35:6 

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." Galatians 6:7

As we pray for the dead and the injured, their loved ones and their families, let us also pray for our country and the church. Keep living by faith and keep fighting the good fight of faith.