Chapter Two: Good News for Losers
by Elizabeth DeBarros
“We don’t like to think of ourselves as losers, especially in America.”
-Michael Horton
WEEK 2
Maybe it’s me, but I had to read this chapter very s-l-o-w-l-y before I grasped his overarching point. Perhaps the up close and personal approach to chapter one is what threw me off — because this chapter is the BIG picture, like looking through a wide-angle lens. But I think I got his point(s). In a nutshell: Americans are happy in denial, everyone wants their best life now and go to heaven, but only if they don’t have to suffer and die beforehand…or some variation on that theme. Let’s give it a shot…
SUMMARY
One of Horton’s literary strengths is his ability to cut down to size whole paradigms in less than a few pages. In the chapter, “Good News for Losers,” he helps us understand how things have evolved both culturally and in the Church. He shows how Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy of the individual’s “will to power” has held great sway — from the rise of Nazism to its silent creep into the modern Church. The sweeping effects of this man-centered “superman” ideology is seen en masse, most notably among those who believe their felt needs are foremost. This exaltation of man, otherwise dubbed as a “theology of glory,” pervades our Western thinking on every level. What’s most alarming is how widely it is embraced among evangelicals. Whether expressed through a methodology of worship, indulgent lifestyle, or our national craze of “staying forever young,” this phenomenon of “[f]eeling good has emerged as not only a national priority but a religious obsession for Christians and non-Christians alike.”
By bringing us back to the truth of Scripture, Horton erects a platform to display the “theology of the cross” — the true centerpiece for our faith. He goes on to show that, in all its “weakness,” the cross of Christ is the very power of God, not only saving us from the power of sin, death, hell and the grave, but also enabling us to embrace the reality of suffering in our lives:
“Just where the highest and holiest victim of truly undeserved suffering cries out,
‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’
victory over sin and death is taking place.
This is the foolishness and weakness that trump the wisdom and power of the ages!” (p. 28)
Meantime, as the world works ever harder at “winning,” going to ever greater lengths to deny the reality of pain, suffering, and death, its bondage to fear is greater still, disguised in multimillion-dollar industries designed for self-preoccupation and pleasure. But not so for the Christian. “Heaven is not here, it’s There”¹ — we’re not home yet. This is why, by God’s grace, we can accept our wrinkles, count loss as gain, and render troubles as light and momentary, knowing that they’re achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Why we can look death square in the face and feel no sting — the stinger has been removed. Good news for losers, indeed.
1. Elisabeth Elliot, Keep a Quiet Heart
MY TAKE
When I became a Christian more than 30 years ago, I received the full gospel message of Christ and Him crucified. I’m grateful for the strong Biblical foundation that was laid early on. I was a world-loser and a world-forsaker — I had run away with the gold! But as time tells both sides of a story, I’ve seen the spiritual landscape change and erode.
Sadly, many Christians today have received only just enough truth to know that Jesus died for them, but they stumble in the dark for not knowing much else. A blight has been upon the Church for decades, a famine for Truth has ensued — a time when hungry souls eat whatever is given them. Little wonder why a “theology of glory” runs rampant in churches today, usurping the authority of Scripture and delivering a neutered gospel. Even less wonder why people lack the power to overcome sin; they don’t understand the fundamental truths of Scripture. So when a holy spokesman like Horton comes around blowing the whistle on a counterfeit gospel, I listen. Why? First, to make sure that there’s no stain of a “theology of glory” found in me. And to be ready to give an answer to those without, because the gold I hold is a “theology of the cross” only found at the foot of the cross, the place where sound doctrine was first nailed down. The place where I learned what it meant to lose all…that I might gain Him.
WORTH REPEATING
“I do not think that a Biblical sense of human sin and the need for redemption outside ourselves requires national pessimism, but a religion of human goodness will never sustain a people in times of disaster and threat.” (p. 25)
“…just keep it happy.”
“Today we have conveniently removed death, and with it the communion of the saints, and relegated it to nondescript secular cemeteries with euphemistic names like “Forest Lawn.” ” (p. 32)
“The goal of life is not to be happy, but to be holy; not to make ourselves acceptable to ourselves and others, but to be made acceptable to God by God; not to be gathered together with all of the successful people in the prime of our life, but to be gathered unto our fathers and mothers in the faith.” (p. 35)
GROUP CHAT
So, where did you land in this chapter? What did you like or dislike? Reflect on? Agree or disagree with?
Please share your thoughts, insights, questions, or favorite excerpts in ftm’s comment section. Of course, if you’d rather simply listen, that’s fine, too.
Things to know:
- If your comment is in response to one of the chapter questions in the back of the book, please make a brief note. For example, if you’re answering question 3 of Chapter 2, a quick “Q#3″ will cue readers as to what you’re talking about.
- If you’re offering a view contrary to that of the author’s or that of another commenter, please offer Scriptural reasoning. Our goal is to edify the group by holding to Biblical integrity throughout the six-week discussion.
- Feel free to post a link to your own site if you left a comment there.
FOR NEXT WEEK
Read Chapters 3 & 4: “Suffering on Purpose” and “Is Your God Big Enough”
Bonus: “Good News for All,” James Smith, 1860
I highlighted many of the things you did. I keep forgetting there are study questions (I’m reading on my Kindle). I’ll have to look at those.
This chapter resonated with me because, though I’ve been a Christian for 15 years, I believed a watered-down, self-help gospel for much of that time. It’s only in the last 3 years that I’ve come to the Doctrines of Grace and solid theology.
My thoughts on Chapter 2 are posted at my blog. Click here to read.
I had to re-read parts of this chapter to catch his theme. But I finally got it too. And it hit hard. You phrased it well, Elizabeth: a neutered gospel. It’s neither what we need nor what Christ died to give us.
Because of all the deaths in our state of Alabama from the tornadoes on April 27, I landed there with my summary. A “feel good” Christianity tries to ignore death, but when it slaps you in the face, you need to know how to deal with it, based on the truths of Scripture.
My post is here on my blog:
“What do you do with death?”
Thanks for another great summary, Elizabeth (and the James Smith link). I look forward to reading everyone’s comments.
Thanks so much for your comments, Lisa. Your post at your own blog is heartfelt. You really struck a chord in me by sharing the details of the tornadoes’ aftermath suffered by so many in your home state. God bless.
-E
Great summary, Elizabeth. A “neutered gospel” is indeed what is preached in the vast majority of churches. Here are my thoughts on this chapter, which I likewise had to reread a number of times!
“Only if we allow ourselves to take seriously the empirical evidence that seems to count against God’s faithfulness to his promises are we able to receive an answer that is as deep and provocative as the question”. (p.31).
Wrestling with God, really laying ourselves open before Him, moving beyond what we think we ought to be saying to a Holy God to being honest with Him and with ourselves – this is where my Heavenly Father is challenging me at this moment with regards to a personal situation. And the prophet Habbakuk seems to have a great deal to say about this. In fact, I would dare to suggest that this man’s wrestling with God in Chapters 1 and 2 of that book, led him to make one of the greatest declarations of faith in the whole of the Scriptures, a declaration rooted in the theology of the cross:
“Though the fig-tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
Though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
Though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour”
(Hab 3:17-18).
Wrestling with God, being honest and open with him, and receiving a reply from a Holy God who is yet intimately involved in our lives, opens the eyes of Habbakuk to see the One in whom he believes. And seeing Him, He can trust Him – NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES – deliverance from the trial, or the patience to endure it, whichever circumstance God has chosen to bring Himself the Greater Glory.
Michael Horton makes the point that we don’t often have the janitor interviewed for his testimony, instead it is the famous athletes, politicians, and entertainers who are trotted out as trophies of grace (p.23). I would add that it is not often that we hear a sermon about James, the brother of John, being put to death with the sword during the persecution by Herod (Acts 12:2), whereas we all like to hear the story of Peter’s miraculous escape from prison (Acts 12:5-10). I rejoiced along with the worldwide body of Christ when our two beautiful sisters in Christ, Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, were released last year from prison in Iran after facing a possible death sentence for their conversion from Islam to Christianity – yet my flesh recoiled when I learnt at the weekend that over 90% of Iranian pastors have laid down their lives in the service of their Holy God.
The Word of God’s verdict of the anonymous faithful whose life stories reflect the theology of the cross in Hebrews 11:35-37 is “The world was not worthy of them” (Heb 11:38), these “uncool losers”. For they were standing on the heights of the mountains of God, standing as overcomers by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, standing in His strength, declaring to the world in the midst of their suffering their faith and trust in the Goodness, Faithfulness, Righteousness, Holiness, Sovereignty, Mercy and Justice of the LORD Almighty – and through this they glorified God and will enjoy Him forever. God’s deliverance from the trial, or the God-given patience to endure the trial, be it suffering for the faith through persecution, or suffering for the faith through God’s appointed means in other trials of life – God is glorified.
“The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights” (Hab 3:19).
May God give me the faith of such as Habbakuk. Lord have mercy.
“God’s deliverance from the trial, or the God-given patience to endure the trial, be it suffering for the faith through persecution, or suffering for the faith through God’s appointed means in other trials of life – God is glorified.”
Amen. Our only goal in life. May it be so.
-E
I had to read the chapter twice to really get the point, like a few of you I had to dig a little deeper to understand what Horton was really getting at. I did not have a clear understanding of the Gospel when I was saved, I understood most things but total depravity really escaped me, and it took me a few years to completely “shake off” so many of the false notions that I picked up along the way at the few Churches I attended. Interesting personal note, I first visited a Bible Church, a Southern Baptist Church, and then a Charismatic Church and all taught this same garbled, unclear kind of prosperity Gospel. It varied but it was basically the same Jesus loves everyone and wants them to be Happy message. The “Jesus as personal band aid” message was really the same, Church after Church. Sadly, it became obvious to me that the greater focus on Church growth, the less truth of scripture came out of the pulpit and this sickness crossed denominational lines. After about three years of Bible reading, study and searching, I found a Church that taught what I was reading in Scripture. This false teaching is rampant and so many folks have no idea what the Gospel message really is.
When I was reading Elizabeth’s comments, I was reminded of an old hymn by Issac Watts “At the Cross.” Years ago, people knew what Joy and Happiness in the Lord really meant. They understood that often suffering was found at the foot of the cross, that walking the road of truth meant taking up your own cross daily. When this song was written I think people really knew that they were desperately wicked, they knew that the Gospel was not circumstantial. The “happiness” mentioned in this hymn was the faith that our Sovereign Lord was in control, and that happiness was not necessarily emotion, it was true Joy found in realizing we have an eternal home with our Lord, and that being “happy all the day” meant fixing your eyes on Jesus, not on your own personal felt needs.
Words by Isaac Watts
Music by Charles H. Gabriel
1905
Alas, and did my Savior bleed?
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?
Was it for crimes that I had done,
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.
But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
‘Tis all that I can do.
Refrain:
At the Cross at the Cross, where I first
saw the light and the burden of my heart
rolled away.
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
Teresa – whenever I see the lyrics of this hymn, it always reminds me of the pastor of my old church who told the congregation “We have now moved beyond worm theology”. If ever a quote summed up the difference between the theology of the cross and the theology of glory – exaltation of man – this was it.
Diana that is what struck me so, the “worm theology”. How sad that people are totally missing the point!
Elizabeth your summary was excellent! I too had to read and re-read this chapter at least three times to ferret out the gems Dr. Horton had embedded in his writing. Diane your exposition of this chapter was also a great blessing for me to read. I loved how you pointed out what Dr. Horton said about the janitor not often being interviewed but rather the famous. Our whole society has become obsessed with “feeling good”, “your best life now”, and “success at any cost”. Unfortunately, this has crept into the church thus making those who suffer seem like failures.
In dealing with our daughter this past week over her miscarriage, she shared with me that her co-worker got pregnant at the same time and will deliver when her baby should have come into this world. She loves this woman but found it hard to rejoice for her. She told me she wondered why God would bless this woman but not her. I told her that God in His wisdom and providence acted on her behalf. We may not know at this present time why this happened, but we know and can trust in a loving, good and perfect God. He sees things we cannot see. He leads us through valleys so that we can then comfort others with the comfort with which we have been comforted as we face trials (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). I also encouraged her with the knowledge that one day she would see this baby in heaven where she would never be parted from him/her.
My husband and I listen to the White Horse Inn podcasts each week as we prepare for church and Dr. Horton has for some time been concerned about the “neutered Gospel” that is being preached in our churches. People come to Christ expecting life to be fair, perfect, and untroubled since they have become believers. So, when suffering happens, it must be a lack of faith.
I remember all too well our pastor’s wife had cancer. Well meaning but uninformed Christians visited her in the hospital and told her that if she had a “little more faith” she would be made well. She told me she would never forget such hurtful words as if she was being punished by God for lack of faith. The preoccupation of our world and many evangelicals with prosperity, wealth, happiness, and health does more to discredit the message of the Gospel than to lift it up. God cares more about our character than about our comfort in this world. This is why Jesus told us that in this world we would have tribulations. However, since our Lord has overcome the world, we, too, will overcome…not bypass or skip the problems.
At the end of the chapter, I loved these thoughts: “The goal of life is not to be happy, but to be holy; not to make ourselves acceptable to ourselves and others, but to be made acceptable to God by God; not to be gathered together with all of the successful people in the prime of our life, but to be gathered unto our fathers and mothers in the faith. There is no place for suffering in a life whose goals are determined by a hedonistic culture, but if our chief end is “to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever,” as the Westminster Shorter Catechism has it, and our lives are read in light of the broader script of creation, fall and redemption, then suffering is the way to ultimate glory, not a resignation to meaningless tragedy.” Amen and Amen! He says it so well.
In the Sunday school classes my husband and I lead, I often use this illustration. Life is like a great needlework project. God sees from the top side how the picture is being stitched from day to day. It is beautiful to behold. However, we are looking at the underside of the embroidery in this present life. We see the knots and the tangles. It doesn’t seem that the picture is very pretty. But one day, we will be with Him and have His perspective. We will see the finished product and rejoice in what He has done in our lives. How amazing that will be!
I am so enjoying this book and study. It is wonderful to share and glean from one another the insights that make this so meaningful. It couldn’t have come at a better time either with all that has happened with our daughter. God is so good.
I am reading this on my Kindle. I am also at times technologically challenged so if anyone else is reading on a Kindle….how do I get to the questions at the end of the book? I do not know what to click to get there. Thanks!
Blessings to you, Elizabeth, and to all who are reading along and sharing.
Barbara,
My heartfelt condolences to your daughter and you over the miscarriage.
I’m also reading on the Kindle. To see the questions when you have the book open, press “menu”, then “Go to…” Click on “Table of contents”. Scroll through until you see “Questions for Discussion and Reflection” (I have to go to “next page” to find it). Click on that. To return to your place afterwards, click “back.”
Hope that helps!
Thank you Lisa…followed your instructions on the Kindle and got to the questions. You are a blessing! Thank you for your kind comments too.
Barbara I am so sorry for your daughter’s loss. Your wonderful post brought to mind this verse I read years ago in a book by Corrie Ten Boom.
My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me
I let Him choose the colours
He worketh subtlety.
Oft times He worketh sorrow
and I within my heart
Forget He sees the pattern
While I see only the part.
The dark threads were as needful
In the weaver’s skilful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver,
In the pattern He had planned.
Not till the room is silent,
And the shuttle cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas,
And explain the reason why.
~Author Unknown
Thank you Teresa….I so appreciate the beautiful poem that Corrie Ten Boom quoted. It fits perfectly with what I was trying to say. I shall treasure that. I appreciate your prayers for our daughter. It is always hard to go through things like this. But we know that God is good.
Your so very welcome Barbara, and yes we know that God is so very good. I love that little poem, I wish I knew who wrote it but I am glad Corrie decided to include it in her book. God bless you!
This chapter got into the heart of the matter. Denial. Our culture is a great breeding ground for this denial. Commercials are a great example of the denial of what life is. Everything is perfect, you deserve perfection, and it’s all about you. Everything in life is clean without any effort. There is nothing in this chapter that I disagreed with and it was refreshing to me to read. There has been a provision of truth all in the name of love. The part that really resonated with me was found on page 31-
“Our public worship today is a fatal index of the fact that we do not know what to do in the presence of a God who is not only our friend but also our judge. We do not know what to do with sin, evil, and death in this culture, but by supressing the question we deprive people of the comfort that comes from the answer….There has been a shift from worship to celebration.”
When church becomes more about entertaining based on feelings instead of truth, we are going to have Christians in denial. When church becomes more about a production than being in the presence of a holy God, we are not in the reality of who God is, resulting if our hearts are right with God. Great example is the parable of the sower. I loved how he ended this chapter..Suffering is ultimate glory, not a tragedy. May we live in glory. Jeanie
I am so blessed to get to be part of a book discussion like this. Thank you for hosting it, Elizabeth, and for your insightful summaries and thoughts. I was so struck by how this chapter helps me see what is so wrong with our Americanized Christianity, with all its man-centeredness, even in suffering. A few years ago, when my sister was dying of cancer, I heard over and over again, “How strong her faith is.” My reply became, “I don’t want you to see how strong her faith is. I want you to see how great is the God she has her faith in.” That was her goal, too, and I believe it is one of the main purposes God has for us in sending trials to us. To know Him! God’s questions to Job, when He finally spoke, forced Job to an awareness of God’s Person. The result was repentance and worship. That is ultimate glory! Wanda
This was a great chapter and thank you for your reflections. I was struck by so much, but especially by the Martin Luther phrase: “Theology of glory” vs. “Theology of the cross.” I’d never heard of that before, so I googled it and found this very helpful summary by Don Matzat:
http://www.mtio.com/articles/aissar51.htm by Don Matzat
Explains a lot of why I had such a hard time outside of the reformed camp. If you don’t have your theology grounded on reformed God-centric thinking, it’s quite the mess of podges and hodges.
¡Hola Amigas!
First of all, I have to say that this “Americanized Christianity” as Wanda said, it is already in Latin America. And it is very popular here, because people, no matter where they are, love to feel good. As Horton says,
“Feeling good has emerged as not a national priority but a religious obsession for Christians and non-Christians alike”
This is where we are now, and it is so sad. The reality is that the church has made a cheap gospel not for losers, not for the weak, but for those who want to be happy, for those who want to feel good.
Wanda’s story about her sister summarizes it beautifully. People praised her sister’s faith and strength while they were missing the point, which was to worship God, the giver of our faith! I love that! And this is what Horton deals with in this chapter, we must move from the moment, from the “now” and look beyond. We are all going to die, and many of us are not ready for that.
I loved the part on this chapter where Horton says,
“Ironically, it is precisely where the world detects the most obvious example of weakness- the cross- that God triumphs over sin and death at the peak of their most deadly power. Here’s the irony: Just where the highest and holiest victim of truly undeserved suffering cries out ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’ victory over sin and death is taking place. This is the foolishness and weakness that trump the wisdom and power of ages!”
Wonderful words!
Now, to live, to really live victoriously over sin… I must remember this: Only at the foot of the cross I will find victory and strength!
I am loving this book, not because it’s easy, but because it is hard to swallow; because it is taking me out of my comfort zone.
And who likes to talk about dying and suffering anyway? I guess only those who strive to die in order to live. Only those who like Paul, are willing to say… “”For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Love you, sisters!
God bless all of you for your insightful comments, I am so enjoying reading them! I have been listening to a sermon today on true biblical fellowship. The Pastor explained that there is a huge difference between social times spent together and real fellowship where we share our passions, ideas, thoughts and love and worship God all at the same time. I am so blessed to able to love God and learn while meeting such amazing Sisters in Christ! Thank you so much Elizabeth.
Wholeheartedly echo Teresa’s last comment. Reading these comments through, all I am thinking is why has it taken me 20 years of my Christian walk to be in such company as this. Truly edifying and encouraging to my soul to be part of this discussion. God bless you Elizabeth for hosting this!
Hi everybody! I have enjoyed your input on this chapter, for I too had trouble with it. In that, what really stood out to me most was the quote by Nietzsche on page 22. Nietzsche was one who definitely walked in spiritual blindness. I wasn’t put off by his comments, but did ponder on them for a bit. When I first came to know Christ in high school it was difficult due to my community being of unbelievers. I didn’t like being called a Jesus freak (loser), etc. But as time has passed, it has become an honor due to my understanding of Scripture and all the Lord has done for me by His choosing and grace. If we are losers, count me in! I don’t say this with pride, but humility of my condition before Christ. As I grow in Him, I become more aware of my depravity and its cost on the Cross. I have found beauty in what we believers are called now: children of God (John 1:12); sons of God (Gal. 3:27); sons (Gal. 4:6); adopted as sons (Rom. 8:14-16); born of God overcomes the world (I John 5:4-6). Isn’t that wonderful? Glory be to God!
See you next week.
I’m so glad I wasn’t the only one who had trouble reading this chapter through! A number of you admitted to having a similar experience:) But we got there!
If there’s only one strong point we’ve all gleaned from this chapter, I’d have to say it’s the contrast between a “theology of glory” and the “theology of the cross.” Understanding the difference is a benefit we can’t afford to do without in this present spiritual climate.
A big thanks to everyone for your enthusiasm for the book and excellent comments. I’m especially blessed that this discussion is a “place” where we can be personally supported as we uphold precious theological truths.
Love to all,
-E
I echo Teresa’s last comment as well…though I feel like I’m in the depths of the ocean when I belong in the wading pool! You are all such women of God who are encouraging me in my journey.
Looking at everyone’s comments, I realize I need to re-read this chapter again to make sure I didn’t miss anything!
Looking forward to next week!