Grace Wins (John MacArthur and John Piper on Mark Driscoll.)

Alternately titled "I Saw the Light" or "First John, Second John"; in which I ponder two diverse attitudes from two men I honor and respect towards another man I.... respect.

Mark Driscoll is a regular staple around here. We listen to his sermons alot. My husband when he is on the road, me when I am washing dishes or cleaning house. He gets us thinking. He gets us talking. He makes us laugh but has been known to make me cry and move my husband to deep places emotionally. His sermon series "Christ on the Cross" is hands down the BEST sermon series I have ever listened to when it comes to understanding the doctrines concerning Jesus. I'm a bit of a doctrine junkie. I want to know what I believe and why.

Mark is not your standard suit and tie pastor... in any way, shape or form. If he would have been in Jesus' crowd I think he would have hit it off smashingly with the Sons of Thunder who liked to rumble. He's a stirrer, a shaker, a more than a little rough around the edges personality who isn't afraid to get down and dirty and face the crap in this world head on. And when I mean head on, I mean he talks about it and he talks about it clearly, and sometimes I have to admit it's shocking to hear someone be so direct and bold. Shocking... but refreshing. This guy is wild about Jesus and revealing Jesus to those on the wild side.

There is a place for John MacArthur in this kingdom, and there's a place for Mark Driscoll. Of that I am certain because they both speak to me, challenge me and grace me with truth. So imagine my surprise when I hear that MacArthur, who I love, is speaking out against Driscoll, who I also love. How can that be? When I read MacArthur's words against Driscoll I just recoiled and was horrified. He doesn't get it, I thought. He's focusing on peripherals, on rough edges, and he's missing the man... the heart of this man. Grunge (slang for grittiness) can be associated with Mark, because he's not one to keep his hands lily white and avoid talking about the grunge of our day. BUT, he, more than anyone I know names it, identifies it, and calls it out as exactly what it is... GRUNGY lies. And he points to the living water that wants to wash us clean and make us holy. You can not listen to one sermon by this guy and truly accuse him of watering down the gospel or wanting to conform to culture. He uses culture to point to our need for Jesus. I thought about it alot today, this divide, this misunderstanding between two evangelists and my heart was really saddened by it.

I prayed that God would help me to have discernment and to see clearly, I prayed for both of these men, that MacArthur, the founder of "Grace to you" after all... would be given God's grace to see Driscoll through God's eyes. That Driscoll would be given the grace to see areas that he really can grow and mature and set a stellar example as a young evangelist to the masses (heaven knows a little refining wouldn't hurt the guy), and for God to bring someone into their lives to speak truth into both of these men's lives and help breathe unity and grace and love into this ugly situation.

Then I listened to this. John Piper. I've always loved this man. He, like MacArthur, has such wisdom and experience and has spoken so many direct and challenging words over this generation. And tonight I listened to him again, and I cried. This is grace. This is beautiful. He speaks truth, but he doesn't do it to cut down, he does it to build up. And I saw the light. Comparing these two reactions side by side I saw legalism and grace in action. And as someone who has wrestled with legalism for many years, it stunned me. And it challenged me.

Grace wins.

"Beauty and Grace command the world. " Park Benjamin

"I do not understand the mystery of grace. Only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us." Anne Lamott

photo by arteram