Pastor Jesse's Blog

“If the pro-choice stance is so precarious that a story about someone who chose to carry a risky pregnancy to term undermines it, then CBS is not the problem.”

That is what Sally Jenkins writes in her column in the Washington Post. Jenkins is a feminist and is pro-choice. Nevertheless, she believes that the National Organization for Women (NOW) needs to stop hyperventilating about Tim Tebow’s forthcoming pro-life Superbowl Ad. She writes,

“Apparently NOW feels this commercial is an inappropriate message for America to see for 30 seconds, but women in bikinis selling beer is the right one. I would like to meet the genius at NOW who made that decision. On second thought, no, I wouldn’t.”

Jenkins is right on target with that assessment. Having said that, her straightforward assessment of what’s at stake in abortion is nothing short of astonishing coming from a pro-choicer. She writes,

“Tebow himself is an inescapable fact: Abortion doesn’t just involve serious issues of life, but of potential lives, Heisman trophy winners, scientists, doctors, artists, inventors, Little Leaguers — who would never come to be if their birth mothers had not wrestled with the stakes and chosen to carry those lives to term. And their stories are every bit as real and valid as the stories preferred by NOW.”

I can hardly grasp that an individual can remain pro-choice and believe that abortion takes the lives of future doctors, artists, inventors, etc. She seems to recognize the humanity of the unborn, but she won’t grant their inalienable right to life. That seems to me to be a fundamental contradiction at the heart of an otherwise helpful article.

Let me encourage you to read the entire article. I think you’ll be glad you did.

Those of you who know me know I am an LSU Tiger fan. Even though I am a Tiger fan I am a huge Tim Tebow fan. I like the way he plays the game of football. What I like more is the way he lives the Christian life. He is the real deal. He is a radical Christ-follower. He is not ashamed of Christ. Tim is an open, unashamed witness for Christ.

This week Tom Krattenmaker took a shot at Tim Tebow in an article for USA Today. He complains that Tebow’s conservative Christianity has afflicted sports culture in general:

“Jesus’ representatives in sports aren’t just practicing faith. They are also leveraging sports’ popularity to promote a message and doctrine that are out of sync with the diverse communities that support franchises, and with the unifying civic role that we expect of our teams.”

The problem according to Mr. Krattenmaker is that Tim Tebow’s brand of religion is too narrow and too exclusive for pluralistic American sports fans.

“Tebow does his missionary trips to the Philippines under the auspices of his father’s Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association. The Tebow organization espouses a far-right theology. Its bottom line: Only those who assent to its version of Christianity will avoid eternal punishment. The ministry boldly declares, ‘We reject the modern ecumenical movement.’ . . . The Bob Tebow organization is working at cross purposes with the majority of Americans — indeed, the majority of American Christians — and their more generous conception of salvation.”

Tom Krattenmaker also contends that Tim Tebow’s Christianity is abusive to non-Christians:

“This exclusiveness sometimes morphs into a form of chauvinism and mistreatment of non-Christians. Witness the incident with the Washington Nationals baseball team in 2005, when the Christian chaplain was exposed as teaching that Jews go to hell. Then there was the New Mexico state football team, which was the target of a religious discrimination lawsuit in 2006 after two Muslim players reported being labeled ‘troublemakers’ and were kicked off the team by their devoutly Christian coach. The case was settled out of court and the students transferred.”

What are we to make of Tom Krattenmaker’s charges? Are his complaints valid? No. Here’s why.

Tim Tebow didn’t invent the truth that Jesus is the only basis for salvation. That truth is the 2,000 year old teaching of the Christian church. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). The apostles taught this truth as well saying that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Tim Tebow is no innovator on this point. He’s merely holding forth the ancient faith in hopes that others might come to Christ. If that’s too narrow and too exclusive, then so be it. Culture may change, but the Gospel doesn’t. Christians must never trim their theological sails to accommodate the prevailing winds of a godless culture.

That is what makes Krattenmaker’s examples of “mistreatment” appear pretty unconvincing. The Gospel message is not that “Jews go to hell,” but that everyone apart from Christ will go there—including Jews, Baptists, Muslims, Catholics, Lutherans and all others who do not have a personal saving relationship with Christ. There is no singling out of any particular group. Every person is spiritually bankrupt apart from faith in Christ. Krattenmaker makes it sound like conservative Christianity singles-out Jews for persecution. That is simply not the case.

At the end of the day, Mr. Krattenmaker’s problem is not with Bob Tebow or Tim Tebow, but with Jesus Christ. Christ is the world’s true King to whom we all owe our allegiance. Christ was crucified and raised to provide forgiveness and eternal life for humanity in rebellion against Him. That’s the message that offends Krattenmaker. This should be no surprise, for unbelievers often find Jesus to be “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (1st Peter 2:8). Mr. Krattenmaker is tripping all over the stumbling stone, Jesus. But, there is good news for Krattenmaker. God’s arm is not too short to save. Bob Tebow, Tim Tebow and every other Christ-follower is living proof of that. My prayer is Tom Krattenmaker and others like him will come to know our Jesus too.

Last week, David Robinson was inducted into the basketball hall of fame. He gave a short speech that Voddie Baucham has praised in this way:

“David Robinson is far from perfect.  I’m sure he has as many flaws, foibles and faults as the rest of us.  However, for seven minutes, he represented his team, his family, and his Lord very well.  And he showed us all how attractive humility and grace can be.”

I agree. If you’re interested, watch the video above and see for yourself.