Barnabas Piper wrote, "One of the most telling, and failing, aspects to conservative evangelicalism is the propensity to define ourselves by what we are against." I agree that this propensity is a problem. But after some jabs toward "againstness" Piper states, "Instead, we ought to be defined by an objective and an aim, by what we are for." At that point he has gone too far. You see, we ought to be defined both by what we are for and what we are against. If we're only against and never for, we have no forward vision. But if we're only for and never against, we have not the courage of our convictions.
Paul's exhortations to the Ephesians chapter 4 provide us a fine example of how we ought to join the negative and the positive into a well-rounded version of our vision of faith and practice. We ought to "put off the old man" (negative) and "put on the new man" (positive). Notice:
Don't lie (negative) and do speak the truth (positive).
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Don't steal (negative) and do go to work and give to those in need (positive).
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Don't speak haphazardly or corruptly (negative) and do speak good things that will build up (positive).
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
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