- Matthew Mead
In speaking to you on the topic of holiness, please bear in mind that I am a sinner. As I speak to you, I am also speaking to myself. I have found that in this pursuit of holiness, the more knowledgeable I become of God, godliness, and His holiness, the less I am able to feel that I really know God in an experientially emotional manner.
In order to provide some context: An example, that I believe we can each relate with, is our own past experiences with primarily one sided relationships. Primarily, those in which we have made ourselves vulnerable and openly loved another, whom not only didn't reciprocate these feelings, but also, has heartlessly spurned and mocked us. Or, even worse, those in which a loved one took advantage of our goodwill only to at some point callously betray us when it suited them. Whatever hurt or pain we felt as an imperfect creature, subject to a sinful nature, is only a small taste of what a perfect and Holy God feels when He attempts to fellowship with each and every one of us. If we then insist on declining to share the deepest interests of our God, we need not wonder if our relationship with Him falls far short of what it should be.
For those that recognize that holiness is not an option, but a primary life pursuit, this is where the Christian life truly begins. It begins with the recognition that holiness has to be priority number one. And that for the rest of our lives. That being said, I have experienced the following confusing dynamic: I find that the more I draw closer to God, and the closer He actually draws to me (James 4:8) the farther away I actually feel from Him and His presence than I did at the start. It has been sort of like walking along a never ending hallway.
As a newborn Christian, I have experienced God taking away what I considered were the big obstacles (i.e. sins) that kept me from Him. Iin my case, I was held captive in the prison of a completely depraved mind given over impure thoughts as well as the arrogant pride of believing that I was better, smarter, and more worthy than most other, if not all other people, allowing me the excuse of callously using foul language as I went about selfishly pursuing self-serving goals, interests, and pleasures.
After these obstacles were removed, I was once again granted a humbler, more respectful, mind that could better reason because I no longer was completely dominated by impure thoughts. I grew spiritually. God then started working on what I considered were smaller obstacles (i.e sins). For example, being curt or openly rude to others when I felt wronged by them, in my immediate attempts to seek justice for myself. What I've come to learn is this, the big obstacles were really small sins and the smaller obstacles were really bigger sins, and that the holier I become, the less holy I actually feel because I’m more aware of how truly sinful and unholy I really am, even after two decades of being a disciple of Jesus. This sense of growing humility over time is evidenced in the ministry of Apostle Paul as well: 1Corinthians 15:9 (least of all Apostles) written 55AD, Ephesians 3:8 (least of all the saints) written 60AD, 1Timothy 1:15 (foremost sinner) written 63-65AD.
As we try to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12) and keep ourselves in God's love (Jude vs. 20), this dynamic leaves us susceptible to falling into a couple of very serious pitfalls:
- one of legalism: where we attempt to become holy by following the rules we set for ourselves and thus fall victim to believing God owes us for the good works we accomplished for Him
- the other of antinomianism: where we wrongly believe that grace indemnifies us from the obligation of actually observing God's laws. In other words this is where we wrongly have no remorse or godly sorrow over our own sins because we mistakenly undervalue the sinfulness of those sins due to the notion that we're saved and that is the very reason why Jesus died.
1) Apostle Paul addressed this in Romans 6.
2) A video: The Garden of Eden, Legalism, and Antinomianism
Attempting to accurately judge our own selves, can be extremely difficult, considering that our own hearts are deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). This is reminiscent of the song Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. This simply is one reason why we true Christian believers truly need to avail the means of grace that Our Father God has lovingly provided for us in the church. Only in the bonds of the very real friendships that are developed among one's spiritual family, of adopted brothers and sisters of Christ, can one get a clearer, and more accurate, external view of one's self.
Holiness is neither an emotion, nor a manufactured product. It cannot be made by following a specific list of rules, like some master chef following a recipe for an exquisite meal or fancy dessert. Rather, holiness is something that naturally happens to a child of God as long as we ourselves choose to not impede upon it. (Philippians 2:13) Becoming holy is more akin to the process of brewing a craft-beer or making wine. It is a natural process that occurs when we take care to ensure all the necessary environmental conditions exist and are properly maintained. We can measure our progress by substituting our name for the word “love” in 1Corinthians 13:4-8. As we appropriately show our love for God by obeying His Word in seeking out His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33), searching for wisdom & understanding (Proverbs 2:1-5), and submitting to His Word over our own worldly logic and rationale (Proverbs 3:5-6) and as we follow the call to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) we cannot help but become more holy, but we must realize and come to terms with the fact that as we get a better look at ourselves in the mirror of God's word (1Corinthians 13:12, James 1:23-24) we will better notice all of the fresh, and not-so-fresh filthiness that comes from our continued wallowing in this worldly muck of sin.
This unpleasant realization is a necessary step that should prompt us to immediately repent, come before God in humble prayer, being thankfully grateful for Jesus, the root of our salvation, where we can draw upon the memory of our conversion and subsequent baptism as the line in the sand where we knowingly died to sin and rose in Christ, a new creation with a new nature in possession of the ability to simultaneously say "no" to the temptation of sin and ungodliness, and reject and put off our old nature as we choose to put on our new nature, live in the spirit, and walk with Him.
Sadly many Christians, myself included, often confuse the root with the fruit - in that obedience to Scripture is NOT the root to a right relationship with God, but rather it is the fruit that results from the root of Jesus' willing selfless sacrifice to obtain His bride - the church; as God had the prophet Hosea poetically depict for us in the OT book bearing his name. (Romans 1:5, Romans 16:25-26)
In summary, Godly living is not role playing. It is not a performance. If our Christianity is just a matter of doing our best to follow a list of do's and don'ts then we are nothing more than Christian Pharisees. Holiness begins in the heart. It is a matter of motives. What do I want? What are my goals? What are my desires? Fixing what's broke here requires real transformational change. This can only be done by, and through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. He alters the desires of our heart. The Lord changes us from the inside out. (Hebrews 4:12-13, Philippians 2:13) Our prayer should therefore be:
Lord – Our Rock and Redeemer, Merciful, Gracious God, You who heal the broken hearted, give sight to the blind, and raise the dead to new life,
Lord we call upon you asking O Gracious God, that we your children would hear your Holy Voice, through the pages of your Word, as we humbly study it with fellow adopted brothers and sisters. We give you thanks O Lord for your faithfulness that even when we’re faithless, You remain faithful. We thank you that You are unchanging and we ask O Lord for Grace and Mercy to currently abound in our hearts and minds. Please guide us in all truth. What we do not know, teach us. For the things we do know but do not live, empower us by your Spirit. Please cause your word to be illuminated to our hearts that we may live a life for your glory. Please provide us with proper motives, and establish righteous desires in us. Please help us set goals that stem from your Living Spirit and not from our old, dead, sinful natures that still actively wages war within us. Please make our words honest & true, economical & few, as well as wise and well chosen. Above all, grow in us a passion for your honor and praise above our own desires for a a more consistent happiness based on not our current circumstances, but rather in a right relationship with You, that provides us true comfort, peace, and security, incorruptible and beyond the reach of evil. Please let us know and never forget that these rewards can only be eternally experienced in an appropriate saving relationship with You and that anything apart from this is only this world’s
worthless pyrite which will ultimately one day be fully consumed and destroyed by your righteous judgmental fire. Therefore today please break our hearts for what breaks Yours and bring us whatever brings You glory!!
In Jesus name,
Amen
In the words originally penned by Matthew Mead, “The mighty God, whose prerogative it is to teach to profit, whether by the tongue or the pen, by speaking or writing, bless this tract, that it may serve you as a cloud of rain to the dry ground, dropping fatness to your soul, that so your fleece being watered with the “dew of heaven,” you may “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” In whom I am your Friend and Servant,”
Carmine DiLello
No comments:
Post a Comment