Num. 35 & 36

35. God's grace softened my youthful legalistic tendencies so that I could enjoy living on planet earth.

Do more. Try harder. And whatever you do, don't let your inflated and sinful desires destroy you. 

I believe that my early guides in the Christian faith were well-intentioned. They were probably passing along to me the teachings from Scripture that they had received. But, good intentions notwithstanding, the result, over time, was a burden. It felt like what writer and philosopher Dallas Willard called "sin management." It was a far cry from freedom.

I thank God for the many teachers and friends, for my own failures and revelations, all of which helped rid my soul of this joy-robbing spirituality masquerading as Christianity. To be a Christian means, at its core, to follow Jesus. It means to put your faith in Jesus, the savior, and to be shaped by Jesus, the teacher. Having freed me from the penalty of sin, Jesus has brought me into a relationship with my Creator, whereby I am now, going back some forty-seven years, reclaiming my humanity from the shadows of death. I am, as G.K. Chesterton put it, "growing young." If sin prematurely ages us, then following Jesus reverses this process!

Every day I wake to the goodness and grace of God. But, unfortunately, in the last few years, we, as a society, have realized yet again that our leaders have clay feet; we've had to confront the truth that our bodies are subject to deadly pandemics. We have been afforded an opportunity to carefully consider wherein lies our hope. 

Ultimate hope is misplaced in science and politics, amongst other things. While I'm thankful for how both have shaped our lives and societies in good ways, there is a deep longing for something more, something more than either can offer. In difficult times like we are currently living through, we can grow cynical as we look at the mess around us or turn our eyes toward a lasting hope. In our struggles, we are waking up to new headlines and old despair, or we have new mercies with eternal hope.

This entails more than just a moral code by which to live! Instead of being bound to simply behavioral modification, my soul is being liberated for real life. I'm freed from would-be gods of science or politics and find meaning amidst the chaos in the One, True God! Every day fear loses its grip on me a little more. Every day old habits have less power over me. Every day I fail to be the person I want to be, and there, "new every morning," is God's mercy in Jesus. Some may call these platitudes or nostalgia. But, for me and the many who follow Jesus, it is immediate and life-changing. It is the soulful rest for which we long.

All of creation is waking up from the slumber of its suffering because of what Jesus accomplished. The whole earth is being renewed! Our current sufferings and travails, the Apostle Paul says, can't even compare with the beauty that awaits us. Following Jesus doesn't mean waiting on a train which will take you to some celestial city in the sky. To follow Jesus means you are being prepared and equipped to be a citizen of the New Heaven and New Earth… every day. Instead of being snatched away while sinners are destroyed with the earth, Jesus is preparing his followers to occupy the new creation! 

Whereas my younger self was haunted by my weaknesses and failures, my fifty-two-year-old self experienced the power of God's grace in those places. Instead of being tortured by shame, I reach out for the mercy and goodness of God in Christ Jesus. I can never run the mercy account dry! I can never stump God's wisdom! I join all creation in expressing our hope for eternal and ultimate salvation.

This get's me to my next item on the list: The Bible. 

36. The Bible is the story of God's glory unfolding in human history. Its pages are full of mystery and challenges. I can barely understand it, but I can't live without it.

Along the way, writers and teachers helped me humbly yet confidently assert the Bible as the foundation of the logic of my faith. For example, in my last post, I point to the despair that arises from worshiping science or politics. Neither of these is sufficient to carry the weight of ultimate hope. Elevating science or politics to be our ultimate hope does a disservice to both fields and inevitably disappoints. We get angry and fearful when we are disappointed. 

The basis of my assertion is found in the pages of the Bible (If you're interested, you can see this in a passage like Romans 11:33-36). All of us have a "bible" of sorts. That is to say, all of us have a basis for the reasons and logic of our life, beliefs, values, and decisions. And while many modern men and women take offense at the Christian Bible as a source for such wisdom, I would only ask them to be as honest and reflective about their source material as I am about mine. We don't have to agree, but let's not mock each other.

There is no denying it! The Bible is terribly misused and abused. Some people misquote it; others erroneously claim to literally apply the teachings to every aspect of their lives. Some people use it as a prop to pose for pictures or curry political favor. It seems that religious folks like to use the Bible to control specific outcomes or justify their questionable behavior. All of this is not the Bible's fault so much as the user's error. 

A tenet in orthodox Christian faith is that the Bible is inspired by God and written by humans at the direction of the Holy Spirit of God. Further, there was a process by which certain books were included in the Bible and others left out. And, yes, those were flawed men (being guided by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit) making such decisions. But, for many, this is all they need to know to shake their heads in disbelief. However, it is essential to note that the Bible is not the object of the Christian faith. God is speaking to us through the Bible to stir our affections for God; every page whispers God's presence in our lives. As such, it instructs the Christian's faith. So while the origin story, application of biblical teachings by some, or the stories contained in the Bible itself may seem flawed or offensive to a modern mind, for those who place their faith in God and the work and life of Jesus Christ, the Bible, humbly received, is how God teaches us wisdom and gives grace. Wisdom is practical knowledge for living a good life. Grace is God's mercy applied to our weary souls.

And the Bible is an amazing story. In short, it is the story of God's presence among human beings on earth. There are dramatic and hilarious stories, bloody and vengeful stories. There are touching as well as disturbing stories. Many of these stories are corroborated by other ancient sources as actual instances in human history; others may not be literally true but continue to cultivate faith in and communicate grace to the believer. 

The climax in the Bible is Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead after three days in the tomb. Thus, this story is the central tenet of the Christian faith. As Bishop Tom Wright says, Jesus' death is when "the revolution began," a revolution which at once reconciles and relativizes, bringing everything both under and into the love of God eternally. It's a revolution that invites blind beggars, persecutors, doubters, and tax collectors alike to their Creator, in whom there is hope for the restoration of all of creation.