Two things that really irritate me are when I am wrong and when I am prejudiced toward someone. I have a big prejudice toward what I label "personality-based" ministries. Today, Chambers pushes me to, first recognize someone holier than myself, and then to obey them (or my Master through them) once found. Submitting to my Master who truly is Master is tough enough. Submitting to someone here on earth in spiritual things is even tougher.
The second place Chambers pushes me today is in the area of obedience. He says, "Obedience is only possible between equals; it is the relationship between father and son, not between master and servant." I find this difficult to accept. Why can't a servant obey a master? And I would not qualify my relationship with my Master as one between equals. I agree that as I see my Master better, know Him better, I obey more easily. That I totally get. Understanding grace shown in seeing my relationship with my Master as a relationship between equals I don't.
When I read how my Master views what He did in redeeming me, I need to reappraise how I judge Chambers. There are passages in the gospels where my Master refers to me as "friend" not servants. "You are my friends if you do what I command you" (John 15:14). "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15). In both of these passages, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, but from the prayer of John 17, I infer that I share in some of their benefits in my relationship with their Master; I would include friendship with my Master as one of those.
I am not equal with my Master. Grace is defined by His treatment of me as if I were. He elevates my status, and transforms my quality so that His treatment of me is that of friend. In that status based entirely on His grace, I submit to His transforming work. I will never be equal with my Master, regardless of how far He transforms my quality. Though both the transformation and His elevation of my status are acts of His grace toward me, I realize I still deal with the Master of the Universe. So, obedience is much easier in this context. It is not a grudging duty I perform because I have no choice and this is my lot in life. Obedience becomes something I do out of gratitude toward the One elevating and transforming me.
Obedience in response to grace is not an uncommon theme, and I have heard it for most of my life, and preached it a lot myself. But, as Chambers points out, it is "when we see Him we obey Him." And I don't know that I preached out of "seeing" my Master but rather out of my understanding of Scripture. It is plain there that we obey out of gratitude. But seeing that in Scripture is powerful, experiencing it is shocking to the core. I have a clarity at the moment that is truly shocking to me. If I can remain shocked, if I can keep this perspective, I may be able to continue this experience of obedience out of gratitude I now sense.
I admit though, that I slip in and out of it, often without thinking. Sometimes I obey out of obligation, and sometimes out of gratitude. I think that is part of growing spiritually, and as I continue, I hope to see less of the obligatory obedience, and more of the thankful sort. I am a sinner, and I sense sin crouching at my door, still pounding for attention. And I still fear opening that stupid door. And I realize my fear is of failure and the quality of myself that betrays. So, even my fear is self-centered. I see there is much growth that still needs to happen, and I have some way to go yet before I sense some freedom from my flesh. I really need the experience of the grace of my Master today.
"I am not equal with my Master. Grace is defined by His treatment of me as if I were." So true. So amazing. I have just started to read through all of your blogs and I love them. I didn't realize you blogged every day but now I have something more to read daily.
ReplyDeleteI used to read my utmost for his highest every morning but after a day or so of misplacing the book somewhere between home and school I stopped reading. Your blogs are refreshing and honest and exactly what people need to be sharing with each other inside of the church.
Too many people are afraid to be vulnerable with each other in fear that their Christian image would be damaged and their supposed "witness" would be crippled. I hate that. When we try and hide our problems and our weaknesses we become prideful and prayer-less (synonymous if you ask me) and ironically that is what hurts us the most.
Thank you for posting sincerely and sometimes brokenly about your past and your walk as it truly is and not simply how you want others to perceive it. I'm just now, in the last year or so, trying to do the same. I can guard my image my whole life or I can let God heal my true image through confession and honest discipleship. I'm finally choosing to do the latter, as you are doing through your blogs.
Thank you for your continued encouragement and the example you're setting. How can we be healed if we never tell anyone we're sick? I'll continue to read as much as I can and I pray that you will continue to post as you are.
I love you, Uncle Matt.
Wow Dylan, hang on...sniff...honk...seriously, after reading your comment I'm a mess. Thank you, and I thank our Master for using words to encourage us and confirm His love and work in us. I love you too, and wish I could sit with you and hear all about your trip to Thailand; everything for hours and hours. I have really enjoyed your entries about your ministy there. God is truly great.
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