When Hope Is Found

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:3-5 NASB)

Hopelessness is the condition of a person when they have run out of favorable alternatives.  It is supposed to be a condition unique to those who do not know Jesus.  For inexplicable reasons, it seems to afflict followers of Jesus as well.

Sometimes I imagine the Holy Spirit within me shouting at the top of His whisper, "It will be okay, just be patient and wait on Me!"  And I'm not listening.  I'm hearing the noise from my bank and bills, from the news and alarmists, and from my own wants and fears.  The shouting drowns out the whisper of the Comforter, my Master's Spirit.

Ironically, the noise I hear isn't necessarily a lie, or wrong in whatever assessment, it's wrong in its interpretation.  It's not the facts that are wrong, it's the conclusions drawn.  The conclusions drawn are typically doom.  And for things of this world and life, that could be right.  And fighting such darkness is really hard when it's all I see and hear.  And that's how I arrive at hopelessness.

But when I hear the whisper of the Spirit of my Master, things within me change.  The darkness becomes gloom, and I can faintly make out the workers of evil from spiritual realms.  I see that I, and so many others are deceived into hopelessness.  It is hard to fight against darkness, until I hear and embrace the words of my Master.  Then it's not me against the world, it's me and my Master.  At that point, I win, no contest.

But so often, in the process of losing the voice of my Master's Spirit, I also lose sight of the end of the journey.  This place I live in truly is destined for fire.  A new one is coming, and I am destined for that one.  So when I face the things here as if they are sooo important, so vital to my life, and so overwhelming, I am looking at the wrong world.

I'm not here to make here better.  That ends up being a byproduct of me doing what I am here for.  I'm here to help others find the new world coming.  That only happens when my Master calls them, and they respond to Him.  So, I try to distract them from this world long enough for them to hear my Master's call.  This is impossible if I'm distracted by them and what they're doing.

The problem for me is that this sense of my life is hard to sustain.  I like comfort here.  But look at how Paul puts it: "...tribulations bring about perseverance, perseverance proven character, and proven character hope..."  The path to hope starts with tribulations and perseverance, i.e. "character-building".  That's not the "fun" way. I don't like that way.  But I'm not useful to my Master in rescuing souls without it.

So, this is not all there is, and I am to live the truth of that.  I know better, and I know where I'm headed.  I know the light shining from transparent streets of gold comes from the face of my Master.  That's the "church" I'm headed for.  One day, my Master will drink again of the fruit of the vine anew with me in His Kingdom.  That's where I'm headed.  Does that shake anyone else enough to hear the whisper of my Master's Spirit?  Follow it!

How Was I Saved? I’m Confused

Some years ago, while I was interviewing for a ministry position in Oregon (which I didn’t end up getting), I got into a discussion with the pastor about what salvation requires.  He and his church held the belief that baptism was required.  I do not.  But he made a comment that I had to concede.  He said that Baptists believe that repentance precedes salvation, so they add something we do as well.  I have to agree that Baptist doctrine does include repentance as preceding salvation.  But he and I disagreed on what that meant.

I wish I had been familiar with Chambers’ entry from this morning.  That would have helped a lot.  My lack of reading and familiarity with various thoughts on this issue is part of my problem.  I hold views that I don’t always remember how I got into.  I’ve been out of school for quite some time, and some of the required reading has faded in detail. 

Putting the cause for salvation on Jesus and His work on the cross and resurrection is easy until the problem of why some people are not affected by it is added.  It is at that point where a “selection process” is obviously at work, but not really understood.  The normal fall-back position for “Calvinistic” positions is the Sovereignty of God; He chooses whoever He will for salvation.

Only so much stock can be put in being able to choose to believe or follow Jesus.  It is more likely and easier to support that believers are chosen rather choosers.  If that’s the case, then the faith to receive salvation is as much of a gift than the salvation itself.  The reception of salvation is not from me, my ability to understand, or even my ability to submit and receive.  Frankly I don’t have a lot of demonstrated ability that way.

So, when Chambers says, “I am not saved by believing; I realize I am saved by believing” what he is doing is putting the cause of the change of my state from “sinner apart from God” to “rightly relating to God” on the action of God through His Son, Jesus.  I don’t figure it out and believe or submit to the idea and believe.  My state is changed, God reveals that to me, and I believe that.

There is a problem with this view and the essence of my American cultural paradigm.  I want to have a hand in my status.  I am free to choose, I have freedom to do whatever I want; either follow God or not follow God.  But Paul tells me that even the faith is a gift of God and not from myself.  When he goes further to say that it is not from works, that means that it is not my obedience or belief as works or actions on my part.

I have no boast before my Master.  I have nothing to bargain with, or even for.  I can’t threaten to walk away any more than I can threaten to hold my breath until I die.  I’m not capable of either.  It’s not that I won’t, I can’t.  Something about this seems wrong, as if now I am the robot that I had hoped my Master would make me.  Why would it be that for salvation I have no choice, but daily I have to choose to submit to Him?  So I have choice once I’m saved, but not in the salvation itself?

My views and opinions are really of no value here.  What is needed is Scripture.  Unfortunately, that is something else I can’t remember.  I don’t remember which position is based on which Scripture.  Until I find that, this is just an opinion, and I accept that it’s not necessarily a popular one.  I don’t particularly like it either.  I’m not a flaming 5-point Calvinist, or least I don’t want to be.  I have to admit a certain affinity for some of those points though.  There, I’ve confessed it.  Confession is the first step toward recovery right?  Perhaps I can gain back some semblance of autonomy from my Master.  But is that what I want, really?  I feel a sense that Romans 7 is creeping up on me again.  I need to dive into Chapter 8 for safety!

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, October 28

A Philosophical Theology of the Necessity of Missionary Work: Being a Catalyst of Life

There is a question in the discussion of religious thought about what happens to those who have never heard of the saving message of Jesus.  The answer is critical to any missionary enterprise.  Chambers hits it obliquely and seems to create a defense of not sending missionaries at all.  He doesn’t because his discussion isn’t complete, but his discussion of sin is very interesting.

In Romans, Paul addresses this question head-on.  As a missionary, he has a vested interest in defending what has become the enterprise of his whole life. Chambers refers to a portion of this discussion in Romans 5:12.  Paul is using a compare and contrast between Jesus and Adam to make his point about the problem with humanity and the solution Jesus provides. 

So, how does Chambers define sin? He says, “The disposition of sin is not immorality and wrong-doing, but the disposition of self-realization - I am my own god.”  Once upon a time in my not-so-distant past, I was all excited about what I believe is the central theme of all of Scripture.  I believe that all of Scripture (and therefore all of this life) is “School” and we are all being educated on the difference between life and death.  The definitions seem easy, except that I don’t believe they are physical events. I believe life and death only have meaning on a relational level, and especially in the relationship with my Master.

So, what?  Well I think that Chambers and I are together on one point, though my describe it differently.  I believe that it is theoretically possible for someone to seek the Creator of the cosmos without having heard of Jesus.  And that someone like that would be saved.  I say “theoretically” because it’s an argument from silence, and is impossible to test, and, therefore prove (nice argument to have until someone point that out).  Paul says people are without excuse precisely because the cosmos declares the existence of the Creator, but he also says that no one seeks the Creator and people are satisfied worshipping the creation instead. 

But if Chambers is right in his definition, then his definition supports a “theoretical” situation like mine.  In fact, Chambers says that God does not hold us guilty of the disposition toward sin (self-realization), but of rejecting Jesus as the solution.  That would mean telling others of Jesus would suddenly make them culpable before the Creator.  There is more to the belief, I assure you.  Yes, at the point the specific choice is presented, the choice, once made, decides eternity.  But the opportunity only provides a new option where before there was only one.  Without the missionary effort, the cosmos will only descend into deeper darkness swallowing any potential random isolated lights.

So, when I keep my life (my relationship with my Master) to myself claiming that is is my business, I rob my community.  I rob my community of faith, and I rob my community of those without such a relationship.  When I claim that my relationship with my Master is my business I sin by claiming that self-realization that puts me on the throne reserved for my Master.  I refuse to obey and serve when I do that.  My relationship with my Master is not my business precisely because it is not mine, but His.  He started it, He reached out to me, He chose me, and He is the One making it possible to maintain.  How can that be my business?  I deny my Master’s claim on my life when I refuse to disclose that relationship to my community.

I know where I need to change.  I need to develop the practice of referring to my Master in conversation.  I need to become known for that.  My references to Him should become just the normal way I refer to elements of my life.  Right now that would sound forced and canned.  It would take time for such a practice to become natural.  I need to spend that time, and adopt that practice.  If I am not a sign pointing to my Master, then my life and my relationship with Him is a waste.  Remember, I claim to believe that life is defined by relationship, especially with my Master.  So then why would I not want others around me to live as well?  Why would I let a community remain dead?  All it would take is a change in my normal behavior, and then I could be a catalyst for others to have life.  Right now, I have little to no effect what so ever.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, October 5