WE’VE been in Principles of Spiritual Growth – Chapter 12, The Cross. This is such a vital topic I’m going to take another meditative pause and side trip to go a little further in and up in our consideration. -Selah
Question: Are you growing in Christ?
THEREFORE we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2Cor. 4:16-18)
SO, did you think about my football game analogy from the previous comments? I recall challenging my middle school bible class students with the above verse asking, why people are willing to go through extra-ordinary effort and difficulties to do a particular thing? Paul faced incredible opposition, trials, and difficulties, even death to minister the gospel and serve the church. And yet he constantly counted it all joy in all that he suffered. Why?
THE answer is he had a vision and a purpose that gave him meaning and motivation. When we think of difficulties they come in many forms, but for Paul –as with most of us- the real deep seeded pains in life come from others, be they friend or foe, believer or unbeliever alike. As the saying goes, “I love humanity, it’s people I seem to have a real problem with!”
BUT, with Apostle Paul there are two things -among a myriad of other things- that needed to be dealt with: 1) the problem (or opportunity) of how to love others, addressed in 1Cor 13; and 2) the problem (or opportunity) of self, answered in Rom. 6 & 7. The problem is that both of these issues must be actively faith engaged (1John 5:4). We cannot be spectators in either sphere. To go back to the football game analogy, we must be participants, not mere spectators in Gods objective to bring us into conformity to Christ (Phil 2:12-13 cp Rom 8:29). And the tool that He most often uses to reach that objective is in our relationships – our interactions – with other people!
AGAIN, why do people often commit themselves to extra-ordinary activities that are strenuous, often dangerous or bruising either physically or mentally? Why do young boys like to get dirty and sweaty playing games like football or soccer? Well, if you want to get to the root cause, there is within each of us imprinted a deep desire for accomplishment, as we are made in the image God (Gen. 1:26ff). And again, that image has been distorted by the fall and all of sins’ results, including the blackening of self in the inward man. Look at Paul’s statement in above in 2Cor 4:16: Even though our outward man is perishing …
WE all know what that means. We labor against the laws of nature every day we look into the mirror. And every athlete (football player) knows what exercises and constant, rigorous training is necessary to get into or even win the game. Spectators that only watch from the sideline, …well, only watch from the sideline.
YET the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2Cor. 4:17)
THE point being that contrary to the laws of sin that impacted all of nature, as followers of Christ we can know a contra activity, a renewing of the “inward man.” But that actuality and reality does not come with passivity, but through the character shaping afflictions that work in us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
I’M taking labors in this to try and make a point. Just like “easy comes, easy goes” describes the economy of values – that things of true worth come at a real price (Matt 13:44-45). Again, the well-worn and simple axiom, “no pain, no gain” (1Pet 1:6).
So, here’s the question I leave you with for the moment. How goes it with you, are you growing in Christ? Are you embracing the opportunities to deal with self, putting it in its proper place (death); or are you avoiding the arena, the training camp or even the game itself. Christ says, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me, for whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mark 8:34
TO repeat, in Principles of Spiritual Growth our author has been taking us through the principles of “The Cross.” When our Savior says, take up [the] cross it is no mere suggestion. …Rather than pick up where we left off in our readings in Principles of Spiritual Growth, I’m going to leave you with readings in the Westminster Larger Catechism Question 78 and 75 for this week’s prayerful consideration. I believe this to be helpful in understanding the matter of the Cross. We’ll look a little closer at this next time as well.
With highest regards in Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa 30:15, Jas 1:2
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Q.78. Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers?
A. The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins, are hindered in all their spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God.
Q.75. What is sanctification?
A. Sanctification is a work of God’s grace, whereby they whom God hath, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy, are in time, through the powerful operation of his Spirit applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them, renewed in their whole man after the image of God; having the seeds of repentance unto life, and all other saving graces, put into their hearts, and those graces so stirred up, increased, and strengthened, as that they more and more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life.
If you wish to dig deeper – https://captivethoughts.net/westminster-shorter-catechism-q35/
