I have been watching something happen in the Church today. Something that almost appears insignificant on the surface, yet a spiritual microscope reveals its complexity. Due to such intricacies, I find myself overwhelmed with how to respond to it and how to find the Scarlet Thread of Jesus in the warp and weft. For purposes of discussion, I must visually define a few terms. If I were to ask you to describe the differences between these two images, you might say that the one on the left seems to have more extreme, definite angles not having a lot of room for error while the one on the right is just as connected as the other one but with more curves and likely more flexibility. The left is more linear and clear, and while the right still offers symmetry, it also appears a little more involved. In the first, you are looking at multiple threads, the second is one continuous strand. And you are extremely savvy people, so I am sure that is only the beginning of your observations.
So, let me ask you what I have been asking myself: is the nature of God something woven or something knitted? Does it have definition or is it fluid? Is His Being something I define or something He does? If it is definite and certain, what are the implications of that in my life? Is there a place for stretch in the doctrine and theology of God? We know from Romans 1:19 that there is a limit to what we CAN know about God, the limits that He Himself established. But we also know from the same verse that He is not hiding that which is necessary for us to know about Him. He is clear about what many of His attributes are, but at the same time we will not plumb the depth of any single one of them for all eternity on account of His infinitude. God is like a WOVEN fabric in that He is UNCHANGING, DEFINITE, SECURE. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Culture (yes, even Christian culture), popular ways of thinking, experiences, emotions, financial situations, government mandates and ordinances, current trends in definitions of what love is, losses, and even gains CANNOT alter the reality of Who God has declared Himself to be. He Himself is ABSOLUTE TRUTH at its finest. But here's the thing. God is also like a KNIT fabric in that all of His many attributes are interconnected, so to pull on a strand of one is to unravel it all. To yank on His goodness, for example, and say that He is only good some of the time calls into question His sovereignty, His omnipotence, yes, even downplays His love by making it seem conditional. Or to tug on His holiness diminishes the uniqueness of His mercy and His grace. There is no picking and choosing. Because the Lord our God is one, everything must be wholly and completely unified. Now, this can all seem very rigid rather than freeing, though I would argue there is far more adventure in the discovery of Who He is as well as security and safety in letting God define Himself rather than letting my finite mind try to figure Him out. I can't help but think of the account of the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai: FREAKING OUT in ungodly fear at the power of God on display, so much so that they told Moses, "Look, you better just take it from here. We can't handle Who He is showing Himself to be." Because their hearts and minds could not handle this reality, they chose instead to make a god that better suited their well-being and gave them a false sense that they were worshiping the right god (Exodus 20:18-21; ch. 32). Satan directly assaulted our Savior Jesus for 40 days and nights, and in the culmination of that temptation, we see that he attempted not only to appeal to a hungry man's humanity, but His ability to REASON too. In essence, saying, "If you are hungry, it MAKES SENSE to eat." And how did Christ respond? He answers Him with something even more LOGICAL, something far more sure: the written word of God. Even Peter seemed to agree with the weight of the Word of God as something that goes beyond even his own eye's ability to see (2 Peter 1:17-20). I am sadly seeing a more fluid approach to the theology of God in the Church at large, perhaps as a response to an onslaught of tolerant methodology, or letting the individual decide for themselves what truth is. This implies that somehow a rigid holding to Who God has revealed Himself to be in the Bible and in Christ Himself is also stagnant in growth, that a fluid theology is on a higher plane of understanding, much like the concept that only true believers speak in tongues. You know what DOES need to stretch and adapt though and act more like a knit fabric? My need to be right. While all of this IS true and I believe all of the above wholeheartedly, I also see my own tendency to win, to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Biblical doctrine and theology of God is right when that might not be the most important thing in a conversation, especially among my Family Members. My motives might be skewed at times, and it is only by the Spirit of God that I can have the discernment of what actually IS the most vital element, the most precious, God-pleasing words in a conversation. Practically, this gets worked out by asking a whole lot more questions, having the patience for when to ask coupled with the grace that while time IS fleeting, not every moment is the one to prove a point. Again, Jesus could have proved all kinds of things to Satan during his temptation, or even at the cross, when others were taunting Him to do the same, but He stayed focused and in touch with His Father in even those moments too. That did not diminish the fact that He Himself WAS/IS Truth, He just chose to display His Patience, Wisdom, and Grace in those moments. He always knew which hearts were ready to receive any information He would give them. Do you see what it is so vital to be filled with the Spirit of our God?? I am so thankful for Jesus, the Scarlet Thread that is both woven and knitted in the Fabric of God who lets us see the beautiful tapestry of His glory. Lord, teach us, help us to see where we may have believed things about You that are not true, that are not revealed in Your Word or in Your Son, making You into a small and false version that suits our own preferences, experiences and feelings. We confess that there is so much about You that we do not know and we end up spending a lot of energy trying to figure those things out rather than celebrating what You HAVE told us. Thank You for everything that You have shown us about Who You are. Forgive us for the times we have prioritized what is ultimately self-righteousness in the name of zeal for You. You are perfectly capable of defending Yourself and You can show us if and when the time is right to make a stand. Eliminate any fear of what man thinks as we grow in our godly fear of You and rejoice in Your satisfying and steadfast love. Unite our hearts, Lord to fear Your name. Keep us from the "fightings within" that would profane Your Gospel. We love You and we worship You in spirit and in truth. Amen.
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Brittany Van RynWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
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