We recently had a sermon series on Christianity vs The New Moral Code, or society's popular beliefs on life. We're continuing the discussion with a Bible study in 1 Peter.
One aspect of The New Moral Code is that people believe the purpose of life is having fulfillment, doing what pleases you, and enjoying yourself. Even many Christians espouse the idea that Christianity means success, pleasure, and fulfillment based on society's standards.
In light of that...I've been considering 1 Peter 1:6..."you have been grieved by various trials."
In 1 Kings 18, at Mt. Carmel, Elijah "takes on" the prophets of Baal and defeats them...rather, the Lord defeats them. That incident is a "Wow" moment of the Lord's power; and, if I had been Elijah, I'm sure I'd have great trust and confidence in my God, trust that could never be broken. I'd know the Christian life is about success, even in spiritual matters.
But, the very next chapter finds Elijah running away, fearful for his life, even asking the Lord to take his life.
And that's also my Christian life. I "function" under The New Moral Code, and I waver in faith based on my circumstances.
One moment, I'm basking in success; life is good and my faith "seems to be working." The next moment, I'm cowering, afraid of what's happening. Like Elijah, I forget who I am. I especially forget who God is and what He's done for me - Jesus.
1 Peter 1:8 says that we "believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible" even in the midst of trials. That "joy" doesn't mean a happiness amid pain. It doesn't mean I'm rejoicing because of troubles.
The rejoicing is a continual, underlying hope of the Christian life - and that hope is based on the death and resurrection of Jesus...and on His promise to come again, no matter the troubles or even the successes of this life.
I keep thinking of this quote from The Lord of the Rings, Return of the King:
Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue?
Yes!
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4
Although I've often heard people express confidence that forgiving someone is easy, I know that forgiving someone who's acted to hurt you is easier said than done.
Just look at all the relationship conflicts between families, neighbors, and even church members. If forgiveness is easy, we'd spend more time caring for each other and less time addressing our grievances.
In the parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus warns:
So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. Matthew 18:35
That's scary, especially "from your heart." And what does it mean to forgive your brother "from your heart?" How do you do that?
Maybe a better question is, "What does it mean to not forgive your brother from your heart?"
When I don't forgive someone, I not only continue in a broken relationship, I also poison my own soul. I might brood on the hurt, debate it in my mind, and continue to look for faults in the other person.
Unforgiveness is not pretty, productive, or right...period.
Still...how do we forgive "from the heart?"
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9
This I know...I can't do it, I can't forgive from the heart...because forgiveness doesn't come from me.
I have to go back to that parable of the Unforgiving Servant.
I am that servant, the servant who has a mountain of grievous debt. All of my sins, all of them, are sins against God. Others may be harmed and hurt along the way. But, like Adam's sin, my sins all amount to idolatry - to my desire to be my own god.
God's forgiveness of us is different and hard for us to grasp. And, because God's the one offended by my sin, He's the only one with the power and the ability to forgive my sin.
My forgiveness wasn't easy and it wasn't cheap. But Jesus took care of it with His life, death, and resurrection. Because of Him, I'm forgiven.
So how does that relate to forgiving others from the heart?
I've found that when I "bask" in His forgiveness and His mercy to me, it overflows...my heart is softened...and I love and forgive those who've hurt me because He first loved me.
Forgiveness of sins comes from Him, and my ability to forgive is also from Him.
It's not logical; it's not an act of my will. But it's reality that I know and experience. And it comes to me and it happens in the place that everything in the Christian's life, everything that truly matters, actually happens - at the foot of the cross and the door of the empty tomb.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
I'm currently reading the book Good and Angry by David Powlison, and this quote jumped out at me:
Meanwhile, we are to hate evil, but love our enemies. We never know which enemies might become our dearest friends. After all, Christ loved us when we were his enemies. Until the Day comes, the door of life is open. Enter all who will.
I immediately thought of Staff Sergeant Hancock. While I was a Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant stationed at Parris Island, Ssgt Hancock transferred from our sister company to my training company. She was an experienced Senior Drill Instructor, but she also had a reputation in the Battalion for being difficult to work with...and she was immediately assigned to my training team for the next three months.
During that time, Ssgt Hancock and I had a professional relationship, but I left her alone personally, figuring she could handle things. And besides, I was afraid of upsetting her.
Right before that training cycle ended, Ssgt Hancock told me that someone had said that I didn't like working with her. She actually said I called her a "_ _ _ _ _." I was surprised since I'd never said that or even thought it. But, since we were almost finished working together, I didn't respond, just let it go.
Then, due to some unusual circumstances, for the next training series, Ssgt Hancock and I were again assigned to work together. And this time I was worried.
But instead of backing off and leaving her alone, I decided to "get to know her."
And well...I got to know her and like her. I fondly remember the night, towards the end of field training, while the recruits were out on patrols, Ssgt Hancock and I sat in the dark under a tree, wrapped in our poncho liners, and had a "girl talk." No kidding.
About a year later...Ssgt Hancock asked me to participate in her reenlistment ceremony. And I was honored to do that.
You never know which "enemies" will become dear friends. People are worth the effort and the "risk" of time and friendship, even if it seems difficult and uncomfortable.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5
That Hideous Strength, the third book in C.S. Lewis's science fiction trilogy, is not your typical science fiction book. The book takes place in "present time" earth, a setting that should be familiar. But when I read it, I don't see any "direction" or "cohesion" in the subplots and scenes - it's a world gone weird and bad.
Two story lines in the book continue to disturb me: First, the book's representative married couple has chosen not to have children; Second, the cutting-edge science of the day is about transforming humans into "disembodied talking heads."
Lewis also points out how Satan hates humans, hates the human race; and those two subplots are something that Lewis says Satan would rejoice in.
Satan would feel victorious in bringing about the demise of the human race - in one way or the other - by people no longer having physical bodies or by people not having children.
Fast forward to today...we have abortions, many couples are choosing not to have children, homosexual marriage is legal, and people are transitioning to another sex...and all of these behaviors have an impact on babies not being born, on the future of the human race. That's reality.
And I have to think that Satan rejoices as evil "wins the day," as the human race, as those made in God's image, decline and fall.
I feel for those struggling with homosexual feelings and gender identity issues. But I know, "It's all thoughts and desires gone bad" - gone bad because of Adam's fall, with sickness and death in our bodies, gone bad in our thinking and our emotions.
And it's not the way God intended.
So what's going on?
It's a battle between good and evil. It's a battle in our own hearts, thoughts, bodies, and minds. And it's also a battle against the forces of evil, in the heavenly realm. And I don't claim to understand.
This is not what God intended. Something's wrong. Like Lewis's story in That Hideous Strength, it's a world gone weird and bad. And we don't even know how or what to think about it.
But the answer - Christ came to die for sinners, of whom I am the chief. Somehow that makes everything better - not right, not fixed...at least not yet. But better...and with hope that all will be okay. Because Jesus is on the throne.
Amen - come Lord Jesus.
