Addiction is a terrible thing. However, if we are honest with ourselves, most of us are addicted to what I call, 2nd hand glory. This thought came out of a quiet time on the last passage in John 5. Jesus affirms the trustworthiness of John the Baptist (v. 32) and then condemns the faithlessness of the Jewish crowd (v. 40). These two events are NOT unrelated. Quite the opposite. I believe that our Lord is communicating something that is intended to have a powerful effect on us. Something that can only be seen through the side-by-side comparison of John and the Jewish crowd. Here it is; The pursuit of 2nd-hand glory will kill faith.
What I mean by 2nd-hand glory is this; there is a feeling you get from knowing somebody important. There is an unashamed zeal and a confidence in being around somebody famous. Why else would celebrities walk around with giant followings? Why else would a musician have 1,000 followers on twitter, updating fans on the trivial and ironically normal things done throughout their day? Easy. Famous people attract followers. I feel guilty of this myself. My cousin just married a professional football player. Not only is he in the NFL, but he's popular! I've seen him many times on Sportscenter. To me, this is exhilarating! I wanted to buy his jersey and tell the world who my newest cousin was! That is, until I met him. Upon meeting him, I no longer had a desire to brag about him. Why? Is it because he's an ego-maniac? No. Quite the opposite. I no longer had a desire to brag about him because I realized that he was humble. Therefore, I was caught in the awkward tension of boasting in someone who doesn't boast in himself. However as we see through the life of Jesus, humility is the true path to greatness.
This may be Jesus' point in saying, "[John] was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light" (v. 35) Upon hearing this, the next question should be, "Why only rejoice for a while?" Jesus explains by saying, "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him." (v 43) Or in other words, If Jesus came as an ego-loving celebrity, he would have far more followers than he does today. However, great people are not measured by how big a following they have, rather, they are measured by the love of God within them (v. 42). The fact that Jesus came as a humble king makes it hard to receive 2nd-hand glory from him. Why? Because it makes you feel uncomfortable. The reason the Jews only rejoiced in the limelight of John for a while is the same reason why I only rejoiced in the limelight of my NFL-playing cousin for a while. It was uncomfortable boasting in a humble servant. "I am not the Christ....I am not Elijah...I am not the Prophet...[Rather] I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord" (John 1:20-23) With rumors like "messiah" "elijah" and "prophet" circulating around John, we can easily see why people would want to rejoice in his fame. However, John did not rejoice in his fame. On the contrary, he said, "[Jesus] must increase but I must decrease" (Jn 3:30) This seems unusual. It is impossible to receive 2nd-hand glory from one who does not seek glory from people. Humble people love God more than they love their reputation.
I think this ushers in verse 41 very well. Jesus says, "I do not receive glory from people." Therefore, what is true about John is also true about Jesus. He is a humble servant who has the love of God within him. And there is no 2nd-hand glory to be attained through serving a humble servant, rather, there is only humble admiration. As children of God, we ought not seek glory from other people. We have no ground for boasting in ourselves because we follow one who does not boast in himself. As if that were not enough motivation, Jesus' shocking words in verse 44 should ring in our ears, "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" The love of 2nd-hand glory is detrimental to your faith. I pray that your faith would grow strong as you give glory to our humble king.
"He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it."
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Consider your calling
In what shall our confidence lay in? In what shall we boast in? Are we to boast in ourselves? Nay, that would be hedonistic. However, there is a type of hedonism that is indeed biblical. Pastor, scholar, and my personal hero John Piper writes, "God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him" This is the foundation for Christian Hedonism. Our boast is, has, and always will be in the Lord. Anyone who says that we ought not boast has an ascetic view on humility. Biblical humility is PROUD! Biblical humility is boastful! I find that the most humble thing one can do is boast in one who is greater than he. Since then we have been united to Christ, let us boast in him! Believe me, there will be much boasting in heaven. However, that boasting will not be in ourselves, but rather in "The Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!" (John 1:29)
I find this to be the basis for Paul's admonishment in 1 Cor 1:26, "Consider your calling, brothers" What follows next is surprising to say the least. We are told to think back to our spiritual calling and then Paul precedes to call us "foolish", "weak", "low" and "despised". Now as I contemplate these descriptions, I initially have a hard time reconciling them to the previous command. How does this make sense? How am I foolish and yet called by God? How am I weak and yet called by God? How can these descriptions which make me seem so unimpressive somehow be working as the basis for my spiritual calling? Then it dawned on me. This is all working to cultivate Christian Hedonism. Or otherwise known as "the intentional pursuit of joy in God". What gets in the way of true worship is an elevated view of self. No one stands before God and says, "I alone am great." Once we have a proper understanding of the holiness of God, true worship will ultimately follow. This is why Christian hedonists are more than content with being called "weak", "foolish" and "low". For the lower they go, the higher God seems! Our boast is not in ourselves, rather it is in the greatness of God. I pray that you would decrease in order that Jesus Christ may increase in your life. That is the true path to joy and the essence of Christian Hedonism.
"He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it"
I find this to be the basis for Paul's admonishment in 1 Cor 1:26, "Consider your calling, brothers" What follows next is surprising to say the least. We are told to think back to our spiritual calling and then Paul precedes to call us "foolish", "weak", "low" and "despised". Now as I contemplate these descriptions, I initially have a hard time reconciling them to the previous command. How does this make sense? How am I foolish and yet called by God? How am I weak and yet called by God? How can these descriptions which make me seem so unimpressive somehow be working as the basis for my spiritual calling? Then it dawned on me. This is all working to cultivate Christian Hedonism. Or otherwise known as "the intentional pursuit of joy in God". What gets in the way of true worship is an elevated view of self. No one stands before God and says, "I alone am great." Once we have a proper understanding of the holiness of God, true worship will ultimately follow. This is why Christian hedonists are more than content with being called "weak", "foolish" and "low". For the lower they go, the higher God seems! Our boast is not in ourselves, rather it is in the greatness of God. I pray that you would decrease in order that Jesus Christ may increase in your life. That is the true path to joy and the essence of Christian Hedonism.
"He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it"
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Living water for the thirsty
Nothing is more frustrating than unmet desires. We run through countless idols trying to appease our cavernous thirsts. However, what we fail to realize is that our deep, great thirsts have been given to us by God FOR him. The sad thing is that we turn perfectly good things into idols by attempting to use them to fill the great holes in our life. However, good things cannot fill great holes. Where there are deep longings to be satisfied, there are equally deep portions of grace to satisfy that restless soul. If you have spectacular sins, you may enjoy a spectacular savior! A heart that desires little receive little but a heart that desires much receives "grace upon grace" (John 1:16) Therefore, "let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need" (Heb 4:16) Let us never think that our sin disqualifies us to draw near to the throne of grace. For our confidence is not in ourselves but in the perfect righteousness of Christ. Those who lean on Christ are the most humble and joyful people in the world.
In John 4 we meet a Samaritan woman with a deep thirst for the Lord. Sadly, she is unaware that her desires are for the triune God. We see in verse 6 that she is drawing water from a well at an unusual hour. The writer John makes a point to specify that this took place around the sixth hour (noon). It was customary for women to draw water early in the morning. However, this lady seems to be avoiding the women in the town. Why? Verse 18 tells us that she's had FIVE failed marriages and is living with a man who is not her husband. I can only imagine the emotional wounds of five failed marriages. I can only imagine how women in the town talk and gossip about this poor soul. I can only imagine how the men in the town view this seemingly promiscuous woman. However, God intends that we see ourselves in the face of this woman.
Notice that our Lord does not condemn her for her desires. Rather, he offers her living water that will cause her to "never thirst again" (v. 14). Do you think she has thirsts? You bet she has thirsts! FIVE failed marriages! This is a great picture of the result of idolatry. Men make horrible Gods. Women make horrible Gods. Anything other than Yahweh will make a horrible God. Once anything is elevated above God, it gets crushed and we get disappointed. These men were mostly likely crushed under the weight of having to be God to this woman. It was far too much to handle. Men were not meant to be put in God's position. Only God can bear the weight of our deep expectations. Only God can offer us living water. All other founts will cause us to "be thirsty again" (v. 13).
Here we see ourselves in the face of this adulteress woman. We too have given ourselves over to idols. We too have tried to satisfy our heart's longings with created things instead of the creator. We too have made a mess of our life and live in shame and in a pool of regret. However, we can take heart. For our Lord will deal with us as patiently and as lovingly as he does with this woman. "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scriptures has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37) This is meant for us! Whoever doesn't thirst doesn't breath. Whoever doesn't have longings doesn't have a soul. Let us repent and rejoice! Like the woman of Samaria, let us drop our buckets (v.28) and drink deeply from the living water that our Savior provides! Grace upon grace is ours for the taking! All you need to bring with you is repentance and faith! Bring as much of it as you can! The greater the longings, the greater the Savior will prove to be! I pray Christ would draw you to drink deeply from his fount of living water.
"He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it"
In John 4 we meet a Samaritan woman with a deep thirst for the Lord. Sadly, she is unaware that her desires are for the triune God. We see in verse 6 that she is drawing water from a well at an unusual hour. The writer John makes a point to specify that this took place around the sixth hour (noon). It was customary for women to draw water early in the morning. However, this lady seems to be avoiding the women in the town. Why? Verse 18 tells us that she's had FIVE failed marriages and is living with a man who is not her husband. I can only imagine the emotional wounds of five failed marriages. I can only imagine how women in the town talk and gossip about this poor soul. I can only imagine how the men in the town view this seemingly promiscuous woman. However, God intends that we see ourselves in the face of this woman.
Notice that our Lord does not condemn her for her desires. Rather, he offers her living water that will cause her to "never thirst again" (v. 14). Do you think she has thirsts? You bet she has thirsts! FIVE failed marriages! This is a great picture of the result of idolatry. Men make horrible Gods. Women make horrible Gods. Anything other than Yahweh will make a horrible God. Once anything is elevated above God, it gets crushed and we get disappointed. These men were mostly likely crushed under the weight of having to be God to this woman. It was far too much to handle. Men were not meant to be put in God's position. Only God can bear the weight of our deep expectations. Only God can offer us living water. All other founts will cause us to "be thirsty again" (v. 13).
Here we see ourselves in the face of this adulteress woman. We too have given ourselves over to idols. We too have tried to satisfy our heart's longings with created things instead of the creator. We too have made a mess of our life and live in shame and in a pool of regret. However, we can take heart. For our Lord will deal with us as patiently and as lovingly as he does with this woman. "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scriptures has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37) This is meant for us! Whoever doesn't thirst doesn't breath. Whoever doesn't have longings doesn't have a soul. Let us repent and rejoice! Like the woman of Samaria, let us drop our buckets (v.28) and drink deeply from the living water that our Savior provides! Grace upon grace is ours for the taking! All you need to bring with you is repentance and faith! Bring as much of it as you can! The greater the longings, the greater the Savior will prove to be! I pray Christ would draw you to drink deeply from his fount of living water.
"He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)