New Thoughts (8/4/02-8/5/02)
Innocence. We have come, in our fallen world, to think of this as weakness of mind, but that is not the real meaning. Nor do we remember the true meaning of simplicity, the word used in other translations. This, too, we have reduced to indicating the state of the simpleton, one devoid of intellect. But that's not it. Innocence is not ignorance. Innocence is purity, a 'simplicity of heart.' That simplicity is but an undivided, unblended, uncompounded sincerity of belief. This is what we are being exhorted to maintain, a heart free of duplicity, free of divisiveness, a child-like innocence.
Children don't hide much of their thoughts. This has been a perennial embarrassment to parents, who hear their children revealing things they had not intended to be heard beyond the walls of home. Jesus exhorts us to be such people as have no reason to fear this openness of the child, who are pure and undivided in our hearts, who hide nothing, because we have nothing to hide.
In a way, Paul could have told us to be simple towards good, and simple towards evil, for the word does bear both meanings. He calls us to be single-minded, undivided in our pursuit of doing good. At the same time, he calls us to be completely ignorant as to the doing of evil. He calls us to a 'holy simplicity,' which cannot even come up with an evil plan, let alone carry one out. The example of Joseph comes to mind. It seems as though he was surrounded by planners of evil most of his days, oftentimes being asked to join in the planned events. Yet he would not. He could not conceive of doing so. It was not that he didn't understand what was going on, it was precisely because he did understand, and understanding, could not conceive of the possibility of participation. That's the wisdom part.
We cannot afford to be ignorant of God's word. Too many will bend and distort it into plausible lies. We must have understanding, God's wisdom, to avoid being taken in. Yet, we are to remain teachable. We can no more afford to think we have all the answers than we can afford ignorance. If we wish to be truly wise, we will have to remain under Jesus Christ's gracious influence, we will have to remain open and teachable to Him, and to His ministers. We must remain teachable, but teachable with wisdom and judgment to discern. Otherwise, our teachable nature will be our downfall, as we accept every teaching that happens along.
Thank God, I don't believe He will allow this in His chosen ones. He may allow such falsehoods to persist for a time, perhaps simply to make the chaff more visible in His Church, but He will not suffer His children to be deceived. He is wisdom. He will make the truth clear to His own. Be wise as serpents. Consider carefully all that you hear, taking away only what is good and true. Be wise to recognize the intent behind the speaker's words. Seek God's understanding to know the heart of the teacher, whether he is seeking God's glory or his own.
I am relieved and reassured to see that so many others have found in this letter the same underlying current that I identified, the theme of unity that comes up throughout this letter. So many times, I have heard the focus put on Paul's message of faith, that this was the point he was getting at in the whole thing. Faith and grace are, of course, keystone concepts that Paul addresses in here, but it remains a letter focused on promoting the unity of the Church, the unity of believers.
Notice that it is, indeed, a unity of believers, not some universalistic unity of all mankind. We cannot found our unity on lies. If we have done so, that unity must needs be dissolved. We cannot make a solid foundation on lies, for we serve the God of truth. Matthew Henry points out that when truth departs, unity and peace soon follow after it. Is this any surprise? The God who is Truth is also the God of Peace, as we are reminded in this passage. He is also the God who is not the God of confusion and disorder. How, then, can there be a peace without truth? Where there is no peace, how can we expect to find unity?
We must, then, be diligent, for in complacency lies our undoing. We must be careful to cling to truth, to ensure that teachers of falsehood find no inroads into our family, into our Church. We must remain wise as serpents, wise as to doing good. We must know the truth, know God's Word, so that attempts to distort it, to twist it to fleshly purposes will be to no avail in our presence.
Yet, we dare not allow this diligence to become a source of discord. It is very easy for us to go overboard with this, to fall into skepticism that disbelieves everything, disagrees with everyone. This is the root of discord, and Satan is the author of discord. If we are acting in this capacity, we are acting as ministers of Satan. It is well to seek purity in God's house, among God's people. It is well, yet even in this, our focus should be the cultivation of peace and unity. Again, unity cannot encompass lies, but even when division becomes needful, we must act not from jealousy and anger, but from the love of Christ for His bride. We must resolve to cultivate peace and unity, but we must - in the wisdom of Christ, from the heart of God - recognize when unity and peace are no longer an option.
We are often quick on the draw in this regard, because we are not yet free of the flesh. Too often, we seek redress out of jealousy, we seek correction where there is no actual wrong being done. We allow pride to join us in our service of God, leading to strife as we compete with our coworkers to show ourselves best. We still haven't caught on that it's not about what we do, it's about what He has done. Our best efforts won't make us any more saved than we are already. Our worst efforts will not make God's work in us null and void. Yet we insist on displaying our works like peacock feathers. We insist on comparing ourselves not to Christ, but to our fellow Christians. This is exactly what Paul decries in 1Co 3:3. Your jealousy and strife, he tells us, is proof positive that you are still fleshly. You claim to be spiritual, but look! You care more about what your pew-partner is saying and doing, than you care about what God is doing. You care about the pastor's shoes more than his message. You're upset because Joe was asked to usher and not you. You're upset because you were asked to do something, and it's so beneath your abilities, your dignity.
There's entirely too much of this in the Church. There's entirely too much of this in me. Lord, forgive me. I know it's in me, that flesh reaction, but by Your grace I cast it away from me. I pray that You would keep it away. Pride, Lord. It seems like that, too, has been Your theme in this study - cutting away that pride that plagues me. How many disguises it wears, Father! How many You have shown me. I know You are working. I know that where You are working, the work will be done. Thy will be done, oh God. Cut the pride away. Burn it out of me. It is a disease, and I trust myself to my Healer for a cure.
Finally, given the present conditions of my daily life, it is a word for me, a 'ramah' word, a word from God to my heart for this moment, that comes in Jn 14:27. "I leave peace with you - My peace. This is not the peace that the world gives, but My own, so don't be troubled or fearful." Had there been any doubt in my mind that this was for me, it was dissolved when Pastor brought this same verse forward in service yesterday; and it was shattered when God brought forth words from multiple people regarding that same verse.
Throughout a number of previous studies here, when it came time to collect my thoughts, "providence" kept coming to mind. I noted it, put it off, noted it, put it off. Finally, with vacation coming, I saw an opportunity to take on this study. As part of preparations for my trip, I collected a bunch of resources to study. I had even noted where this study could be inserted into this present study in Romans. However, what I was able to cover during vacation barely scratched the surface. It has become clear that the matter of providence will need to be a full study in its own right which, Lord willing, I will pursue once this text is completed.
Well, I brought my materials with me, and studied in the morning as is my wont. However, God was teaching my family about providence throughout the vacation, arranging special times for us, guiding our wanderings so as to provide wonderful moments of refreshing. He also, in the midst of this, reminded me in morning studies that His providence is just as active in our times of trial. I noted this, and nodded.
Coming back to work, I found out that in my absence, a meeting had been held, and my group had been given notice that in two months' time our services would no longer be required. I will note in passing that on the day of this meeting we were driving along the New York shore of Lake Champlain listening to a folk tape that I'd bought on the ferry over from Burlington. I could not figure out why this tape seemed so prone to bringing me to tears. There's no such thing as coincidence. This is part and parcel of what God's providence means. I stand in wonder.
It has taken most of this last week to regain some sense of equilibrium. (At least, in this moment, in this morning hour, I feel at peace again.) I am so thankful that God chose to prepare me for this eventuality by studying His providence, His care for His children. I am writing these things here, because in that study, I was also reminded to keep track of what God has done for this family, so that I can pass it on to my children. I am convinced that in this moment, when the flesh is bringing bad report upon bad report, God is working something marvelous. I wish to make note of the start so that He may be glorified in the conclusion, that my daughter may hear and know that He is a God of wonders, a God of compassion, a God who watches over her as He has watched over me.
Christ Jesus came. He left us peace - His peace, a peace that is beyond our comprehension. It is a peace unlike any the world can give us, for it cannot, will not, be disturbed. It is Christ's own peace, and with Him, I speak to my soul today, "Don't be troubled or fearful." Things look uncertain, but things are just that: things. Salvation is certain. God is certain. God's plans are certain, and they are plans to prosper and not to harm. He who works all things to the good of His workers is working still, and He is faithful to complete it. All praise be to my Rock!
