The Romance of Romans-Part 106

[Michael]

Romans 15 cont'd

Even the most powerful man of all, Jesus Christ, didn't use his power
to create for himself a pain-free and pleasure-filled earthly life. As
scripture says, "I have personally identified with and embraced the
rejection they have shown you O God." All the scriptures have been
written to impart knowledge, patience and comfort to us so that we can
live in hope- a confident expectation of a glorious future.

Comments:

The terrible pain of rejections and injustices combine and add shame
to our situation. We even feel ashamed of our very longings for
intimacy and impact that are at the core of our being and again, left
to ourselves, we are driven to find a way to cope. Our strategies are
erected upon a reactionary and firm commitment at our center to
"self=protect". We aren't speaking here of a kind of reasonable self-
defense from physical harm, but a putting up of "walls" that generally
shut out and shut down our relational vulnerability. This kind of self-
protection becomes the subterranean, and usually, subtle primary goal
of our broken hearts. The scripture states in Proverbs that "there is
a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death." To me,
such self-protection seems to fit squarely into this warning.

On a surface level, we creatively make multiple choices, normally over
the course of many years, that fit neatly with our now embedded goal
of self-protection. We learn to make such decisions so swiftly and
deftly that we lose touch with our hidden agenda that is moving us
through life and relationships. We also lose touch with the very fact
that we are making choices at all. We imagine that we are just "being
ourselves"...though the joy of living ebbs out from us. (I am
convinced at this stage of the process, the ancient enemies of God and
the human soul...satan and his demonic host...are operating overtime
"in cognito" to offer us false images of God, other people, our
circumstances and ourselves. If we buy into these falsehoods, then the
evil one's most basic work is accomplished, for he has received our
personal support for his lies.)

In reaction to our profound pain (and our felt need for comfort of any
kind), we form false images, we believe lies, we make unwise inner
vows, we overuse our strengths, we transfer blame to undeserving
people, we develop addictions, we mimic others and we employ any
number of similar coping mechanisms. All of these things have a weird
way of offering us a temporary comfort...this is why they are tempting
to us. A particular "way of being" emerges and a "style of relating"
ensues that is far from the genuine and whole person that God intends
for us to be and become. Some would call this, and I believe there is
merit to this, a "false self".

Of course, many people realize along the way that they need God to
forgive them for their depravity...their sins of pride, lust, greed,
hatred, selfishness and the like. And faithfully, God provides this
forgiveness when we turn to Jesus Christ and believe in who he is and
what he has done for us in his death and resurrection. Additionally,
when the Holy Spirit enters our lives, he takes up his residence in
our innermost being and imparts to us a new nature...a new heart...a
new creation. This reality provides the new base line for us so that
God and we can partner, through both crisis and process, to dislodge
the sinful and hidden goal of self-protection and successfully put off
the old nature...the false self...both it's way of being and it's
style of relating.

Not a small battle is inaugurated in order for this to be realized!
But, we are no longer alone in the fight and One who has already
conquered all sin and death is our Bodyguard.