The Romance of Romans-Part 109

[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:

So, continuing on diagnosing the pattern of how we form deeper
subterranean problems and a "false self" that is beset with negative
strongholds....

Why is it that it is so difficult to displace the "clenched fist in
our gut" of self-protection with the "golden goal" of "vulnerably
trusting God" or "getting to know God better"? Is it not simply
because God is the One who gave us the longings for intimacy and
impact and then placed us in the environment of a broken world in
which he knew that these longings would be significantly undermined
and remain unsatisfied (though not fully so)? We have a subtle and
profound controversy with God that is challenging to settle on a deep
heart level. It's hard for many of us to admit, because it seems so
irreligious. Yet, how can we realistically trust him on a gut level
when we have doubts his goodness? We instinctively don't trust anyone
we don't believe is good. This was the original temptation offered by
the serpent to Eve and Adam in the garden..."God is not good...he
cannot be trusted...take your destiny into your own hands."

So we are in a bind that we desperately need to address. We must
somehow become reconciled to the pain of the sufferings that God has,
at least, allowed to come our way in the course of life. We must make
peace with the reality that no human being on earth will meet our
deepest need for intimacy...not the best parent, the closest friend or
the most faithful mate. We must face the fact that we live in a world
in which not everything is going well and nothing is going perfectly.
And...that it never will until we are in the very presence of and face
to face with Christ. We must learn to navigate in cultures in which
there will always be obstacles that hinder us from freely making the
impact we long to make and achieving the purposes we long to fulfill.

Yes, only God himself can possibly meet our deepest yearnings for
intimacy and impact...and he will...but even then, he requires us to
wait for another age for their full satisfaction. (Though surely, he
does provide tokens and a down payment on their reality by "being with
us" here and now by his Spirit. Moreover, he uses blessed people in
this world as instruments of his love in our lives. He also showers us
with many simple joys and blessings of life.) Self-protection seems
reasonable, but tragically, it blocks us from receiving the generous
love that God has to give us (and that he desires to flow through us
to others) even in this fallen world. Experiencing and passing on his
love is the very reason for our existence on the planet! It is the
essence of the only thing that really matters in our lives.
And...unfortunately or not...it is simply incompatible with the goal
of self-protection!

Somehow we must discover that the inevitable pains and sufferings of
living in this age have a redemptive purpose. This is what Jesus and
the apostles say to us over and over again in the gospels and epistles
in so many ways. Yes, yes, yes...God is good. Do you believe it...do
I? Do I...really?

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and
momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far
outweighs them all." 2 Cor 4:16-17

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many
kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be
mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Life in this world can be extremely hard, but God is still good.
(Thankfully, there is also much of God's beauty still to behold as it
is reflected in this world...so we should drink it in whenever we can
and wherever we discover it!) It's not the end of the story and the
scriptures have been written to impart to us "knowledge", "patience"
and "comfort", by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we can "live
in hope". This is what all those Bible stories point to...what all the
letters instruct us about.

Over-zealous revivalists often lead us to think that an unprecedented
move of God across the globe will negate and transcend our need for
"low level" virtues like "patience" and "comfort" and "hope"...but
they are badly mistaken and they always leave many well-intentioned
believers disillusioned along the roadways of life after the human
zeal subsides. But God is full of his own zeal and his intentions for
our lives, both now and in the age to come, will not be deterred if we
put our trust in him.