The Romance of Romans-Part 107

[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:

I like to refer to the sinfully self-protective strategies that we
choose and then repress as "strongholds". In 2 Cor 10:3-5, the apostle
Paul makes reference to this challenge and battle we all face:

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the
flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God
for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high
thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every
thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...."

The locus of the fight to tear down the strongholds of human depravity
begins with our own thoughts...our images of reality, beliefs,
attitudes, perspectives and mind-sets. In the language of Romans
12...it has to do with the renewing of the mind...the practical way
that we put off the old self (or false self) and put on the new self
(or new creation).

Strongholds are things that block us from the "knowledge of God"...a
kind of "knowledge" that is rooted in a first-hand experiential
intimacy with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit...relational knowledge,
if you will. Strongholds hinder healthy interpersonal relationships
with others and our self-awareness as well. I truly mean no
disrespect, but, without substantial divine intervention, we all tend
to slowly and progressively get "jerked into being jerks" by the evil
one and our willful reactions to the pains of living in a fallen world
in which our deepest longings are profoundly thwarted.

We may become religious jerks or irreligious jerks...either kind
serves the enemy's broader schemes in our world. As Dr. Crabb would
say, we are victims of sin, but we are also agents of sin. Our sinful
strategies need to be graciously disrupted and displaced by the love
of God through the power of the Holy Spirit in the context of Christ's
community. It can and does happen...it has happened throughout the
centuries in the lives of ordinary folks like us. Strongholds are
stubborn and deeply embedded, but also recall from the scripture above
that the spiritual weapons at our disposal are mighty through God and,
when rightly applied, strongholds are demolished.

Please hang with me here...I promise that I will come to the good news
of how a more radical transformation into the image of Jesus Christ
happens in us by bringing every errant thought captive to him, but I
believe we need to ponder the anatomy and scope of our brokenness in
order to be prepped to take in, cooperate with and forever appreciate
the remedy!