| “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” |
| —Ephesians 3:20-21 |
Of late, a debate is raging within the halls of Christianity. It’s certainly not a new discussion. But, once again, it has taken to the forefront. The debate has arisen because of the varied response to certain major changes in the cultural orientation of our society. As our culture has become more accepting of heretofore highly criticized behaviors, sincere Christians find themselves debating over what position they should take on the matter.
Of course, one would hope that civility and kindness would prevail in these discussions. But, sadly, that does not seem to be the case. It reminds me of what it was like growing up in Fundamentalism over seventy years ago.
Instead of being taught that all people who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ belonged to Him, I was taught that theology and especially behavior out-flanked sincere commitment. I was repeatedly warned not to ever consider dating a Roman Catholic girl because that church would force me to convert to Roman Catholicism. Horrors! I was told that I could very well lose my salvation if that happened.
Fortunately, it didn’t take me very long in my adult life—for which I am extremely grateful to God—to meet some dear Roman Catholic folks who had a deep commitment to Christ, a love of Scripture, a zeal for evangelism, and a lifestyle of godliness that put many Fundamentalist believers to shame. While I appreciate the many, many positive influences that Fundamentalism had on my upbringing, and while I will remain eternally grateful for pastors, Sunday School teachers, youth group leaders, and a host of others—especially my parents—who planted seeds of faith deep within my heart, I also recognize now the fear that drove many of the incorrect pronouncements that I heard as a young person.
I do not need to agree with every single point of doctrine to appreciate the wholehearted commitment a fellow believer may have to God, through the Lord Jesus Christ. So much of what we hold dear within our personal understanding of what the Bible means, and what we sincerely believe to be true, comes from our own predispositions and prejudices. That’s not a bad thing, because the Holy Spirit lives within us and He nudges us in the spiritual formation of what we believe and what we hold as “truth.”
The current debate seems to want to make God’s everlasting, unfailing, undying love override an important character of His being, as revealed in Scripture—namely that God is holy. He is a holy God. Holiness marks His being. Yes, love marks His being, as well. The questions seems to be: “Which quality of God’s person—as revealed in His written Word and through the Living Word, His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—is the very most important of all?”
I have dear, dear friends on both sides of this debate. I love all of them, respect them, and weep for the fact that they have fallen into a debate that can never be won by either side. Instead, the debate sucks the life out of the witness these sincere believers offer to a dying world—a witness to the life-transforming power of the living Lord Jesus Christ.
Think about it for just a moment. Which quality of your own personhood is more important? Your high level of intelligence, or your deep caring for others? Your impeccable good taste, or your gorgeous locks of hair?
Do you see how silly the debate is? God is who He is. All of the qualities that He has chosen to reveal to us are of equal importance because they define who He is. And, I have no doubt that God possess many, many more qualities that we could not possibly comprehend with our tiny human pea-brains.
So, do we land on the side of God’s holiness, or the side that emphasizes His love? How about we choose to honor both? Let’s recognize that God is holy and that all sin—every single sin—is terrible in His sight. And, let’s also recognize that God is love and that His love, freely given to those that He chooses to belong to Him, results in the erasure of all the sin that stains these ones He loves, through the shed blood of His precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In closing the third chapter of the Book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul writes a declaration of praise as an example to these “Christ’s-ones” that he has nurtured in their faith. This particular letter actually oozes with the love that Paul feels for these dear ones. He commends them, admonishes them, counsels them, and encourages them. He shares with them some really important, life-altering theology. And, he rejoices in the gains they are making in their walk with God. Then, Paul comes to the end of this third chapter of his letter and closes with these words found in Ephesians 3:20-21:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Instead of debating over which quality of God’s being is the most important, we should embrace the reality that it is God—as He is and who He is—that really matters most of all. It is His divine Presence in and through us, by the power of His Holy Spirit, that determines the pathway of our lives.
Let’s become people who no longer try to bend the curve on the definition of sin. But at the same time, let’s become people who focus our attention on sharing the great love that characterizes the God who loved us enough to make provision through the death of His one and only Son for our redemption. Let us join with the Apostle Paul and experience glory in the Church—the whole Church, the whole Body of Christ. If we do that, we can acknowledge the sins in our own lives and fall to our knees in humble gratitude that our sins have been covered by the precious blood of Jesus.
Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, July 28, 2016
