Hebrews 5:8 - It says that Jesus "learned obedience through what he suffered." He didn't learn it from instruction or study, but through what he suffered. I don't want to suffer, I don't want to work, I just want to be and do right. But being and doing right comes through work and suffering.
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
I feel like this is me. Funny, for a long time I'd read this passage and think that I was not still on milk. I doubt the Hebrews that this was written to felt that they were either and most who read it don't think they are.
But when I read this this time around, I knew I was needing milk. A big part of this is simply that I'm realizing that I'm not as smart or talented as I think I am. I think that's true of humanity, we think we've accomplished much, we are smart and clever and have figured things out. We deceive ourselves, avoiding contemplating our sins. We are simply weak as humans apart from God. We need milk, not solid food.
It's good to face that head on, if it turns us to God and to work, with His strength and grace. I think when we embrace our weakness, allowing it to drive us to our knees in humility and in prayer, and we embrace the grace freely offered us despite our weakness, we can then be supernaturally empowered to climb the mountain ahead of us, through the grace that comes from the cross.
But I'm realizing that's not where I've been. I've seen my weakness and accepted it instead of accepting God's grace which can make me strong. I've accepted some kind of fake grace that simply says "You're weak, but God has still chosen you." Real grace, and the gospel of Christ, doesn't stop there. It empowers and emboldens us to work. Not work for acceptance, but work because of acceptance and because He works and because we want to be like Him.
I've settled for fake grace, and that will no longer do.
Wow. This was a great post, Doug. I agree with the first 3/4 to the max. Amen.
The last 1/4 reminds me of this post by GlenScriv. Any thoughts?
http://christthetruth.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/the-gospel-according-to-zophar/
I liked Glen's post, although I confess that I didn't quite get the last bit about pulling up your socks. I assume he meant 'work harder'.
I'm curious about what here reminded you of that post?
Reminding is kind of a loose thing. :-) Your take on fake grace also reminds me of an old Amy Grant song in which she complains of buying into a kind of salvation that never changes her. It was a good song.
I triggered a little bit in your last paragraph when you used "weak" as derogatory. I would say the opposite of weak is weak, not strong. I've been preached at too many times about being made strong, and it's a fatal sermon. There's weak with or without God. Weak with God is a beautiful thing, but I've always seen "strong because of God" played out as a narcissistic fantasy. A couple days out I know you didn't mean that, but I still overreact at some terms that have been misused in my life.
Thanks again for the great post. Lord bless.
I thought that might be it. You weren't the only one, I got an email from another person who had a similar reaction.
My wording was less than clear. My point was, if I stop as simply being glad that God loved me enough, as I am, so save me, what good is grace?
I elaborate on it a bit in today's post on Hebrews 6.