At a party a couple of weeks ago, I found myself in a rip roaring debate about the original sin or as theologians call it, "the depravity of man." One side advocated born good but condemned at the point of choice at which time the cross becomes relevant. The other group (mine) took the stance that one is born condemned but protected by the cross until the age of accountability and sins are the byproduct of the depraved human nature.
American Christianity in recent years has adopted the first premise, that our sins condemn us but essentially we're born good.* Though American Christianity has under gone many changes, this is perhaps the most damaging change because it propagates self promotional doctrines such as raising self esteem, planning personal advancement and promoting self awareness. But aren't those good things? Doesn't God want us to be all we can? Let's look at what Chambers has to say.
"The statement we so often hear, 'Make a decision for Jesus Christ,' places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very different."
Oswald Chambers
He makes a very BIG distinction between decide and yield; something we need to ponder. Decisions are ours, Christ cannot make them for us. We must decide daily what we will wear, eat, what to do with our money and what to do with our soul. Deciding to give our soul in God's care is a far cry from yielding our will into God's control. We may think we've done the latter when we've only done the former. Giving over the soul doesn't mean the self (will) automatically follows. Where your will resides can only be discerned and revealed by the Holy Spirit.
At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, “Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom.” I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute pauper.
Oswald Chambers
Here is the meat of the thing and one which Jesus demonstrated Himself while here on earth. We have no problem with WHY He came but we forget so easily HOW he came.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Phil. 2:5-8
It is imperative that we understand our state as humans, even saved humans. Salvation does not eradicate our depraved condition. Nor does it bestow upon us some special privileged life that gives us the keys to the Executive Bathroom. We may have the key but like Alice, in our natural state we're simply too big to fit through the door to the throne room. We must eat humble pie, come as paupers and admit we are not only unworthy but we are empty. This idea that the Kingdom of Heaven (I use this term to cover our spiritual blessings as laid out in Eph. 1)is automatically at our disposal simply by virtue of "membership" is a huge stumbling block to many who find themselves unable to access it. Jesus has covered the cost and all that's His is mine. Oswald, Paul, Jesus, Peter, James and the list goes on, all understood that that we must accept that ours is A NATURE WITHOUT WORTH OR EXCELLENCE to enter. This is hard, it cuts across our idea of prosperity, prestige and privilege. We come on God's terms or go begging. To have the victorious life we must realize it comes through a surrendered life. It's all about Him.
*As opposed to the Biblical premise that we're born into sin and sins are a result of what we are.
1 comments:
You and I are definitely on the same page, Rita (including the fact that I've been reading MUFHH every day for well over twenty years). As I was sharing with someone recently, we must humble ourselves before men in order to bring glory to God. The question followed, "Where does it say that in Scripture?" To which I answered, "In Jesus' earthly example, from beginning to end." It doesn't make sense to our proud minds, but it's about humbling ourselves - this is where the debate comes into religion: just how much humbling is necessary? Well, none if you don't want to, but all if you want to be a disciple of Christ Jesus. We do have built-in "rights," but depending on how many we exercise, we may or may not come to see the glory of God manifested via our lives on this side of things.
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