Old Erich Proverb - View

The fields of theology are best surveyed from the height of Calvary's mountain.

A Voice from the Past - Gregory the Great

Differently to be admonished are the forward and the faint-hearted, For the former, presuming on themselves too much, disdain all others when reproved by them; but the latter, while too conscious of their own infirmity, for the most part fall into despondency. Those count all they do to be singularly eminent; these think what they do to be exceedingly despised, and so are broken down to despondency.

Gregory the Great, 540-604 AD, Pastoral Rule, Part III, Chapter VIII (The Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers, Volume XII (Part 2), Second Series, Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, translated by James Barmby, T & T Clark and Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1997, p. 29)

How can we avoid being these types of people? How do we deal with them?

The Supernatural

We live in a supernatural world, one where God can intervene. It goes beyond particular questions, such as the continuation of spiritual gifts, to affect our general approach to life. It is easy to see the supernatural as something that happened a long time ago but has no effect on us now. To live our lives based on our own natural understanding and abilities. To see God as saving us and then leaving us on our own to cope with life until He comes back. While those who take the Bible seriously will not openly espouse such ideas, it is easy for them to find a lodging in the back of our minds and hearts. We look to our own resources to live for God. We look to our organizational abilities to accomplish God's work. We see everything as depending on us, which leads to pride or discouragement. Now I am not suggesting that we shouldn't work or that we should work with sloppiness and inattention. But I am suggesting that if we take the burden of living for God or doing God's work on our own shoulders, we will be crushed under the load.

In contrast, we can see the supernatural as something we tap into and control. We can see it as a place for the favored few who manage by the right formula to attain it. This can make God's power a kind of magic that we control. We will believe we can expect supernatural intervention on a regular basis in the way we want it to happen. This too can lead to pride or discouragement, depending on whether we conclude that we have reached that realm or fall short. And living in light of the supernatural is something that is reserved for those who manage to attain it.

But the Bible says God is at work in all His people (2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 2:10). It also says that God is at work in all His church, accomplishing His purposes in the world (2 Corinthians 3:5,6; Colossians 1:29; 1 Corinthians 3:6,7). Also, He has given gifts to all His people (1 Corinthians 12:4-27;  Romans 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4:10,11). We Christians all live in the light of the supernatural. But we do not control it. It is God who controls us, working in our lives to accomplish His purposes (Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1:11; Isaiah 43:13). We need not not fear this, for He is a God who loves us and takes care of us (Psalms 127:1,2; Isaiah 40:11; Matthew 6:25-34). We need to live in the expectation of God working in us, leading us and intervening on our behalf. But we also need to live with the recognition that God will often lead us through difficult times and in complicated ways (John 16:33; 2 Corinthians 4:17,18; Romans 8:18). And we need to trust Him to accomplish what He wants in His own way (Proverbs 3:5,6; Hebrews 11:6; 2 Corinthians 2:14).

The Goal

Re-Posted from "Meditations of a Charismatic Calvinist Who Does Not Speak in Tongues"

What is God trying to do in our lives? And why does He bring trials into our lives to accomplish it? Part of our problem is we see God as trying to make us nice moral people. And we tend to see ourselves as perhaps not quite there, but close. Therefore, we can start to wonder why we face real difficulties in our lives. We can ask if this is really necessary. Why use the chisel when a little sandpaper will do? But God's goal is to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:10). Given this, we still have a long way to go (see Matthew 5-7). Now God does work in us through His power to produce this change (Colossians 1:29; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Peter 1:3). But He also uses external circumstances to bring this about (James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 1 Peter 1:6,7). Considering how far we have to go, is it surprising He sometimes uses the chisel?

Past and Future

Should we be progressive or conservative? A progressive is one who thinks the latest thing or idea is the best. The conservative is for holding on to the old things that need to be preserved. But what does this really mean?

Progress seems grounded in the idea that things naturally get better over time. But what we we see is things all around us falling apart and decaying over time. Or else we see things involved in a series of cycles. An acorn becomes a tree which produces a new acorn. The only thing that fits this idea is scientific and technological progress. But progress in this area is the result of conscious and concerted effort.  I see no evidence that progress in any area is accomplished without work. I also see no reason to assume that scientific and technological progress proves we are making progress in any other area. We have, after all, in the modern age seen this type of progress as the panacea for all of our problems. It seems at least possible that our concentration on progress in this area has caused us to neglect others. There is no basis for the idea that progress is natural and inevitable. Nor can we conclude that whatever is new is necessarily best.

However, just because the new is not necessarily good does not mean the old is necessarily good either. Now the old does have one advantage over the new in that it is tested over time. There are always a number of new ideas which begin to show holes or fall apart after they have been put into practice. Some may be around for a while before they begin to show cracks. But while the fact that ideas have been around for a long time may prove they are workable, that does not mean they are good. War, murder, thievery, prostitution, and tyranny have all been around for a very long time. Also, the human race shows a tendency toward inertia. We tend to follow well established customs until some disaster forces us to reconsider. Now as a Christian I am convinced that God has been dealing with humans from the beginning, and some of what has come down through the centuries reflects His principles. But I also believe we have a constant tendency to drift away from God's truth. And where we have drifted to can become the new tradition.

What then is the solution? We must weigh any idea, not based on whether it is old or is new, but whether it is true and good. We must recognize that the age of origination of an idea is no more relevant to its value than the color of a car is relevant to its mechanical condition. And it is then, as G. K. Chesterton points out, that real progress is possible. Because if you do not know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?    

A Touch of Humor - The Witness

What is the right approach to communicating to others our faith in Christ? What pitfalls do we need to avoid?

Old Erich Proverb - Help

God helps those who have given up trying to help themselves and trust only in Him.