The Danger of Looking Deeper
We can get so lost in our philosophy and affirmative pursuits. I never expected to get lost down this path, but here I am. In the pursuit of God and understanding of one’s sinfulness in the presence of a holy and just God, could one possibly, once within grasp of an understanding of their sinfulness, forget to turn their eyes to the great Redeemer, the Lover of mankind?
Don’t stop short of this! The end of humanity is not to realize that she is a sinner, but rather to know and enjoy God forever. Granted, this knowing often comes through the careful assessment of one’s own inadequacy and need for propitiation for the Judge of his merits. However, I have found, and I don’t believe it to be unique to myself, that one can spend so much effort to understand his sin and the vileness of it as per the Law of God, that he forgets to acknowledge that this sin exists as a combination of nature and choice – not one or the other, but a combination of the two.
Now, my choices I can alter, assuming that I can operate them independent of my nature and an overpowering propensity toward the wrong (which, many have found, is not the case). But if nature is directly tied to sin, then how am I to change my nature? Nature is inborn and the essence of design. Can a tree choose to be less rigid or a lake to be unchanged by the wind? No, for this is in its nature and the state of its nature is beyond its control.
The same is true for us. This sin is in our nature and it is not in our power to devise and develop a way to alter our own nature. Even if you could devise the way, you could not implement it. Therefore, the constant inward-reflection, without the admittance that One outside the confines of the human condition and human limitations is the only one capable of affecting the nature of man, is unending and unproductive. The only thing it produces is confusion and, at best, legalist defeatism.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
Only in the presence of the Savior of the world can we see there be any acceptable account given for the nature of man to the Righteous Judge of the earth. Only in the grace of Jesus can the soul find rest and love and peace and hope and the knowledge of goodness that can trump his own nature and his vain pursuits.
Don’t stop short of this! The end of humanity is not to realize that she is a sinner, but rather to know and enjoy God forever. Granted, this knowing often comes through the careful assessment of one’s own inadequacy and need for propitiation for the Judge of his merits. However, I have found, and I don’t believe it to be unique to myself, that one can spend so much effort to understand his sin and the vileness of it as per the Law of God, that he forgets to acknowledge that this sin exists as a combination of nature and choice – not one or the other, but a combination of the two.
Now, my choices I can alter, assuming that I can operate them independent of my nature and an overpowering propensity toward the wrong (which, many have found, is not the case). But if nature is directly tied to sin, then how am I to change my nature? Nature is inborn and the essence of design. Can a tree choose to be less rigid or a lake to be unchanged by the wind? No, for this is in its nature and the state of its nature is beyond its control.
The same is true for us. This sin is in our nature and it is not in our power to devise and develop a way to alter our own nature. Even if you could devise the way, you could not implement it. Therefore, the constant inward-reflection, without the admittance that One outside the confines of the human condition and human limitations is the only one capable of affecting the nature of man, is unending and unproductive. The only thing it produces is confusion and, at best, legalist defeatism.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
Only in the presence of the Savior of the world can we see there be any acceptable account given for the nature of man to the Righteous Judge of the earth. Only in the grace of Jesus can the soul find rest and love and peace and hope and the knowledge of goodness that can trump his own nature and his vain pursuits.
posted by Carolyn at 8:36 AM
2 Comments:
That's funny Matt. I often worry about whether Christians get so involved in the Bible that they might forget that, while studying God's word is important, having a relationship with God is much more important.
A perfectly intelligent athiest can study God's word, and not be any closer to God for it.
Therefore, I appreciate what you've written, as I feel like it is the extension of my train of thought and furthers what I feel to be an important Christian issue.
David H.
Amazingly written...keep digging.
~M
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