No Buts About It

I love when people agree with me. In my fantasy world, everyone agrees with me. In the real world, of course, I sometimes get in fights with myself.

So, it is especially gratifying when someone agrees with me.

But beware the ‘buts’.

A friend wrote a wonderfully thoughtful and reflective response to an earlier post in this series.

Happily, she had some nice things to say by way of agreement.

“I understand and believe that the Lord (initially) has sought US and it’s only by the work of the Holy Spirit that we are initially made aware of our sinful state….

“ I DO believe and agree with you concerning the Lord constantly loving us, despite our sin and our continual downfalls….

Of course, each of these statements are followed with the inevitable ‘but’. She asks,

“If sanctification is a continual process throughout our earthly lives, do you think that that is IT, no more “shake-ups” allowed? I DO believe and agree with you concerning the Lord constantly loving us, despite our sin and our continual downfalls, but doesn’t the Lord also hold back his blessings (for a time) when we grieve him?”

Great question. Really. Because she identifies something very important.

The role WE play in sanctification has been our focus. We are to put ourselves in the way of grace. We are to mortify sin. We are to know who we are. And so forth. The underlying premise of this series is that God is the author of change in our lives. We have a role, but the power is in Him. Had he left it up to us, we would never change.

The beauty of the love of our Father is that he does not leave us alone. He will not let us fail. He pursues us and disciplines us and works his grace in our lives, often through the difficult circumstances of our lives. Gratefully, he does not protect me from the painful consequences of my sinful choices. He lets me now and then put my hand on the hot stove so that I might learn that the stove is hot. The process is painful, but the lesson is lasting.

Christians love to quote Romans 8:28 to themselves and to others when difficulties arise. We are somehow comforted to know that God is at work in even the difficult details of our lives. And that text assures us that God works for our GOOD.

Have you ever asked what the good is toward which God is working all things? Let Paul himself tell us:

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29)

God works events in our lives to move us to greater conformity to the image of his Son. God may let us do foolish things; he may prevent us from doing them. But either way he is working toward our growth in likeness to Jesus.

There can be no greater kindness than that. I believe that and I am comforted by that, even though I may HATE the circumstances themselves.

This has been the consistent testimony of all the saints before us, including this one.

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”(Hebrews 12:11)

—————

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

(George Matheson)

I hate the pain. I flee from the pain. I want nothing to do with the pain. But I am perfected by the pain.

No buts about it. We agree.