Hammer on Anvil '

One of the favorite verses of many Christians is Romans 8:28, because it says "all things work together for good" to those who love God. But I wonder how many of us really understand what this means.

Based on some conversations I have overheard, it appears many of us think this Scripture means everything in our lives will work out so we can be happy and comfortable, and not have to suffer much hardship. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that we WILL have tribulation in this world. Yet He tells us to be of good cheer, because He has overcome the world. What does this mean for us?

It means exactly what James 1:2 exhorts us to do: "Consider it pure joy" when you face trials. The way this plays out in my life is that I try to view everything as an opportunity for obedience. Whether the circumstance is something as mundane as someone cutting me off in traffic, or as heart-wrenching as interceding for a loved one who is seriously ill, I try to remember God's promise that all of it works together for good -- in His economy. Matthew Henry's commentary explains Romans 8:28 this way:

That is good for the saints which does their souls good. Every providence tends to the spiritual good of those that love God; in breaking them off from sin, bringing them nearer to God, weaning them from the world, and fitting them for heaven. When the saints act out of character, corrections will be employed to bring them back again. 

It's not about our comfort and happiness, friends. It's about what ultimately fits into God's plan and brings His purposes to pass in this world. His kingdom come; His will be done.

God does not force himself on us, though. We can delight in the privilege of denying ourselves and crucifying our flesh, or we can be obstinate and rebellious and prefer to remain in our comfort zones, where nobody would ever guess we are followers of Jesus.

My personal experience is that it really does work to "consider it pure joy" when facing trials. I much prefer feeling that rush of knowing my Father is at work -- breaking, transforming, purifying. It beats whining and feeling sorry for myself and in general being unpleasant to be around.

God's purpose is that we be "transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Allow that truth to encourage your heart if you are weighed down with adverse circumstances today.

A couple of weeks ago on this blog, my friend Hannah shared about a crotchety older man she had encountered in a parking lot. He had taken note of an arm patch on her coat that says "Satan Sucks." He asked her if the patch was intended to be a testimony to the Lord, but when she began to explain, he cut her off rudely. Bottom line is that he didn't care what she had to say. He was offended by the patch, and in no uncertain terms let Hannah know she was a "poor testimony" to the Lord. This man had never met Hannah before in his life (which is probably why he was so grouchy), yet he had the audacity to insinuate that she wasn't as holy as he was because she wore a patch that said "sucks."

And he wasn't even theologically correct in his arguments. He suggested that perhaps calling Satan a "rascal" might be less offensive. Excuse me? Calling the enemy of our souls a mere "rascal" doesn't do him justice. Satan comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy.

My theory is that this man's faith is so marginal that, to him, Satan is nothing more than a rascal. You see, if your "faith" consists of attending church three times a week, and not cursing or drinking, you aren't much of a threat, and Satan leaves you alone.

If, however, you seek to honor God in all that you do, and daily offer yourself to Him as a living sacrifice, you can bet on a battle. John 16:33 says "in this world you will have tribulation." James says we will face trials of many kinds. In Ephesians, we are told to stand against the devil's schemes by daily clothing ourselves with the armor of God.

The day after Hannah's blog posted, I read something in my daily devotional (Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest) that reminded me of what she had experienced:

Abandon to God is of more value than personal holiness. Personal holiness focuses the eye on our own whiteness; we are greatly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, fearful lest we offend Him. Perfect love casts out all that when once we are abandoned to God. 

What a perfect description of Hannah's encounter. The man was obviously focused on his own whiteness. Had he really cared about Hannah and what her patch meant, he would have engaged her in conversation and let her speak. But every time she tried, he interrupted. It was clear that his opinion was the only one that was valid. A word he deemed inappropriate blinded him to the wonderful truth that Hannah could have imparted had he given her half a chance.

I told Hannah about a similar experience our son, Josh, had with an elderly man several years ago. Josh and some of his friends were hanging around the square downtown, when this man confronted them and basically told them they were all going to hell because of how they looked. He was so offended by tattoos and piercings that he couldn't see straight. He angrily told Josh, "If God would've wanted us to have tattoos and piercings, we would have been born with them!" Josh remained calm as he replied, "Really, sir? Were you born with those glasses?" Touché! The man was so flabbergasted by Josh's logic that he stomped off. It's hard to argue with intelligence when you are being so ignorant.

Brothers and sisters, abandonment to God is infinitely more precious to Him than our vain attempts at holiness. Hannah exudes that abandonment, which is probably why the man she met was so hostile. When genuine love for God meets up with ugly legalism, a clash is inevitable.

Let us endeavor to not be so priggish about how others express their faith. The patch that Hannah sports is dear to her because it is accurate. She has been through stuff that has earned her the right to say "Satan Sucks." Let us ask God to help us see others as He sees them, instead of through our prideful arrogance that wants to believe we're always right. Above all, let us live the Jesus Creed -- loving God and loving others.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about the words that we use to describe God and the word “Holy” seems to stand apart from all other descriptions. Let me explain…

Perfect is one of the first words that come to mind for me when describing God. God is perfect. It seems simple enough as well as accurate. But perfect is a word that requires a criterion or paradigm to conform to. For example, we would not know how to identify or create a perfect circle if we did not first know what a circle IS. The definition makes it possible for perfection to be attained. Anyone can be perfect simply by defining what it is that they are perfect at. Me? I’m perfect at making baskets in the trash can every time I am less than two feet away, there is no wind, and there are no obstructions between me and the trash can. Under those circumstances, I make a basket EVERY time. I am perfect in that regard.

When we look at perfection in this light, we can see that perfection in itself isn’t all that impressive; it is WHAT is perfect that matters. And there are so many other adjectives that describe God that he is perfect at: Loving, Powerful, Forgiving, Consuming, Comforting, Providing, Reliable, Required, Inspiring, Creative. For each of these words, I could provide several verses that demonstrate God’s perfection.

But Holiness stands apart. It is a truly unique word. For each of the other words, I can define it and I can usually recognize it when I see it. I can use those words to describe God. God is loving. God is powerful. God is forgiving. The words convey qualities that are independent of God (because they can describe more than just God). I can recognize the qualities of the word in God and then use the word to describe Him.

But that doesn’t work with holy. Sure, you can obviously say God is Holy, but that wouldn’t be an accurate description. A better description would be Holy is God. You see, holiness has no meaning without God. You can’t recognize qualities of holiness in God and then use the word to describe Him. It is that intangible quality of God that we know is there but our minds just can’t grasp it. It’s bigger than we can comprehend. All of the other adjectives are simply our attempt at describing holiness when we see it. Holy is all of those qualities plus an infinite number of qualities that we don’t even have words for.

And God is perfect at being Holy. That is something that no man can claim for himself.

Here is a song by one of my favorite bands, Addison Road, that does a great job of conveying the intangible quality of holiness in a beautiful way.