IMITATING GOD? IMPOSSIBLE!
“... lay aside the old self… & put on the new self…”
Ephesians 4: 22-24 (NRSV)
I often chuckle when persons chide Christians, whom they accuse of, “always bringing up the Bible” in conversation. I’m sure some Christians do that, but my experience is just the opposite.
When I’m with non-Christian friends & family members, I make it a point to not talk religion. I don’t have to (talk religion), because, inevitably, without fail, they bring it up. That’s why Christians need to be prepared to speak about faith in Christ. It’s not that we initiate the conversation, but when others do, we’re ready (1st Pet. 3:15).
I’m not alone in this experience. A colleague relates the story of talking about football with one of his closest friends, a friend who wants nothing to do with the things of Christ & faith. Well guess what came up in the course of the conversation? That’s right! You know who brought up you know what!
Out of nowhere the friend said to the pastor, “You’re an intelligent person, so why the fascination with that outdated book you call the Bible?”
Imagine this conversation in reverse with the Christian initiating criticism of a non-believer. It’s the non-believer, in this case an atheist, who disrespects the Christian’s belief system.
“I don’t need some antiquated standard to guide my behavior,” he went on.
“Everyone has some standard,” the pastor calmly replied to his friend. “What do you use to guide your behavior?”
“I don’t have a standard,” he replied. “I go with my gut.”
“So, then you do have a standard.”
The friend looked puzzled.
“We each have standards for behavior. You rely on your self – your gut. I rely on a standard that is far wiser than my self.”[1]
This pastor hit on a unique aspect of the Christian’s life. We consider the Bible to be “the superior guide to faith & life,” as John Wesley referred to it. We read it. We study it. We question it. We wonder over it & wonder with it &, even wonder about it. We may disagree with it & struggle with it. But, we really do strive to believe it & live our lives by it, often, because, if nothing else, the one we love & admire most, Jesus Christ, modeled how to live God’s Word. He lived it so closely, that we call Jesus, God’s (Living/Incarnate) Word (see John 1).
The culture, though, does not share our reverence for God’s Word. The culture sees the human as the measure of all things. For millennia, persons thought that the earth was the center of the solar system. Galileo taught us that the sun is really the center. Our culture now teaches us that the individual is not only the center of the solar system, but of the universe. Each of us is to be the captain of our fate, the master of our soul. It is more fashionable to be our own guide & develop our own standards, to operate according to our own rules, & draw our own conclusions.[2]
While Martin Luther claimed “only scripture” as his guide in life when he announced, “Sola scriptura,” the dominant societal force today, even for many Christians, is often sola cultura (only culture). The dictates of culture leave the Bible in the dust for many of us.
I’m in the Bible, God’s Word, a lot. No surprise, right! My devotional reading right now is the book of Revelation. The Tuesday morning men’s group is studying 1st Peter. And I’ve been working in Ephesians for this sermon series. I’ve spent the greater portion of my life in the Bible. I’m learning new things & putting facts together & receiving insights & realizations & inspirations.
That being said, to some degree I can sympathize with the critics many days. The Bible can be hard to read & learn. It takes me a long time to figure out some things in scripture. That’s okay. Where I part with the culture is by finding the hard work to be meaningful, & even fun. It’s a joy to wrestle & learn. A lot of critics, though, are just intellectually & academically lazy. Anyone with a working arm can lob rotten tomatoes at something they don’t understand. That doesn’t take brains.
Yes, sometimes I want & need straight, simple literal answers. I appreciate that the Bible’s not always so easy. Thank God I enjoy the challenge & the mystery, the need to work & pray & think & wait upon the Holy Spirit for an answer, or even a partial answer, regarding a passage I don’t fully comprehend.
It keeps me humble, too. Since this book is from God, then I’m not going to have it all figured out quickly. If I had all of those answers, I’d be God, not one of God’s adopted kids still learning & maturing.
“So,” some of you may be asking yourselves, “what does the pastor do when he needs to deal with a Bible issue that he’s struggling with, that he is unclear on, or which he may actually disagree? What does he do then?”
Quite frankly, these are matters many of us confront, not just me. As I preach about how I handle this, perhaps you can draw some conclusions for yourself, too.
When the Bible is unclear to me, I rely on historical traditions to guide me, as well as the powers of reasoning (my own & that of others who’ve dealt with this passage). I may even rely on personal experience to inform me.
When I disagree with scripture, that’s a different problem.
The first thing I do when the Bible & I conflict is realize that if my opinion differs from God’s teaching, it’s just my personal opinion. In the great scheme of things, my opinion doesn’t count for much most days – certainly not as much as the collected wisdom of the ages contained in scripture, & definitely not as much as what God has to say & Jesus models. Our culture may teach that each of us is the be-all & end-all of all things, but that’s not reality.
Billy Graham’s grandson recently wrote that by reading & practicing the Bible we become the people God wants us to become. ---
We can’t improve God’s Word, but his Word most definitely improves
us. Because it’s sure, it makes us stable. Because it’s right, it makes us wise. It informs our minds, enlarges our hearts, & bends our wills.[3]
I resolve to follow the guidance scripture provides, rather than my own opinion. I prefer something that has a higher degree of certainty than my own doubts. I’ve continually learned that my disagreements & doubts with God & God’s ways get resolved as the Bible says. That doesn’t mean I just roll over or give in or give up without a fight. I can be as stubborn & persuasive as the next guy (I even try that stuff with God!), but when I differ from scripture, eventually I figure out that God’s right & I’m wrong. That takes a while. And it takes some doing at times. I don’t want to be wrong. I don’t like to be wrong. And I often defend my wrong behavior thinking that I’m right, & somehow, God must be wrong. (Talk about wishful, magical thinking. We all have our fantasies!)
I confess to you that there are times when my logical mind pushes me in a direction & my heart pushes me in a similar direction & everything in me pushes me in that same direction, the direction opposite of where God’s leading. I know that my will runs counter to what God teaches. God finds me to be a tough case. I don’t come to the same conclusion God does without a mighty struggle at times … but you know who wins that fight, don’t you! The story of Jacob wrestling the angel is a real theme for me. Jacob & I both fight with God, & both Jacob & I are left limping after the encounter.
What makes the difference & turns the tide for me is God’s love. I may disagree, but God still loves me, even when I’m wrong. To be loved, even when wrong, is a “game changer.” What changes my heart & mind -- my entire being -- is grace. God’s grace is responsible for the transformation in me, & in all of us with these matters. I can’t do these things on my own. I can’t see these things on my own. Everything in me militates against what God would have me be about some days. I say that not out of a false humility or lack of self-esteem, but from a genuine realization that my person-al best efforts cannot get me to the place where God’s grace can have me go.
For all of my doubts, questions, & struggles, I defer to Christ as that/my true north on life’s compass/GPS. When travelling & when on our faith journey, nce we’re settled on which way is north, we can make sense of the other directions & figure out which way is the best to go. Without a true north on the map to direct us, we’re lost. Jesus has proven, without fail, that I can trust him. The Bible is that trustworthy compass arrow/GPS system that points to him. Trust in my self, other people, & other things is often rewarded, but not consistently. I get it wrong. Others get it wrong. I’ve misplaced my trust in them, but not in Christ.
It is the transforming grace that Christ offers that makes not only possible, but real, the kind of life written about in our lesson from Ephesians. Look at those words. “Put away lies. Speak the truth. Be angry, but do not sin. Give up stealing. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths. Put away bitterness & wrath & anger & wrangling & slander & malice. Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving.” How easy is it to do all of those things? Really, where does Ephesians get off with this stuff, telling us to behave this way?!? It’s impossible! And if that’s not crazy enough, it then says to “be imitators of God.” Imitate God!?! There’s a pipe dream! What an impossible standard! It’s no wonder persons reject the Bible.
Charles Wesley, John’s brother & the great composer of over 7,000 hymns & poems, says this about holy scripture. Listen for the honesty that sees the Bible as a farce, that is, until faith transforms its words.
[Read #595 in The UM Hymnal, “Whether the Word Be Preached or Read.”]
We could, & perhaps should ignore such an antiquated standard as holy scripture, but for grace. Without Christ’s transforming grace, the good life, the best life in this life & the next life are an impossibility. Some cast their lot with the impossible. I cast my crown with Christ who makes all things possible.
In the Name…. Copyright 2009 by G.D.Knerr at