Steadfastness (2)

(From devotionals at work)

"...and make every effort to supplement your self-control with steadfastness...." -2 Peter 1:5-6

"I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. " -Psalm 40:1

Last week we defined steadfastness, or patience. Remember that Peter did not list the characteristics in these verses arbitrarily. Each builds on the other in such a way that the former is the foundation of the next, and the next after provides a vision. With that in mind, let's think about the relationship of self-control and patience.

What happens when we try to practice self-control without patience? Simply put, the struggle against temptation becomes purposeless, because the character that patience produces is not a goal, and our lives become a series of battles with sin, and more often than not, a series of failures. Because the end of patience is hope, without an awareness that God is trying to work patience in us, our struggle as Christians seems hopeless. Paul was encouraging the Corinthians to patience when he said, "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison...."

What about the reverse? What happens when we attempt to learn patience without first learning self-control? In short, we are trying to fulfill a vision without the proper tools. If we can't overcome short-term, we certainly can't learn to hang on to a vision long-term.

Without a foundation of self-control, the attempt to be patient will cause us to give up in frustration, complain, or try to shortcut the circumstances. Remember that Christ's greatest temptation was to by-pass the will of the Father (which included the cross), and take His legitimate Lordship without suffering.

Next week: godliness.

Steadfastness (1)

(From devotionals at work)

...and make every effort to supplement your self-control with steadfastness.... -2 Peter 1:5-6

"To trust in spite of the look of being forsaken; to keep crying out into the vast, whence comes no returning voice, and where seems to be no hearing; to see the machinery of the world pauselessly grinding on as if self-moved, caring for no life, nor shifting a hairsbreath for all entreaty, and yet believe that God is awake and utterly loving; to desire nothing but what comes meant for us from His hand; to wait patiently, ready to die of hunger, fearing only that faith should fail--such is the victory that overcometh the world, such is faith indeed." -George McDonald

Steadfastness can also be translated "patience." The Greek work is hupomone, and is literally translated to "abide or remain under," and is in some sense self-control in extended form. Self-control is short term and for the moment; patience is long term. If we lose our temper, we often say we have lost "patience." Actually, what we have lost is self-control. To lose it is to give in to temptation. To lose patience is to lose the capacity to get up when we fall and give in to despondency and despair.

The Bible sometimes contrasts patience with longsuffering (macrothumia). Longsuffering is active; that is, it can usually control the source of temptation or irritation, and it is usually a response to other people rather than to circumstances (especially if they are persecuting us). The loss of longsuffering, or its opposite is to reject others and withdraw from them. The best example in the Old Testament is David and his response to Saul's pursuit of him.

Patience, on the other hand, is generally passive, dealing with circumstances that are out of our control (finances, sickness, unfulfilled expectations). Rather than rejection, the negative response under circumstantial pressure is to give up hope. The best Old Testament example is Job.

Romans 5:3-4 points out a couple of things about patience. One is that is produces a positive hardness that comes from being tested and holding on to hope, similar to the process of assaying metal. Most versions call this result "character." The other thing is that patience is born out of suffering--a fact that American Christians go out of their way to avoid, and have even theologized away. But faith and hope that are never tested always remain spongy and have no real strength.

Patience is rooted in the finished work of Christ, believing that "He who began a good work in you will perform it to the end." (Also see 2 Thessalonians 1:2-3.) Patience believes that His plan for our lives is perfect, and He will bring us into perfect fellowship with us in the next world because He desires us more passionately than we do Him.

2 Thessalonians 3:5 offers this prayer: "May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ." Jesus is the greatest example of longsuffering and patience is history; in fact, He IS patience. When He comes by His Spirit to live is us, He brings His patience with Him. He is our source and character as we wait for the fulfillment of His purposes in our lives.

Next: Relating self-control and steadfastness.

Self-control (2)

(From devotionals at work)

"...make every effort to supplement your...knowledge with self-control..." 2 Peter 1: 6

"But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." -Hebrews 5:14

Last time we looked at the concept of self-control in 2 Peter 1:6. Now we want to look at how it relates to the foundational knowledge that precedes it.

First, how can knowledge become distorted if it is not balanced and contained by self-control? Perhaps a military analogy will help. Simply put, knowledge is training; the use of self-control is war. Without the practical experience of overcoming deceit and temptations, knowledge is powerless, immature, and untested.

Let's push the analogy a bit further. There are three Greek words that relate to maturity and experience. One is holos, meaning "whole," or "entire." A raw recruit meets this qualification; he is relatively healthy and has all his parts. This corresponds to what we've said about faith and virtue in the Christian. Another word is artios, meaning "prepared" or "trained." This corresponds to the Christian's study and growth in knowledge. And finally, there is the Greek word teleios, which means "mature" in the sense of fulfilling one's purpose. Using the military analogy, this word describes a battle-hardened veteran.

Another way to say this is that knowledge that is not tested does not fulfill the purpose--in this case, the ability to withstand sin and temptation.

Lastly, there is a reverse problem. To attempt to overcome the assaults of the enemy without learning from the Scriptures and from other Christians can produce a fruitless asceticism, and worse, the deep discouragement that comes from failure in Christian warfare. Failure should drive us back to the Bible, to prayer, and to the counsel of the church.

Self-Control (1)

(From devotionals at work)

"...make every effort to supplement ...knowledge with self-control..." -2 Peter 1:8

"...in order to pass to the divine union of love of God (for not all pass habitually thereto, but only the smallest number), it is wont to be accompanied by formidable trials and temptations of sense, which last for a long time, albeit longer in some than in others." -St. John of the Cross

So far we have looked at faith, virtue, and knowledge, and their interdependence and support of one another in sequence. Today we consider "self-control." The English term is unfortunate, though it is hard to find an equivalent to the Greek enkrateia in our language. The fact is, there is nothing of "self" in it. Literally, it means "strength within." In classical Greek it dealt mostly with overcoming the temptation of sexual sin, but in the New Testament it covers a broader range, including sins like rage and pride. Its emphasis is on the moment--the capacity to reject a temptation when it immediately occurs. So we can best translate it as "the Spirit given inner strength to withstand a temptation on the spot."

In The Dark Night of the Soul, St. John of the cross spends some time dealing with the seven sins of the flesh: lust, greed, gluttony, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride; and with an interesting twist, reveals that each of the seven are "spiritual" temptations as well. It is possible to turn valid spiritual experiences into self-centered gluttony, and spiritual gifts into reasons for prideful boasting. It is possible to envy a more "spiritual" Christian, etc. The point is that temptation is remorseless and comes in all forms. Here are some suggestions about how to overcome temptation:

First, the goal of Satan's assaults on us is to get us off our "default" position in Christ, to make us think there are things more fulfilling than He Himself, that we must protect ourselves, or seize what we feel He is withholding from us. That is why knowledge precedes enkrateia in Peter's list. God gives us times of rest in order to settle who we are and what Christ has done for us and in us before the chaos of temptation and testing.

Second, 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that God always provides a way out of temptation. The Greek term can be translated "up and out," meaning that looking to Christ and to the power of the Spirit brings a "cure by diversion."

Third, be aware of situations in your life that engender weakness in our default position. That position belongs to the finished work of Christ, and is immovable. But the enemy wants to shake our faith in that finished work. Prosperity can be a trap that creates false security (Hezekiah). Adversity can create discontent, irritation, and the desire to run away (Jonah). A wrong perception of what is doing in the church at large can bring discouragement (Nehemiah). An awareness that God uses suffering to sanctify us can bring bitterness (Jacob). Fourth, remember that the power to overcome temptation is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Next week we will relate self-control and knowledge.

Virtue and Knowledge (2)

(From devotionals at work)

"...make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge..." -2 Peter 1:5

"For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." -Romans 10:2

Just as virtue sets goals and boundaries for faith, so knowledge delivers the believer from converting virtue into self-centered pride and perfectionism. It does this in three ways.

First, knowledge (both of the Bible and theology) informs us that moral change (sanctification) is synergistic: that is, God and man work together in the transformation of the Christian's life. Knowledge keeps us in the balance of the two. To believe that change occurs in our lives by our work alone leads to legalism, life lived by a set of laws. On the other hand, to stress that change is only God's work creates spiritual passivity and irresponsibility. "Let go and let God" is not a biblical concept.

Second, biblical knowledge teaches us that change is a process, and that it often involves suffering ("It's through many tribulations that we enter the kingdom of God"). While that knowledge may be disappointing to some, it delivers us from perfectionist theologies: "manifested sons," total sanctification, and extreme faith walk teaching included.

Third, biblical knowledge helps us understand God's goal and purpose in our lives, which act like a fence to keep us from wandering into spiritual pride because we are growing as Christians. Remember that God's purpose for all of us is to be made into the image of Jesus. We're kidding ourselves if we think the process that gets us there will be easy. Another goal is love within the context of a community, which means that we both help each other and irritate each other into constant change. And, finally, the ultimate goal of lives, and that of all creation, is the glory of God, not of ourselves.

Finally, just as virtue ( or change) can get off its biblical base without knowledge, we need to remember that the opposite is also a danger. It is possible for the Christian to become proud of knowledge, or pursue it without grounding it first in virtue, which is its support. What evolves, in that case, is a cold intellectualism or faith in what one knows instead of faith in the finished work of Christ.

Next: Knowledge and Self-control.

Knowledge (1)

(From a devotional study of 2 Peter 1:5-7)

"...make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge..." 2 Peter 1:5

"...Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." -Colossians 2:3

The New testament word "knowledge" that is used here is roughly equivalent to its English usage. It means to perceive something intellectually, and to ascertain facts. It can also be relational to its object; in that case we call in "understanding." A simple definition would be "the comprehension of facts."

But knowledge is not static. Because God is infinite, our knowledge of Him continues to grow, and that knowledge often increases through crises and the stresses of change. Theologian Jim Jordan once referred to these shifts as "stage conversions." A child may have a true knowledge of Jesus, but as he hits his teen years he enters into a spiritual crisis, both because he is encountering emotional and physical change, but also because he is jettisoning anything he considers childish, including a child's God. The emotional teen-age phase evolves into the intellectual consciousness of the late teens and early twenties (this is the age at which members often turn away from the church), and the college age phase moves into the "I have a job and 2.5 children and too many responsibilities to either feel or think" phase. This process renews about every ten years in the American Christian, who only moves safely through these crises by allowing his knowledge of God to grow and match his own inner expansion.

Aside from the secret, inner work of the Holy Spirit, there are two ways that knowledge of God increases in the Christian. They both require a certain amount of self-discipline. The first is the study of the Scriptures. There is some controversy about this today because of the multiplicity of interpretations about what the Bible says. I would suggest a couple of starting points. One is the practice of contextualization, answering the questions, "Why did the author write this?" "How did his readers understand it?" "How does it apply to contemporary life?" The problem for most of us is that contextualization requires work. The other is the practice of humility. Ultimately God has to open our minds to His Word, and we cannot approach the Bible without a sense of wonder and an awareness of our own capacity to misunderstand. The writer of Psalm 119 said, "I will run in the way of Thy commandments when Thou enlargest my understanding." Bible study is more like mining for gold with an experienced mentor. The Word plus the Spirit equals Life.

The second way that our knowledge of God increases is through other people, primarily the local church. The study of the Bible is a group effort. People with different gifts will bring different perspectives. Don't forget to include old dead guys either. Most biblical truth has been exposited in the past, and stated better and more accurately than modern writers do. This includes reading Christians from other traditions. This of course, requires work.

Next time: how knowledge and virtue relate.

Virtue

"...make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue..." 2 Peter 1:5

"The greatest difficulty in conversion is to win the heart to God; and the greatest difficulty after conversion, is to keep the heart with God." -John Flavel

The term "virtue" (arete') was important to the ancient Greeks. It meant goodness, prowess, dignity, beauty, and the fulfillment of one's purpose or function. In the New Testament it means moral power (see Philippians 4:8), and can apply to God Himself in reference to His perfection and excellence. But where we are concerned, it is best translated "the power of God in us that produces moral change." What Peter is saying here is that real faith will bring change in us, and that change is itself a proof that faith is present.

Consider these Scriptures: "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5). "And you, who were once alienated and hostile in mind...he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast...." (Colossians 1:21-23). "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17). So change, or "virtue," is a result of faith, and proves its power. Moral change is the greatest evidence of true faith and the new birth.

But of course there are dangerous pitfalls in that statement. Moral change does not mean instant perfection. In fact, the person who sees failure and sin in his life, and grieves over them, is probably more full of true faith than someone who believes he has achieved some awesome level of spirituality. The testimony of the church fathers was that the older they grew, the more imperfect they felt. Moral change is also slow. God works change in us over time through His Word and through circumstances, especially difficult ones. Calvin stated that the proof of a man's conversion was that he persevered in the faith until the end of his life.

If, however, we find that our Christian life is not producing fruit, the answer is not to try harder, but to go back to our foundation and make sure we understood the gospel--to review the facts of who Jesus was and what He did. Reviewing the gospel automatically builds faith.

Another problem we face is unreal expectations. Many converts come to Christ after being promised a bed of roses and a mansion in heaven. When the Holy Spirit begins to shape and mold us (usually with some pain), we are shocked by the seriousness with which God moves to change us. Part of hearing and receiving the gospel is being real about the costs. Reviewing the gospel means reassessing our utopian expectations. After all, God is molding us into the image of Jesus. He has His work cut out for him.

A "convert" who refuses to review the gospel and persists in living a "moral" life will move in one of several directions. He may become a legalist--he will live his life by a set of rules (which he also applies to everyone else), and will be self-righteous, cranky, and judgmental. Or he will suffer from faith in his conversion rather than faith in Christ--his faith is in his one time walk down the aisle, and he believes his decision saved him, in spite of how he lives. Both cases can be cured by a return to the basics of the gospel.

Next time: Knowledge.