The Romance of Romans-Part 107

Romans 15 cont'd

Even the most powerful man of all, Jesus Christ, didn't use his power to create for himself a pain-free and pleasure-filled earthly life. As scripture says, "I have personally identified with and embraced the rejection they have shown you O God." All the scriptures have been written to impart knowledge, patience and comfort to us so that we can live in hope- a confident expectation of a glorious future.

Comments:

I like to refer to the sinfully self-protective strategies that we choose and then repress as "strongholds". In 2 Cor 10:3-5, the apostle Paul makes reference to this challenge and battle we all face:

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...."

The locus of the fight to tear down the strongholds of human depravity begins with our own thoughts...our images of reality, beliefs, attitudes, perspectives and mind-sets. In the language of Romans 12...it has to do with the renewing of the mind...the practical way that we put off the old self (or false self) and put on the new self (or new creation).

Strongholds are things that block us from the "knowledge of God"...a kind of "knowledge" that is rooted in a first-hand experiential intimacy with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit...relational knowledge, if you will. Strongholds hinder healthy interpersonal relationships with others and our self-awareness as well. I truly mean no disrespect, but, without substantial divine intervention, we all tend to slowly and progressively get "jerked into being jerks" by the evil one and our willful reactions to the pains of living in a fallen world in which our deepest longings are profoundly thwarted.

We may become religious jerks or irreligious jerks...either kind serves the enemy's broader schemes in our world. As Dr. Crabb would say, we are victims of sin, but we are also agents of sin. Our sinful strategies need to be graciously disrupted and displaced by the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit in the context of Christ's community. It can and does happen...it has happened throughout the centuries in the lives of ordinary folks like us. Strongholds are stubborn and deeply embedded, but also recall from the scripture above that the spiritual weapons at our disposal are mighty through God and, when rightly applied, strongholds are demolished.

Please hang with me here...I promise that I will come to the good news of how a more radical transformation into the image of Jesus Christ happens in us by bringing every errant thought captive to him, but I believe we need to ponder the anatomy and scope of our brokenness in order to be prepped to take in, cooperate with and forever appreciate the remedy!