Taking our stand

We no longer stand alone

One of the key themes of Paul's letter to the Ephesians - in fact one of the key themes of Paul's theology - is that through the church the wisdom of God is made known to "the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." (3:8-10) Christ has been raised from the dead and is seated "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion" (1:21). Now we, who once followed "the prince of the power of the air" along with the rest of the world (2:1-2), have been made alive with Christ and united in him and through him. We have "the full armour of God" to help us stand against "the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places"(6:12).

Who or what these "rulers and authorities" are is not spelled out, but clearly they are more than just earthly and human kings and governors. They are in the heavenly places, that is, in the spiritual realm, and they are somehow associated with the "prince of the power of the air." Jesus speaks of Satan as "the ruler of this world" (John 12:31) who he sees (prophetically) falling from heaven (Luke 10:18). Elsewhere in the New Testament Satan is referred to as the "prince of demons" who has a kingdom in this world.

The church is thus reclaimed ground in the great cosmic battle between God and the spiritual powers. Those powers seek to dishonour God by separating us from him and from each other. Their ultimate weapon is death, which separates us permanently. But by defeating death through raising Christ to new life, and uniting what was once disunited through the church, God has declared his wisdom and authority over every other power. 

In the death and resurrection of Jesus the battle has already been won. But for now those powers are still active in the world, spreading disunity, hatred and strife through human sinfulness. We need no reminder of that. So how do we, as ordinary human beings, made extra-ordinary in Christ, take our stand against the "present darkness"? 

Paul's answer is surprising. We do it by striving to keep the unity of the church, and by being submitted to one another. By treating our spouses with courtesy, kindness and respect. By being reliable and hardworking employees, or if we are an employer, by treating our employees with dignity and fairness. By being patient with our children and demonstrating in our own lives the things we are trying to teach them (5:21-6:9). And doing all of these things prayerfully, always relying on the Holy Spirit. 

These are not minor matters. They are the places where spiritual warfare is lost or won in our lives.

Chosen in Christ

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. John 15:16 (NIV)

Image by Ged Carroll via Flickr

Jesus taught his disciples many things in the three years that he was with them. But when he spoke to them for the final time before his death, we can be sure that he didn’t waste words. What he told them over supper in that upstairs room was of utmost importance. And one of the things that he really wanted them to know was that they did not choose him, but he chose them.

Why was that? Three possible reasons come to mind. First, he wanted to ensure that the disciples would never become arrogant about their position. They would never come to believe that God owed them something for having dedicated their lives to him. They were disciples by his choice, not theirs.

Second, he wanted to avoid becoming a commodity or package, something the disciples would sell to others as ‘a good choice in life’. The person who is called by Christ does not make ‘a decision for Christ’ in order to get the spiritual goods. They are already chosen and can only humbly submit to him as Lord. The disciples were called to bear witness to Christ, not to sell Christianity.

Thirdly, he wanted to give the disciples reassurance in those times when they were tempted to believe that they were not committed enough, not dedicated enough, and therefore not acceptable to God. Peter was about to deny Jesus. Thomas would doubt him. All would abandon him. But that didn’t negate the bond between the disciples and Jesus, because he had chosen them. If it was by their own choice that they followed him, their failure could suggest that they had not been sincere enough in their decision. But if he had chosen them, they were secure. 

That is not to say that following Christ doesn't involve a striving to become a better disciple. But knowing that we are Christ's by his choice, not ours, sets us free from constantly questioning our level of commitment based on our performance. We will avoid the trap of frequently dissecting our past motivation while grimly trying to improve on the commitment we made last week, last month, last year. 

When we fall down, it is our reliance on Christ, not our resolution to follow him, that we need to review. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." is commitment. (Matthew 26:35) "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." is reliance on Christ. (Acts 4:29) We are his, he has chosen us, and he is committed to seeing us bear lasting fruit.

The Lord will be my light

Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light. Micah 7.8

Dungeons are traditionally dark, windowless places. That's no accident. Except for those born blind, human beings find being in the dark for any length of time disturbing. We rely so much on our vision to make sense of the world. Keeping a prisoner in complete darkness is a sure way of torturing their mind and breaking their spirit.

Sometimes life itself seems to become a dark and dreary dungeon. We can't understand what is going on. Our personal lives are shadowed by illness, loss and loneliness. The world around us is dark with disasters, wars, cruelty, threats and human suffering.

This is as true for Christians as it is for anyone else. In fact it can seem worse for Christians. Where is God in the darkness around us? Why is he allowing us to suffer such confusion and disorientation? In those times we are likely to hear a voice whispering to us "God doesn't care! He can't help you. Are you sure he even exists?"

To recognise these whispers as the voice of an enemy, the enemy, rather than our own, is a great relief. To summon the courage to say "I don't know why this is happening, but I know that God is trustworthy and I will wait for him" is often the turning point in our troubles. It's like finding a candle suddenly shining in the darkness. The dungeon doesn't disappear, but we're no longer afraid of the dark.

Why Rumours of Hope?

(from my 'About' page)

Well, for a start, with a gazillion blogs already registered on the internet, it's getting hard to find a name for a new one. It was either this or "The In of And".

But more seriously, why Rumours of Hope? 'Rumour' is, after all, a word with somewhat negative connotations. In a world that clamours for constantly updated information, rumours are often substituted for news. We hear rumours of war, rumours of economic turmoil, rumours of environmental disaster, rumours of sex scandals, rumours of political sleeze and corruption. We associate the word rumour with hearsay and gossip.

But why not circulate some positive rumours? People listen to rumours. They pass them on, and wait with interest to see if they will prove true or not.

What the world really needs at the moment is some reason to hope. Not head-in-sand hope, but hope that despite all the gloom, there is a future that is worth waiting for and working towards.

So I'd like to spread some alternative rumours such as: God is not dead, the world is not out of control, humanity is not a cosmic mistake, atheism or legalistic religion are not the only options. Rumours such as: God can be trusted, life can be meaningful, love will ultimately triumph over death.

I've moved a number of posts here from two of my other blogs, Trust and Necessity (now closed) and Not the Doctor (which I'm re-organising). I've also provided a link to my old website One Candle. And I plan to post new material regularly. I hope you will enjoy browsing and reading and perhaps interacting through the comments box.