Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:
14For as many as are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God, 15for you did not receive again a spirit of slavery into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, in which we are crying, “Abba, Father!”
As related in the last post, this “Abba, Father!” is the key to it all. God’s desire for us is that we enter into this wonderful, loving Father/child relationship with Him. In fact, that is so important, as we learn here in Romans chapter 8, He actually indwells us with His Holy Spirit specifically for the purpose of making that relationship possible!
Can we see then, that this is true religion? Jesus prayed, “For this is eternal life, that they might know You…” (John 17:3). “That they might know You.” Eternal life, or as we could say it, “the life which is eternal,” is to know God, to enter into a personal relationship with Him, and, again, here we learn that’s exactly what the Holy Spirit indwells us for. Worship for us is an expression of this relationship. We will find later in the chapter, there can even be times when our worship can be just sitting in the presence of our God, saying nothing at all, and just letting the Holy Spirit do our communicating for us!
Why am I reiterating all of this? Because I’m afraid this gate is narrow and few there be that find it. What I mean is that “religion” in this world is, as I have said before, invariably just a matter of which set of rules and traditions people follow. People are Christians because they go to church, own Bibles, sing hymns, etc. Another person is a Jew because they go to synagogue and have Bar Mitzvah’s and celebrate Passover. Every “religion” in the world is simply their own unique set of rules, and we all think that is what religion is all about – just the external practices, rules, traditions, etc., which we then call our “worship.”
How utterly hollow. How sad that the human race could be the incorrigible worshipers we are and yet never know what true worship is even about! How especially sad when people hold in their hands Bibles where they could read Romans chapter 8, and yet go on in their useless facade of religion that really is no worship at all! May we each hear Jesus calling, “Come to Me…”
What I particularly want to address, however, is what I would consider one of the worst expressions of our twisted, Bible-ignorant ideas of worship, and that is asceticism. “Asceticism” is defined in one place as a life of “…extreme self-denial and austerity. The doctrine that the ascetic life releases the soul from bondage to the body and permits union with the divine.” It is the idea that we need to torment our bodies to somehow escape this world and thereby to actually connect with God.
It seems to me all religions tend in this direction. The Catholic Church is a prime example where asceticism has been enshrined. Now, before I continue, please note, I do not mean in any way to disparage Catholic people who have themselves come into a personal relationship with God. I have known and worked with Catholics who were some of the finest Christian people I have ever known. As I would offer my criticisms of the asceticism of the Catholic Church, I’m simply talking about the expressions of asceticism which are commonly practiced and encouraged by that Church and whose examples emerge in one form or another in every “religion.”.
There was a woman they called Julian of Norwich who lived in the 1300’s and who decided to be an “anchorite.” This meant that she had herself locked in a tiny cell and never came out. Supposedly that was to keep her separate from the world and able to worship God. We’ve all heard of the guys who sat up on a pole for years or people who took vows of silence so they could never speak. The whole idea of monasteries and nunneries grew out of asceticism. Martin Luther flagellated himself severely trying to somehow overcome his sinfulness until he finally read and understood, “The just shall live by faith.” Thereafter, he left the celibate priesthood, his Katie left the nunnery, they married and were able to enjoy a loving home life and family like the Lord intended for most of us.
It grieves my heart to think of all the people who’ve spent their lives in various forms of cruel self-abasement, imagining that was what true religion was about. Paul warned against this very thing in Col. 2:21-23: “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations: “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”
“They are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” That is precisely the problem. You could hide in your cell or sit up on your pole and still be just as proud, think just as hateful thoughts, lust in your heart, etc. What the Bible would make clear to us is that our problem is spiritual. Freedom will never be found because I mistreated my body. Rather, we must know, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Freedom will only be found when we enter into the “Abba, Father!” relationship which is what Jesus saved us for. That, and that alone, is true worship.
What I want to suggest is that Protestant Christianity is little better. We may not have nunneries or sit up on poles, but asceticism is alive and well among us. I could enumerate multiplied examples but I fear I will touch so many sacred cows, I’ll lose the hearing of anyone who might stumble across these thoughts of mine. Think it through yourself. Be honest. Do you really worship Him “in spirit and in truth?” Jesus specifically said He did not want the Father to take us out of this world. His prayer was only that while we were “in” this world, we’d not be “of” it. In II Peter, we’re told God gave us His “very great and precious promises” specifically that we might “escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (1:4). Notice He didn’t say, “Escape the world.” He said, “Escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” It’s the “desires” that are the problem and the answer is “very great and precious promises.” Note that’s all Spirit/spirit business, and as we learn here in Romans 8, the cure is to genuinely enter into this “Abba, Father” relationship!
Of course, God desires us to be “righteous,” but the righteousness of rule-keeping, or any other external practices (like asceticism) is the life of a slave, not a child. Grace righteousness is the changed life we live precisely because we love our Father, because our big brother Jesus is our hero, and because God gave us His Spirit to actually change us from the inside out.
For whatever reason, asceticism has always had an enormous attraction to us fallen human beings. Don’t fall for its lie. Crawl into your Father’s lap and from there “as dearly loved children, live a life of love” (Eph. 5:1,2). Hear Jesus’ desire for you and me: “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Col. 3:12-14). What the Lord wants for you and me is “Love and joy and peace.” “Against such things, there is no law.” True religion is not asceticism. It’s a relationship. Settle for nothing less!
No comments:
Post a Comment