 |
| Source: gospelcenteredwoman.com |
Do you recall that selfish Sabbath I spoke about the other day?
Well, God gave me such a gift that morning, as I was shopping my church's bookstore (it is actually just a bookcase, filled with books and materials for sale). I came across the book Extravagant Grace: God's Glory Displayed in Our Weakness, and I took it home with me.
After my bath that evening, where I had wept over my sin, I started into this book, and realized just how providential the timing was for me to read it.
It is the sort of book that feels like a refreshing gulp of water, or a cool breeze in your face on a sticky, hot summer's day.
I kid you not: I inhaled all two-hundred and twenty-nine pages of it in the course of a day.
It is written by Barbara Duguid, a pastor's wife and mother of five, and based on the writings of John Newton, the 18th-century English clergyman, best known for penning the words to the world's most famous hymn, Amazing Grace.
It speaks to the process of sanctification, whereby we as Christians become more and more like Christ.
Barbara writes frankly about how we Christians can feel defeated, as we see the sin that still wages in our hearts, long after we've known Jesus as our Lord and Savior. She notes that while many books have been written on the subject of sanctification, John Newton's writings stand apart for one reason: he is unabashedly honest about how he still wrestled with sin as a Christian, and how this ultimately served to glorify God and lead to his good.
Sounds kinda shocking, does it not?
Barbara writes:
"God could have saved us and made us instantly perfect. Instead, he chose to save us and leave indwelling sin in our hearts...God thinks that you will actually come to know and love him better as a desperate and weak sinner in continual need of grace than you would as a triumphant Christian warrior who wins each and every battle against sin. This makes sense out of our experience as Christians. If the job of the Holy Spirit is to make you more humble and dependent on Christ, more grateful for his sacrifice and more adoring of him as a wonderful Savior, then he might be doing a very, very good job even though you still sin every day." page 30
What exactly is God's goal for us as we mature in faith? Is it simply that we sin less and less, or is it that we see our sin more and more?
While I might picture sanctification as growing in the ability to live out the "victorious Christian life" (which usually involves fantasies of serving out of my own strength and knowledge), biblical sanctification looks more like growing in humility, dependence upon God, and gratitude for His sacrifice on the cross, grace, mercy, indwelling presence, inheritance, well, the list could go on and on!
Barbara's book also challenged me in other ways, especially when she discussed the marks of a mature believer and the role of God over the process of sanctification.
I definitely will continue to reflect upon a few things, after reading her book, such as:
- Perhaps the marks of a "mature" Christian have more to do with extending grace and mercy to others, rather than with "sinless" living.
- Perhaps sanctification has more to do with God's working in my heart, than in my following Christian disciplines (just the timing of me coming across this book helps me to see how God is the lover and Shepherd of my soul, sovereign over the teaching of my heart!).
I'll end today's post with Newton's description of the life of a maturing believer because, if I am honest, it makes me chuckle and wince, all at the same time:
"a wilderness of conflict in which the sinfulness of our hearts is repeatedly and lovingly exposed by God." p. 54
In his words, the maturing believer will spend many years learning that he is more sinful than he ever imagined, in order to discover that he is indeed far more loved than he ever dared to hope!
What about you, dear friend? Do you, like me, continue to wrestle with the sin in your heart, even years (or multiple decades!) after following Jesus? Does it discourage you, frighten you, and make you feel defeated? Perhaps you, too, will be surprisingly informed and encouraged after reading this book! It was a healing balm for my soul this week!
May you and yours enjoy a very blessed Thanksgiving!
No comments