Preceding the first chapter in the book Messy Spirituality (a book my girlfriend gave me over Easter), there is a quotation from Robert Coles of The Wittenburg Door.

“I go to church and everyone seems to feel so good about themselves. Everyone calls themselves a Christian nowadays. How dare we call ourselves Christians? It’s only for Jesus to decide whether we are Christians or not. I don’t think He’s made a decision in my case, and I’m afraid that when He does I am going to be sent straight to hell. I don’t feel I can call myself a Christian. I can’t be satisfied with myself. We all seem to be pretty contented with ourselves in church and that makes me sick. I think all this contentment makes Jesus nervous.

No, obviously, there’s a lot that’s theologically wrong with that quote. For example, eternal assurance is something we can enjoy—though it has to be discovered for ourselves. It can’t simply be learned or spoken. And, of course, God’s eternal nature would seem to negate the feeling of ‘nervousness’.

But, I think there’s also a healthy humility about these words.

If we are Christians, it’s not because of anything we’ve done or not done. It’s because of grace. In other words, it’s because God has said so. In this way, Jesus decides if we are Christians. And, I think we would do well to see our faith and salvation in that way. I am a Christian because Jesus has decided so.

I have recently been provoked to reassess my convictions on various things. This is good. Introspection and reconsideration are good. Willingness to be proven wrong are good. We either come out the other side more attuned to our convictions, or realizing that we were in error.

This is where I am, although I will not dive into specifics. At least not right now.

But at the same time as I am seeking the scriptures to better understand the way I ought or ought not live, I am also being challenge not to allow myself to read more into scripture than is really there. Personally, when I am thoroughly challenged in my conviction (particularly by a respected brother or sister), I will have the tendency to either produce the fault in myself and so win back their approval. Or, for my own conceit, find the justification for my conviction in scripture, whether it’s there to be found or not.

But reading in 1 Corinthians today, I’m challenged particularly by what Paul writes, using Apollos and himself as an example for the church.

1 Corinthians 4:3-5:

“But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.”

Paul has established that in spite of what others might say about him, his conscience is clean—however, that is not evidence enough in itself to to ‘acquit’ him of guilt. Rather, he explains that it is God who is the only one who can truly judge. For us this means God’s Word.

I find myself in a similar position to the one Paul describes here. Although I have a clean conscience, I cannot be confident on that alone. When I am challenged by a brother, I must accept that perhaps I have misunderstood, misread, or misinterpreted the only right foundation for a clean conscience.

But it’s in Paul’s next words that I’m particularly struck.

1 Corinthians 4:6:

“I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.”

Whether in vindicating myself, or in seeking another’s approval, I should be especially careful “not to go beyond what is written”. I must allow no part of myself to be sacred. Instead, faithfully seek God’s word to establish a right conviction—whether it find me affirmed in the area I was challenged, or find me convicted and repentant of some sin.

But all the while, I rest assure that God’s grace in the blood of Jesus Christ is greater than all and he will guide me to truth, eventually. And in that there will be glory and satisfaction.

Twice in the last short stretch of Jesus’ high priestly prayer he mentions the concept of unity. And both times he attaches it to the world’s belief.

John 17:20-26:

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,  I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

He illustrates unity by his own relationship with the Father (a relationship marked by perfect love and respect). “Just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you…”. Then, moves on to express how this unity opens opportunity for the world to believe. He distinctly makes this comparison twice, all within just a few breaths. All of the Word is crucial, but I think we would be wise to pay special attentions to things that God saw fit to say over and over again.

Now, I don’t necessarily believe that the splintering of denominations is a bad thing. In fact, that’s really much to large an argument for right now. But even in the existence of many denominations within our faith, this prayer for unity isn’t lost.

See, when the world looks at the Church and dismisses her because she has splintered into all these different sects, I don’t think it’s the disagreements they’re seeing and responding to, it’s their lack of love, respect and cooperation.

Lets say there were an agency started by two friends. Its business was to help deal with conflict resolution in families. If the two business partners had a disagreement and out of frustration and anger, they broke apart and formed two competing conflict resolution agencies, we would probably have difficulty trusting either one. However, if the disagreement was over the best methods to resolve conflict, and the individuals, in cooperation with each other, decided the best thing to do was to start two different agencies, each with its own unique method—well, then people would just pick the one that’s right for them or their situation.

Well, the Church’s business is love. First for God, then for the church, then for the world. Trouble is, the church fails all three of these. The problem is not unity in a geographical or even theological sense. The problem is love—or lack thereof.

When Christians love God, and love and respect one another, regardless of disagreements over fringe-topics, the unity that Jesus is speaking about here is fulfilled and people do see it. Christians should be encouraged by this, and empowered to love and respect even their brothers and sisters they have disagreements with.

Of course, on a larger level, this is all null and void until the ‘church’ makes love for God and people her main objective— instead of the next gigantic mortgage payment on her brand new church building.

Have you ever read Jesus’ high priestly prayer? I read it today as part of my Bible reading plan. What struck me today, possibly for the first time, were some of the facts that he was choosing to repeat back to his Father. Just take a look at this short excerpt from John 16:13-17:

But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Look at some of the things he says in his prayer. “Now I am coming to you…”. This was part of the plan all along—it was no big prayer induced revelation for Jesus, or the Father for that matter. “I have given them your word…” Again, something the Father is quite clear on.

Throughout the whole prayer Jesus sprinkles requests alongside various divinely understood facts.

I see this as a sort of call to honesty in prayer. There is value in stating the obvious. For example, there have been times where I’ve gotten the impression that people are choosing their prayer language too carefully. As if saying “Lord, I’m hurting right now” and nothing more is somehow invalid because this is something God is already aware of.

But I think this is something we can learn from Jesus’ own prayer. There is value in simply stating things as they are. Sprinkling truth, as far as we understand it, alongside our confessions and thanksgivings and requests. Or sometimes, only stating truth to God, in as much as it is clear to us.

In circles of people with extremely charismatic language, I often hear people say things things like, “The Lord is telling me…” or “I feel like the Lord is saying…”. Whether I agree with that or not is not so much in discussion right now. But what is actually said is.

Before Jesus’ death, he told his disciples that his death was necessary that the Holy Spirit would come. He explained the Spirit’s function in John 16:14:

“When the Spirit of truth comes…[v14] He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

When the Spirit of God speaks to us, it is about Jesus; of Jesus. It is about God’s Word. The Spirit will not speak to us about things that aren’t taught to us from God’s word. This is why the Puritans understood that the modern gift of prophecy is when a person, usually a teacher, is given insight and understanding of God’s word.

You might not agree with that last paragraph, and that’s alright.

What bothers me is when people use the concept of the Spirit’s speaking to a believer as a means to make a point, or convince hearers of their opinions or personal beliefs.

For example, If you’ve dated within the Church, you’ve probably heard something like, “God is telling me I need to be single.” Or maybe you’ve just heard of people saying that kind of thing. In charismatic worship settings (which I tend to enjoy, by the way), you might’ve heard someone say something like, “The Spirit is telling us we need to lift our hands,” or “The Spirit wants us repent of [fill in the blank].”

I strongly believe this language is an abuse of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Well, at least about 90% of the time anyway.

When the Spirit speaks, it is to glorify Jesus—namely in the Word of God. It is more sound to say, “God’s Word says [fill in the blank]—I believe we are guilty of this, and should repent.” If this message is truly from the Spirit, this language will still cut people’s conscience and lead to repentance. And if it doesn’t, either people’s hearts are hard or else the Spirit wasn’t highlighting that issue in specific.

Or, perhaps, “I have been reading the word of God and praying and I feel that I need to be single for some time.”

When the Spirit speaks, it is from God’s word, which is about Jesus, of Jesus. And the language chosen is important. There are at least two major dangers in speaking with this kind of hyper-spiritual language.

1. Human beings are a complicated mess of flesh and emotion and ideas. Unless the the word being spoken can be thoroughly confirmed by God’s written word, it can only truly be spoken with some marginal level of confidence. Anything more than that is probably a confidence conjured from elsewhere inside us. Speaking with such presumption is clearly dangerous. Prophets of the old testament who prophesy falsely were to be put to death. That’s not the case today, but the principal stands. Speaking for God when God may not be speaking is big deal.

2. Human beings are also rational, intellectual creatures. These are gifts given to us by God. And, we have a thorough and complete written Word from God. When language such as “God is saying…” is used, it effectively closes the door to disagreement and rational discussion. It makes it impossible for “iron to sharpen iron”.

It is wisdom that we would use our language carefully when talking about the Spirit’s speaking to us and to our congregation. When the Spirit speaks, he is teaching what he has already said in God’s Word to the church.

We should be so hasty as to assume the Spirit is saying what we might think he’s saying but be confident that if he is speaking, it will be heard even if we don’t use such confident language.

Song of Songs 7:10:

“I am my beloved’s
   and his desire is for me.”

Among the oldest interpretations of the book of Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) is that it is an allegory. Originally seen as Christ and Israel, then later understood as Christ and the true Israel (the Church). It’s one of the places we get so much imagery of the church being the ‘bride’ of Christ.

Understood in that way, this passage becomes one of the most beautiful, peaceful, comforting, exciting, encouraging, strengthening verses in all of God’s word.

As Christians we can remember that Christ’s work on our behalf wasn’t begrudging and it wasn’t a chore. And although he has carried our burden of sin, his desire remains for us and his work on our behalf is both obedient to God and joyful for us.

After Jesus fed the five thousand, people the people who ate and had their fill followed him around. He was hidden and they sought him out. These were his words to the crowd:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves…”

This obviously isn’t seen as a good thing. Yet, there’s a whole chunk of the church that believes that having faith in Christ will ease their financial woes, resolve marital problems, bring home estranged children and right wrongs.

In subtle ways, even parts of the non-prosperity gospel church teach their congregations these things.

It’s even possible they might be true. But Jesus condemns this. He performed a great miracle in multiplying the food. A sign that he was the messiah and that salvation awaited those who would trust him for it. But although these people saw it, they ignored it and allowed their awe to be on their filled bellies.

I think this is a gut check. Not just for prosperity-Christians either. God has performed an outrageous miracle in producing new life in spiritually dead vessels. But I think that we sometimes have the tendency to focus on the perks associated with that over the miracle that points us to an all satisfying God.

Perhaps for overcome habits or destructive tendencies. More rewarding work or better friendships. But even though these may be amazing byproducts of a powerful miracle, they were never the point. God, in all his glory was.