Dear Reader,
Everyman, in his own mind is Bonhoeffer, Luther and Paul. I see myself in them…in their writings; in the leaving of the old and searching of the new, in the forsaking of tradition for tradition’s sake, and the pursuit of a higher calling; in the rejection by their religious groups and in the acceptance by God alone, by faith. These were men who were hated in their time by many, yet from their time to now, they have become a light to so many more. They cannot be judged by any man; God alone is their sovereign. Our only view of them should be their motives... not their mistakes. When we see through actions and mistakes and catch a glimpse of the heart of someone, we are less apt to judge them. This is a lesson to be learned.
I would that I could leave behind a legacy such as these. What accomplishment of mine will I be remembered for? Eloquent words? Passionate pursuits or revivalist revolutions? A well-examined faith that has discipled untold millions? No. Not for me. I will accomplish no significant thing lest it be by God’s hand. When I hold the pen, my fingers tremble. When I’m given a choice, my ideals crumble. When I’m faced with life, my faith waivers. There is nothing to ground me and steady my aim, save the gospel. There is no good in me, save this cracked imago dei that helplessly wants to do good, only to be overthrown, time and again, by evil. There is no hope for greatness! No, not in myself. If I look elsewhere, I see great men who have shaped history, but they were scoundrels in their own right and fell shorter than any of us like to imagine possible for our heroes. So if hope is not to be found within or without me, what then is left? Where is greatness to be achieved? Where is love to be practiced? Where is perfection to be reached? Nowhere else... save Christ.
This is the good news, that Christ uses the imperfect to bring about His perfection. He works His reconciliation through those of us who are not yet fully reconciled. He brings His message of salvation through those who are still being saved. Just as He loved us when we were unlovable and had mercy upon us when we deserved His righteous wrath, He now chooses us to be His representatives of reconciliation. Oh mystery of mysteries! To what do we owe this great privilege? Christ! And what then do we owe Him? All! Then the weakest and most beggarly of us join humbly in the ranks of Bonhoeffer and Luther and Paul. For He sees us through the cross as loving, perfect, honorable and righteous, and it is in that power that we may stand happily in His presence, and by His power alone, work out His will in this sphere. If we receive any honor it rightly goes to Him, for all we have gained has been by His power alone.
So If I stand in His presence, may it be by His power alone. If I write, may it be His hand that steadies mine. As I face life, with its decisions and struggles, may it be by His grace alone that I am left standing in my faith. And in that glorious day, all our great works will turn into dust in the light of His grace, and I will be no different from Bonhoeffer and Luther and Paul, as we all - the strong, the tempted, and the weak - stand as one in Christ, vindicated by his earthly rejection, forgiven by His horrific suffering, and made alive by His glorious resurrection!
In His Grip,
Theophilus
