storiesofvalue

The Uncommon Factor

What set’s Christians apart?  If we are involved in the sanctification process, we will certainly be distinguishable by virtue of our behavior.  But even this isn’t all that unique, since many people in our culture strive to be better citizens, parents, employees and members of the human race.

The world can easily spot the “form” of Christianity, typified by buildings, religious activities, the support of moral causes and relief efforts.  Yet, other groups also have buildings, activities, causes and benevolence.

We are first and foremost different because we serve an uncommonly common Savior.  He is otherworldly while being down to earth.  His unique place as the Son of God gave Him the right to die in our place, but his passion for us led Him to temporarily give up His right to avoid pain.  One of the reasons we often act in radical and unexpected ways is because we don’t serve a dead philosophy or put our faith in a moral code alone.  Instead we serve a living Savior who pulls at our heart-strings and leads us in righteousness.

Because our uniquely uncommon Lord became a commoner, our common life has taken on an uncommon flavor.  We are engaged in a new life, spurred on by the living Son of God, and nothing about us will ever be common again.  This is the practical working out of the description Paul gave of our Christian walk when he said, “The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:17).  We are made righteous by the Son, and He carries our banner as we follow Him wherever He takes us.

From yesterday: In contrast, the outcome of the Christian journey is certain, and everyone who lives for Christ can be assured of their final victory.  It is true, we can’t predict where the Lord will take us, or how He will choose to use our talent, time and energy for His glory.  We also can’t anticipate every triumph or tragedy along the way.  These are the signposts of a true adventure.  However, when our lives are over, and we see Jesus face to face, our faith will be realized by sight, and we will be rewarded for our faithfulness.  This is the nature of the Christian’s journey.

For years, this process has been known by the theological term, “sanctification.”  In His lengthy prayer before His death Jesus asked that His disciples be “truly sanctified” (John 17:19).  When someone or something is sanctified, it is set apart for a holy purpose and purified for that purpose.  As followers of Jesus we are set apart to live for Him, and the indwelling Holy Spirit continuously transforms us.

Sanctification is a collaborative work involving our heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the church, and our best personal efforts.  We don’t save ourselves, but for sanctification to take hold we must contribute to the process.  If it were not for our assurance of salvation we would lack the confidence we need to move forward.  On the other hand, if we are not concerned about moving forward we should revisit our decision to follow Jesus and rekindle our sense of purpose.

In regards to our salvation, we are drawn together in the Lord’s church by our common dependence on His grace.  As we are sanctified we are united by the struggle against flesh and blood, but mostly the spiritual forces that threaten to derail us.  Our celebration in heaven will certainly be one of praise for the One who saved us and acclamation for those who have journeyed with us.  Now we walk, even run together as we collectively look to our Savior.  “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation– if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel” (Colossians 1:22-23).

The word “journey” is most often used to describe a process full of unpredictable events.  This is why many Christians speak of their walk with the Lord as a journey.  Certainly, when we make our decision to follow Jesus, we can’t possibly predict where He will take us, or what He will do through us.  Yet, our culture’s use of the word journey can lead us in a wrong and sometimes confusing direction.

For some, a journey involves both unpredictable events and result.  For example, in the beginning of an athletic season, a team might have some indication of how it stacks up against the competition, but few people can predict every win and loss with complete accuracy, and in any given sport, normally only one team wins it all.

Not long ago, billionaire Warren Buffett offered to pay one billion dollars to anyone who could perfectly predict an NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness tournament sheet.  The odds of not needing to pay out to someone who accurately predicts every game of the tournament are in Buffett’s favor.  His challenge is a testament to the uncertainty of an earthly outcome in something as basic as basketball.

In contrast, the outcome of the Christian journey is certain, and everyone who lives for Christ can be assured of their final victory.  It is true, we can’t predict where the Lord will take us, or how He will choose to use our talent, time and energy for His glory.  We also can’t anticipate every triumph or tragedy along the way.  These are the signposts of a true adventure.  However, when our lives are over, and we see Jesus face to face, our faith will be realized by sight, and we will be rewarded for our faithfulness.  This is the nature of the Christian’s journey.

Our Common Journey 

John Bunyan wrote “A Pilgrim’s Progress” while serving a prison term for preaching without a license.   The church governing body that had him arrested thought they were upholding a criteria that honored the tradition of the gospel.  But they didn’t realize it was impossible to control the work of God when He choses to unleash a servant.

Never mind.  God used Bunyan’s circumstances to influence more lives than he would have ever reached on his own.  While in prison he wrote his classic, “A Pilgrim’s Progress” about a believer named Christian.  This incredible allegory illustrating a believer’s struggle in the world quickly gained popularity, and continues to be one of the most beloved and widely read Christian books in history.

“A Pilgrim’s Progress” is a great book, but to be honest, people aren’t drawn to it as a result of Bunyan’s literary ability.  It can be said that the plot is predictable, and characters stereotypical.  So why is it read by millions, and kept by some as the perfect companion to the Word of God?  I believe it is because Bunyan so accurately captured the common battle we all face in our journey to heaven, it is impossible to read it without connecting some portion to our personal circumstances.  We are reminded of Paul’s words to the Corinthians when he wrote, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Ironically, the most eternally significant trait we share is the one we struggle most to admit to one another.  We don’t shrink from crying out to others when our homes have been blown away by a storm, or when we are in an accident and need someone to save us.  And certainly we should not, since God has put us here to help each other.  But when we sin, we instinctively withdraw.  Our embarrassment inhibits us, and the thought others would think us weaker than we should be in our moral life makes it difficult to be transparent.  Even when we are not at fault we assume others will think we are, and we hide our pain and refuse to seek help.  This error can separate us from those who love us most and position us for stronger attacks from the evil one.

In the wild, predators prey on the weak.  Weak animals have a hard time keeping up with the herd and often fall into crevasses and thickets where they can be easily snatched by the strong.  In the same way Satan wears us down with temptation and looks for opportunities to destroy us when he finds us broken and isolated.

This means our most dangerous common condition is also the one in which we find ourselves the most hopeless.  When we add to this the biblical truth that, as a human race, we are incapable of erasing the guilt of sin, our sense of despair can become even more acute.  Were it not for grace, poured out in the form of Jesus atonement on the cross, where would we turn?

Still, there is more to consider than our salvation.  After the uncommonly common Savior rescues us, he leads us through the ongoing process of sanctification.  He inspires us daily, and when we are prone to throw in the towel, we look to His example.  In this way, “he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Our Common Condition                                     

What makes a thing or a people common?  In some ways, the answer to this question is a matter of perspective.  A “commoner”, for instance, is someone who lacks social rank or nobility, and is unable to participate in the privileged activities of the powerful and wealthy.  Nothing will stir public interest any faster than the news someone of royal birth has decided to marry a commoner.  Perhaps there is something in all of us common folk that wonders what it would be like to suddenly become uncommon.

But if we pull back a bit from human social structure and look at our race as a whole, we realize we are all commoners.  Perhaps Job said it best when he proclaimed, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart” (Job 1:21).  I should probably mention, before Job was beset by a series of terrible loses he was considered “the greatest man among all the people of the East” (Job 1:3).  Job was wise enough to know worldly greatness can’t change the realities that come with being human.

The human race faces three common threats: 1) injury, sickness and death, 2) sin and its consequences, and 3) natural disaster.  These categories encompass a number of trials, struggles and circumstances we face on a daily basis.  Some of them make the news.  Others occur unnoticed even by close friends, relatives and neighbors.  Yet none of us escape the inevitable plight of our human condition.  Even if we are somehow spared our portion of difficulties, we must all, as Job reminded us, “depart.”

There is a sense in which these realities draw us together.  The chaos and confusion of a disaster is lessened by trained first responders who come prepared to do whatever is necessary to help.  Relief organizations and churches travel hundreds of miles to participate in the recovery of entire communities.  As a minister I spend a lot of time in hospitals and I am always amazed at the way local police, fire and rescue teams work in concert with medical teams to save lives and comfort those who are grieving.  In office setting, friends collect money to help co-workers.  Children in an elementary classroom make get-well cards for a classmate who has been in an accident.  Families bring food to their neighbors who have lost loved ones.  Church members visit with a brother in Christ who is incarcerated for a crime.

We can’t watch others go through the things we know are a part of our common condition and do nothing.  Some of us can do more than others, but we connect on a most basic level.  One thing is certain: no matter where we end up in society we will forever be a part of the human race.  This one thing we all share.

Enter Jesus, the “uncommonly common” baby born in Bethlehem.  He was common in that He was completely human and uncommon in that He was completely God.  I should add He was “uniquely” uncommon as no one before or since has come as He did.

The writer of Hebrews illustrates both the common and uncommon nature of Jesus in 3:17-18:  “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:17-18).  Jesus suffered common temptations and lived a common life, but He took our place on the cross as only the Son of God could.

In Jesus, God made the ultimate connection with His creation.  The first time we see God on earth, He came to the Garden seeking Adam and Eve in the cool of the day.  He likely returned as the Priest of Salem (Genesis 14:18), and perhaps as the fourth man in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:25).  Then in the fullness of time, He became our brother, born of a virgin, and raised in a carpenter’s home in Nazareth (Galatians 4:4).

Surely the people who watched Jesus grow up knew He was uncommon.  Mary and Joseph could not forget the appearance of the angels who prepared them for the birth to come.  The shepherds knew, as did the Magi.  Simeon and Anna celebrated Jesus’ temple dedication and twelve years later the teachers in the temple were amazed by His understanding.

But He was also so common.  Nazareth was a small town, and a good carpenter’s work was never finished.  Some have speculated that Joseph died when Jesus was a young man, requiring Him to manage the shop until His brothers were old enough to assume responsibility.  His tools would have been crude by modern standards, and if He sliced a finger He would have had to tough things out without sterile ointments approved by the FDA.

It must have all been very strange for Mary who treasured up memories in her heart and waited for each page in God’s story of redemption to be turned.  The whole thing might still seem strange to us.  But it is the uncommonly common that gives us comfort in our commonly uncommon circumstances.

Uncommonly Common

What do we have in common with God?  What does it meant to be made in His image?  We haven’t seen God, except through His Son, so we don’t know if He has facial features like ours, speaks like we do, or walks on two legs.  The Bible speaks of God’s eyes, hands and mind, but we are hard pressed to prove whether these descriptions are literal, figurative, or temporary forms for the purpose of reaching through the veil that separates heaven and earth.

People often point to some of our non-physical attributes as points of commonality with God.   For example, while we are drawn to creativity, our perceived genius is merely a trait passed along by the Creator of all things.  We have a capacity for love because we were created by God, who is Love.

We also mirror God in our social structures.  God is Ruler of the universe and in His wisdom He has given us dominion over the earth.  He is in relationship with the Son and the Spirit, and we are attracted to relationships with Him and others.

On one hand, we have much in common with God, just as any child would reflect his father.  On the other hand, we are subordinate to Him in everything, and limited by time and space.  We worship God.  He sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17) and wants to be intimately involved in our lives, but He does not worship us.

Are we like God?  It can be said we are more like Him than anything in creation.  But the distance between us is so vast it is hard to know where to begin were we to venture an analysis.

Jesus loves us in many ways and for many reasons, but ultimately He loves us for the same reason we love Him.  He loves us because of who we are.  We are His Father’s children, created in His image to love and be loved.  No amount of sin can hide this fundamental truth.

An older man in the church family I serve frequently reaches out to other men going through difficult seasons in their lives.  I had a conversation with him not long ago about a man who had betrayed the trust of his loved ones in ways that are nearly unmentionable.  The older man said, “I am going to see if there is anything we can salvage in his life.  There doesn’t appear to be much there, but I know there is something.”

Anyone who has met the Lover of our souls always knows there is “something” left.  I am reminded of the statement by Mama to her daughter Beneatha in “A Raisin in the Sun”.  Beneatha’s brother Walter made a mistake that threatened the family’s future.  Mama said, “There is always something left to love.  And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing.”

It doesn’t matter who you are.  If you are the one in need of love, there is something left.  If you are the one showing love, there is something left.  With my apologies to my English teacher friends, “There is always something left to love.  And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing.”  Such is the attitude of the Lover of our souls.

As we ponder our thoughts regarding Jesus’ love, we should also consider how that love guides us in those things we hope for others.  We must also recognize our world, in general, is not going to establish our priorities for us.

When our son was young, his city recreation soccer team made it to the championship game.  The coach told us he and the coach of the other team were going to get their heads together and choose a day and time for the final.  Their choice was Easter Sunday morning, during the time our family had planned on being in worship.  We decided we were going to worship as a family instead of participating in the game.

Please understand it isn’t that we thought it would have been a sin for our son to play on Easter Sunday.  Certainly, every Sunday morning is a celebration of the resurrection, and a man-made holiday should not rule us.  We also might have been able to find an area church with a Saturday service our son could attend.  Our decision was based entirely on a principle: we believed we had an opportunity to teach our children a last-minute decision by others that disregarded our practice of worship was no reason to change what we thought was most important.  Our decision wasn’t a popular one with the coach, and we had to push a little to secure our son’s year-end trophy that was given out at the championship celebration.  But it wouldn’t have mattered either way, and our son was a real trooper about the whole thing.

Fortunately, our son didn’t rebel against us and turn his back on the Lord because he was required to make a sacrifice.  He knew we weren’t in the habit of making his life miserable by preventing him from having fun.  In fact, we went overboard to make sure our church activities didn’t consume us and we encouraged him to enjoy all of the other opportunities God had given him.  It’s just that when God decided what was most important he didn’t send us a championship trophy.  Instead, He sent the Lover of our souls to die on a cross. Somewhere along the way we must decide if souls are as important to us as they are to God, and begin to look at our world accordingly.  What do the people you love believe is most important to you?  How does it affect the things you do to show them you love them?