Wow, our text is not only challenging, it is a momentous portion of scripture that keeps spreading and giving! The profound theology expressed is in some ways more than we are able to handle. Yet, we are called to make an honest and forthright attempt. A conscientious rendering of the passage is in order that others may, at least, taste such wisdom is our goal.
To be chosen "in Christ before the foundation of the world ..." is both awesome and ominous. It is as though our free will has been suspended and a ring of unpredictability floods our souls. Nevertheless, we must live on and seek to fulfill our destinies. We must also work with the knowledge that there is something very special about us Christians.
While John 3:16 has been quoted for centuries as the quintessential statement of understanding God's relationship to us, it both tends to evade and reduce problems in our salvation history. Saint Paul wants more than it offers and yet is not in any sense wanting to contradict it. He seems never to be frightened by those really big ideas. In fact, he insists on providing explanations that make sense to him and should as well make sense to us. Christ's coming completely changed his life in terms of motivations and goals.
Focus
Probing at deeper levels gives a more complete understanding of our faith.
Body
1. To be too simplistic tends to produce spiritual pygmies.
This is not to infer or imply esoteric information is necessary in order not to wallow and eventually die with simple answers to huge and complicated problems. I believe our dear Lord would say to follow such a road is to shut out the "little ones" he came to save. Having admitted this, we must not be reduced into a Pollyanna that sings optimistically day-after-day whatever will be, will be! Such a practicing of our blessed Lord's faith may not be blasphemous or heretical but it will undoubtedly be minimal. This we must shun and be on our guard against. Our spiritual growth demands we keep moving on, hopefully upward.
As a boy, I remember honest people during the time of testimonials saying exactly the same thing at each and every service. It is not that they were in any sense wicked people. However, surely there could have been some indication of change, showing they had moved deeper with their Lord. As a lad, not even into my teenage years, I observed in respect but vowed I would go deeper, much deeper. This was not seen at the time as an attempt to be better than someone else but to acknowledge the enormity of the field with the ground hardly broken. It was a moment of awakening that was only barely a part of my consciousness at the time.
To be blessed "with every special blessing" conveys to me we are to labor in all times and places, and yes, with whomever we find ourselves. This is the best prevention against becoming spiritual pygmies. If we are to be six-feet tall, why settle for four-feet? Unused potential in the personal spiritual realm is a tragedy here and now and forever and ever. May God forgive us! Such work, of course, is not necessarily the visible kind. It may very well go unseen, only to be revealed on the last day. Many experience their labors in vain, only to learn later, frequently much later, that is not the case. Timing is really God's business because we have so little control over circumstances. More than that, we may not even know what they are!
Studying theology and philosophy among seminary students is always a serious task. It is the hope they wrestle with the profundity of the Christian religion in order to understand it in ways that cut below the surface. In our preaching and calling — in particular — the need is for pastors to be able to field questions and comments made by their parishioners. In a way preaching is group pastoral care every Sunday and at other times to enable the person in the pulpit to provide more than clichés. Seminary education is so important in aiding precious human beings in their spiritual formation. Repetition is essential and yet it can also be deadening. Of course, we are reminded to repeat the Lord's Prayer and the creeds with regularity, knowing their basic place in the deposit from which we all eat and drink.
2. We are called to work out our salvation in fear and trembling.
"We have redemption through his blood" is our assurance but it is also a prodding to a more complete understanding of how our salvation is to be treated. To be redeemed by his blood is no small matter! It is here that the ever-popular power of positive thinking types can be stumped and fail to come to grips with something far more significant than a tool for getting our way. To be afraid and trembling means our very personhood is in some way threatened. To become uneasy and yearn for better days under the banner of a nominal faith is no answer. Of course, we should not treat our salvation as a possession, but as a gift that spiritually forms us.
To be called to become more like Christ is to probe so deeply we not only learn of our crosses, but receive them with gratitude. We carry them and are educated in the ways of the master. The saints testify to the magnificence of these crosses. Their sainthood most likely depended on them carrying such uninviting objects that have truly taken on many forms throughout the ages. What for one was a cross for another was not. What one would have chosen for himself or herself was not the one selected by him. Saints have been known to cry out in gratitude for those burdens that turned out to be loads of love. We have much to learn here! Perhaps we must persist in getting a legitimate definition of sainthood back into our vocabularies.
The birth of Christ flung into motion "the mystery of his will." How can an innocent Jewish baby boy have anything to do with the excruciating and totally uncivil experience of crucifixion? It seems to me this only illustrates the greater the sacrifice of the innocent, the greater the power of that person. The Eucharist or Holy Communion speaks to this. The death of spotless animals could never be enough to atone for the sins of humankind. It took the pure and holy Son of the Father. There is a depth to this that is never fully discovered. Our Catholic and Orthodox friends understand that better than any Protestant I have ever known. To take the Sacrament in the understanding of Christ's "real presence" is to begin to get at these depths of which we are speaking.
A crucifix can speak countless words to the believer. An empty cross speaks of Easter. A crucifix conjures up images of Good Friday and that horrendous death scene. Frankly, we can't have one without the other. The "fear and trembling" of the crucifixion is built into the fabric of our fabulous faith! How else can we "live for the praise of his glory"? Note the ongoing depth of Saint Paul's lengthy passage. We have a crucified/resurrected Lord, who began his journey on this globe at Christmas. The most epochal of all presents is his salvation brought by who and what he was, the Savior of humankind. As we exercise in humility and sincerity our hearts, minds, and souls we begin to scratch the surface of a depth mostly beyond us. Nevertheless, the exercise is indispensable to our well-being.
3. Pleading ignorance in spiritual matters can be disastrous.
In dismay, my discoveries lead me to any number of church people, who appear not to have the slightest notion of the depths of our religion. A once each day devotional is about as far as they get. Even those who are fairly regular in worship attendance can embarrass themselves. Naming the gospels and the golden rule may be about as far as it gets. I am not trying to be unkind. Certainly my purpose is not to be judgmental. My great concern is how can such persons defend our precious faith. It becomes "oh you know" kind of thing.
We all have wide and deep gaps in our knowledge of spiritual matters. We can rightfully excuse ourselves upon occasion. However, to drift along in some dreadful bliss can be a disaster. For example, how can we answer basic questions asked us by inquiring people in search of salvation? When asked about our current passage, what can be intelligently stated without study and pondering? We are supposed to know our Lord in more than the ways taught us in a manner that eventually produces more heat than light! People need answers today and they generally want them from other lay people. The most professional thing a clergy person might do is take all of his/her members through Christianity 101 again, or the initial time for some. We clergy can be seriously at fault for our parishioners not knowing as much about the Bible as Oprah or David Letterman.
The riches of our faith are priceless and cannot be measured in secular terms. The deep waters are there to be explored unhurriedly. Anyone can take difficult passages, after just becoming thoroughly acquainted with Holy Scripture, and be blessed many times over. In view of the fact large numbers of church members have blocks of time and financial resources, we are brought face-to-face with something quite unpleasant. Well, let's go ahead and ask the question. Are we ignorant of large areas of the spiritual life because we want to be? Perhaps it is because we simply — by design — have other priorities more pressing. Since we "were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit," how can any of these inquiries by relevant? May our dear Lord be merciful!
The resolution to our ignorance is mostly found in prayer and study of Holy Scripture with the added ingredient of congregational worship. To take these areas seriously is to banish ignorance in spiritual matters. We are enabled to probe at the deeper levels and begin to enjoy the excitement of what it really means to be a disciple of the Christ. Then Saint Paul's brilliance may not become crystal clear, but at least we are familiar with the magnificent and marvelous theological artistry put before us. Yes, and when we are stumped, we are to go to prayer, not as an escape but as a tool to continue our in-depth excursions. We value the news in-depth. Why can't we do as much for our spiritual lives? It seems to me the choice is plainly before us.
4. Everyone — in a sense — is his/her own theologian.
Ideally, every person who professes Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is on a theological journey that makes him/her a student of God. It is a beautiful and even sacred phenomenon to observe some laity commit themselves to study the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are never ordained but do they ever look like and act like trained and vibrant clergy! We owe the small group movement a debt of gratitude. Of course, it is not that different from the vital societies given birth in England by John and Charles Wesley. Spiritual sensitivities are brought to the surface. Both personal and group growth is seen. They are "God's own people," who either are or are becoming their own theologians!
Some of our laity will wrestle with passage after passage. They refuse to run away from the noble task of becoming theologically literate. Such men and women have always made me shout for joy! I believe some understand the meaning of being colleagues together better than some clergy, especially those who are turf conscious. We are blessed today with them taking courses in colleges and seminaries, sometimes on a non-credit basis. We clergy can learn from them, provided we are humble and honest. Their voyage takes them into the depths of theological inquiry and understanding. Think how proud the apostle would be! While we have enormous pockets of illiteracy in our flocks, we also have quite the opposite. There are adults determined to call unto the deep.
There are those who would maintain this only leads to private interpretation that can take valued disciples in too many hurtful directions, including toward hell. We do need to admit church history is filled to overflowing with those who go so far as to build entire denominations on a few verses. Such radical movements, I fear, have more to do with egotism and pride than anything else. The absolutism of one or a few can build cages for all those who are willing to agree and adjust accordingly. But let's not be too harsh in our day and time. We have checks and balances today that provide stopgaps for those who are traveling toward a dead end. We are helped greatly by knowing we were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit.
We ought not to frighten our flocks by telling them they are expected to become their own theologians! Pastoral guidance is often necessary and this means clergy who are rooted and grounded in the faith, refusing to be threatened by bright laity. My experience tells me we always have some men and women who know more about certain areas than we do. As hard as it is to admit, that is even true in a spiritual sense. They are willing to dig deeper and will do so! Never underestimate the work of the Holy Spirit in parishes, and any place, for that matter. Secure within their own theological understanding, pastors can lead and enable magnificent blessings to occur among their precious people. At times the dear Lord just prods us to turn them loose!
Summary And Conclusion
The apostle's gift to us in this portion of Holy Scripture provides a cutting edge of growth for many of us. His emphasis is Christological and offers the opportunity for us to kneel and worship our Savior and Lord more completely. In addition, it especially provides a thrilling time of study that makes us forget all about the light-weight stuff we have been reading in popular devotionals! With heart and mind perfectly attuned to the Holy Spirit our labors become more and more fruitful. We are brought in touch with understandings — indeed wisdom — that enable us to celebrate Christmas on a daily basis, recognizing in joy our greatest gift is the Christ.
The challenge to the pastors and key laity in our time is much what it always has been. We are to know about Jesus Christ and accept him in our hearts and minds without reservation. We must not be spiritually starving people, refusing the royalty in our midst. A lazy and unsettled mind is a negative force in our quest to know our Lord. A heart that is barely lukewarm is a major problem — if allowed to continue — because we can never tell where we are going to land in matters of spiritual depth. Often, the Holy Spirit leads some of us to focus on disciplines that will move us into those heavenly lands where untold riches are plentiful. We must move from our glasses of skimmed milk to steaks perfectly cooked and ready for our consumption. Time is passing, so we must be at work.