In the Right Place

One sleepless night this week as I was mulling over a problem, I had the thought, “Maybe I just don’t have enough faith for this situation.” That led me down the self-condemning path of feeling inferior to other Christians. However, a visit to 1 Corinthians 12 corrected my thinking.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills” (vv. 4-11).

The gift of faith here isn’t referring to salvation but to a supernatural dependence on God for things that seem unlikely by human standards. We don’t all have this degree of faith, but we don’t need to feel bad about that, because it is God who gives the gifts as He sees fit. By the same Spirit, those who have the gift of faith may not have the gifts of wisdom or knowledge. So although they may believe that something is possible through God’s providence, they may not know if it’s not the wisest choice in a particular situation. Both perspectives are needed.

The Apostle Paul goes on to say that every body part is necessary. There are no unnecessary gifts or superfluous people in the church. Those who have the gifts of service or administration can’t say, “The church doesn’t need me.” Nor can those with the gift of teaching say, “We don’t need you here.” We are all needed for the proper function of the Body of Christ. (I won’t get into the issue of dispensationalism and whether all the gifts listed in Scripture are still active today, except to say that people in other countries seem to experience a lot more of that than we do in our Western, scientific mindset.)

At the end of chapter 12, Paul does seem to give a bit of ranking of the gifts and refers to “the higher gifts” (v. 31). Commentaries differ on how exactly to interpret this, but it cannot contradict the preceding verses that say there is no room for envy or contempt based on what gifts each person has. That can sometimes be hard in the church, where the more visible gifts tend to be valued more. We even hear it in our common lingo when we refer to someone having a “charismatic personality,” meaning that they tend to be visionary, influential, and popular leaders. But according to Scripture, all Christians have charisma, which is the Greek word for gifts used in verse 4 and in Romans 12:6. Personality is not necessarily related to spiritual gifts.

Those of us who are gifted for behind the scenes work in the church are no less important than the ones who are on the platform every week. Each of us with our unique gifts and abilities are needed for the church to flourish. So be encouraged in whatever role you can fill in your local church—God has you there for a reason. As Paul wrote in Romans 12:6-8:

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

What Does the Future Hold?

This is a post that may raise more questions than it answers, because the Bible doesn’t present clear explanation. Here’s where I’m coming from: I’ve been doing a lot of reading recently in the area of autism and neurodiversity, some written by Christians and some from non-Christians. One common feature between the two is that much of the world has a very limited and limiting view of “normal.” The “medical model” of disability attempts to define normalcy based on statistical prevalence, and then focuses on curing or normalizing the individual who doesn’t quite fit the mold. On the other hand, the “social model” of disability views disability as a difference that can be accommodated by how society interacts with the individual’s unique traits. (Other models have been proposed by some, but I’ll stick with these two for now.)

We could discuss biblical views of personhood, the image of God, the reason for suffering, and how the church should seek to love and serve “the least of these” (Matt. 24:31-46). Those are all worthy topics. However, I want to zero in on just one aspect of so-called disabilities: what is eternal life in the Kingdom of God going to look like for those who are considered disabled in this life? We aren’t given a lot of details in Scripture, but here are a few things we do know:

“So [Jesus] fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and He healed them” (Matt. 4:24).

“But someone will ask ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ …what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other gain. But God gives it a body as He has chosen, and to each seed its own body… For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:35-38, 53).

“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side… Then He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:19-20, 27).

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’” (Rev. 21:4-5a).

There are illnesses and handicaps that God will completely remove. Those things that cause us pain and tears will be changed. However, Jesus’ resurrection body still bore the marks of His crucifixion. What might that imply for our new bodies? Perhaps, following the grain/plant metaphor, our new bodies will be so radically different that there’s no comparison. However, it seems to me that the fact of a bodily resurrection indicates some continuity between the bodies we have now and those we will have.

What about genetic traits that have radically shaped our experience? Some researches and parents have noted that people with Down Syndrome tend to be happier on average than other people. Will God recreate all of us with the “correct” number and type of chromosomes? Or will some retain an extra chromosome but no longer have any detrimental effects from it? Will those born with dwarfism then be six feet tall?

What about the traits that cause a person on the autism spectrum to notice the tiny details of some object, or the savant that has trouble communicating but creates beautiful music? Why would God remove anything that points out or contributes to the glory of His creation? Wouldn’t those traits be retained, but probably without the difficulties in communication or tendency toward meltdowns when overstimulated?

How about personality traits? I don’t think introverts will become extroverts or vice versa, but perhaps we’ll all become ambiverts—able to respond in the appropriate way in every situation. I see no reason why the diversity of God’s people should become muted and monotone. If anything, I think we’ll see how truly creative God has been in making us each unique. We can retain our own interests, abilities, and gifts, but without any of the sinful tendencies that may be associated with them.

If we look back to Genesis 1-2, God created Adam and Eve, put them in Eden, and gave them meaningful work in tending the garden. We tend to forget that fact when we read Revelation and its descriptions of the New Jerusalem. I know I’ve read that and thought “I don’t want to live in a city forever.” I think we can be assured that the “new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3:13) will be far better than anything we can currently imagine, like our favorite vacation spot enjoyed not only with our favorite people but with our Creator and Redeemer—the One who chose us before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), knitted us together in our mother’s womb (Ps. 139:13), and knows us each by name (John 10:3). Since we know that, we can trust Him with all the details of our future bodies, homes, and the universe.

“To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7b).

***

A few resources I’ve found interesting:

“Wheelchairs in Heaven” -Joni Eareckson Tada

“God’s Power in Disability” -Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

“Is Disability Normal?” -The Gospel Coalition

 

© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Remember This

In a recent episode of the Russell Moore podcast he interviewed Scott Sauls, who shared about a time he was out for a walk and heard himself say aloud, “You suck.” As he reflected on what had led to that declaration, he realized he was remembering something he had done in high school that hurt a friend, and for which he had apologized repeatedly. His experience of self-condemnation for past actions is probably one that many of us can relate to.

The Apostle Paul gives us an interesting panorama of human experience. On one hand he makes statements like this:

“I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful, appointing me to His service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy… Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim. 1:12-13, 15).

But he also says:

“…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

But what exactly is it he says he is forgetting? The first part of Philippians 3 is the recitation of his Jewish “pedigree” as one who can claim “as to righteousness under the law [I was] blameless” (v. 6). It was stuff that most of the people who knew him would consider admirable. When you compare Philippians with 1 Timothy, Paul doesn’t really seem to be saying, “Just forget everything about your past and live in the present.” I’m coming to understand it more as “Remember your past but keep it in proper perspective.” That fits better with his statements in Ephesians:

“Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh… remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promised, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:11-12).

When we consider the past, there are several things we need to remember:

1) Apart from Christ, any good that we have done or accomplishments we’ve achieved are likely to be tied to pride and self-righteousness. Therefore we need to remember that our good works cannot save us and are in fact nothing compared to Christ’s perfection.

2) If we are now Christians, any sin that we have committed (past or present) is forgiven and covered by Jesus’ death on our behalf. Therefore we can remember that we are loved, accepted, and free from condemnation.

3) God uses our sin and weakness to remind us of our need for Him. He uses all things for the good of conforming us to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:28-29), and in our weakness His grace becomes evident so that He gets the glory and not us (2 Cor. 12:9).

I often remind myself of Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” However, I don’t always remember that it follows after Paul’s description in Romans 7 of the struggle:

“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from his body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin” (7:21-25).

Theologians disagree as to whether this is referring to one’s experience before conversion or after conversion. (I agree with John Piper that it is post-conversion.) However, I think the greater point is that only in Christ can we find freedom from condemnation. It takes a lifetime of learning and growth to “put on the new self” (Eph. 4:24) and to “walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). In the meantime, shame and guilt will continue to rear up in us—from painful memories, from the influence of the world, or from the accusations of the devil. When they do, we can cling to the truth that our sins are forgiven and God still loves us. “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Heb. 8:12 quoted from Jer. 31:34). His love will never fail.

“My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:20-23).

© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Chance or Chosen?

I was listening to a podcast that happened to include two Jews and a Christian. The Christian made the comment, “I’m a Christian because they got to me first. If I’d been born in some other culture, who knows what I would be.” Perhaps he was just trying to be avoid being antagonistic. But while there is a small grain of truth in what he said—we are each born into a specific time and place and are influenced by our culture—it seemed like he was Christian in name only. If he truly believed that Jesus is the only way to God and eternal life, I don’t think he would so quickly write off his faith as a cultural coincidence. If we believe that God chose us “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4), then our faith is not simply a cultural artifact. Unfortunately, his perspective is all too common. We who have grown up in a relatively Christianized country may be inclined to adopt a cultural Christianity that has very little relation to faith in God and obedience to His will as revealed in the Bible.

Not long after hearing that podcast I was reading my Bible and found myself in Ezekiel 3, where the prophet is told by God:

“If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul” (18-19).

In other words, “If you know the truth and don’t warn people, you will suffer for their condemnation.” While we might wish to apply that just to prophets or pastors, every believer has an obligation to share the good news of faith in Jesus Christ with those we love (Matt. 28:18-20). Failure to do so won’t make us lose our salvation, but it will certainly bring us grief when friends die without knowing Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Those who do know Jesus in this way will not glibly say, “The Christians got to me first.”

The author of Hebrews wrote, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (2:1). Jesus said that some who hear the truth will immediately reject it, others may initially seem to respond but later fall away, some let the truth get choked out by the stresses of life, but a few go on to bear great fruit (Luke 8:4-15). Then Jesus goes on to say that those who have received the light of truth will not hide that light from others (16). “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away” (18).

There are those who call themselves Christians who have no clue what it means to live by faith in Christ alone or to desire to follow Him as Lord. What faith they think they have will be taken away, because it is a faith in themselves or in their cultural upbringing, not in God. The Apostle Paul wrote,

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them… So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:19-21).

Although we can’t save ourselves by our works, we can choose to reject God’s offer of salvation and live in denial of His authority over our lives. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:8-10). Part of the good work that God has prepared for us is to bear witness to Him and to give a reason for the hope that we have (1 Pet. 3:15), not just attributing it to an accident of nature or nurture.

Let us give credit where credit is due and not neglect to give credit to the God who chose us.

“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30).

© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.