A few weeks back, Mati
had to have a baby tooth removed by her dentist. When she was very little she
bumped her mouth and her tooth was damaged. Over time it gradually began to
take on a grayish tent because it had stopped growing. However, her tooth’s unnatural
hue was not necessarily obvious to the naked eye in passing; it was only under
close evaluation that the injury was evident. But truthfully, it was beyond
injured. Her tooth was dead, and no amount of brushing or cleaning could change
its irreparable state. Despite Mati’s tooth appearing somewhat comparable to
the rest of the teeth in her mouth, the tooth was dead at the root and had it
not been removed, it would have hindered her permanent tooth from coming in
properly.
Consider the Christmas
trees that many cut down and took home during this holiday season. If they’ve not
yet done so, the time will come soon enough, when they will need to take down their trees and throw them out. For there is no amount
of water that can be given, no amount of maintenance or care to be shown
that can supply life to those trees. They are dead, having been chopped down
and removed from the stump. While they may look beautiful and lush for a time,
they are no more alive than the pre-lit 8-footer that we purchased on-line.
Now I think these
examples are worth our consideration today. Why? Well, we ought to evaluate these given pictures, for we handle our spiritual lives in a similar way. Unfortunately we often concern ourselves with symptoms and exteriors, while leaving
the diseased deeper issues untouched. We keep brushing a dead tooth; we sit ourselves in
weekly church services, much like we place our Christmas spruce in a bowl of water. We wonder
why we observe no growth, ignoring the fact that we, like the trees mentioned
above, have no root.
To consider it another
way, one can put make-up on a corpse to help it resemble one that is merely
sleeping, but such cosmetics offer no hope for resurrection. One can temper the
affects of disease with medicine, but lest there is legitimate healing, unless
the cancer is removed, the toxic growth will continue beneath the surface until
all life and vitality is stripped. In the same type of way, many of us, and the
folks we run with, find ourselves prone to busying ourselves with religious
activity; we give great effort to improve and modify our behavioral tendencies;
but if Christ is not our root, if the hope of His death and resurrection is not
our foundation; if His grace has not brought healing to our sin-stained souls, then
we are all miserably doomed.
For the unbeliever, we
must encourage that he approach this New Year with a hope that is more meaningful than measly
resolutions. We must point our dear friend to the cross of Christ. For it is only
through Jesus’ redeeming work at Calvary that one can find more than the
appearance of life, but that which truly is life indeed – abundant, eternal,
joyous and filled with glory. For the saint in Christ, we must remember that
the Gospel does not call us to mere behavioral modifications but to repent of our
own inability to ever improve enough; it calls us to die to self and admit our
unworthiness; it demands the recognition of our heart’s rebellion, and yet see Christ’s all-sufficient atoning sacrifice in our place.
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| She sports the missing front tooth well. |
When we focus on what we
need to do and how we must get better, we miss the point. When loving
correction comes our way, we do not recognize it for the grace that it is.
Consider John Owen’s words: “He that shall call a man from mending a hole in
the wall of his house, to quench a fire that is consuming his whole building,
is not an enemy. Poor soul! It is not thy sore finger, but thy hectic fever,
that thou art to apply thyself to the consideration of.” So for the lost soul,
he must see the bigger issue. And while there is security for the children of
God, lack of perspective in this area remains detrimental. Through the blood of
Christ, we have forgiveness for our sins, and He that started this sanctifying
work within us shall bring it to completion.
Remember that as it took
a dentist to do the healing work and remove the dead tooth so that newness might
come forward, it is God that removes the terrible dark from our souls that we
might bask in His light. Removing the tooth was messy and more than
uncomfortable; the numbing shot brought a grimace of pain; it left Mati feeling
weird and out of sorts, but it was absolutely necessary. And so it is with
those who are far from God. We would all love to pretend that there is only a
small hole in our wall, and we can patch it up. Truth is, the whole house is
coming down, lest Christ mercifully comes to extinguish the flames. And
believer, growth comes not without trials, yet the absence of any struggle can
almost guarantee the inexistence of any increasing faith.
We will be starting a
new series this January called “My Foundation.” In this study we will walk
verse by verse through Paul’s first epistle to the church in Corinth. We will
see that Christ must be our root, our remedy, and our only true foundation - the basis for every thing we do in each and every facet of life. May we do more
than strive for self-improvement and reach for new resolutions this year, might
we rest in God’s grace and share it like the good news that it is.
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| Matt Fowler - Family Pastor of HS |
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