Success through weakness.
I know this is an old truth - but what truth isn't? I guess all I'm doing here is pointing out examples. I've already mentioned the individual excesses that men of God seem to have - excesses that He used/uses to do great things. Whether that is a rule that can be applied across the board, I don't know, but it has four related results that I can see.
First, being able to recognise and acknowledge faults in a man of God helps us escape idolatry - they, too, were/are only men.
Second, the fact that God uses their faults gives glory to Him, rather than to the men themselves.
A third result is an encouragement to us: God can use us in spite of our faults.
A fourth is a caution: God can use others despite their faults.
Now I want to broaden the scope to include other historical illustrations. The first one that jumps to mind is John Wesley's Arminianism. I'm sorry for anyone who doesn't agree that it is false doctrine - I do think it is false. And yet, God used this belief to bring many people into the Kingdom. It was because Wesley believed it was people's own decision that determined their salvation that he was so doggedly evangelistic.
A man well known in NZ (with some international fame) called Barry Smith was an end-times prophecy guy who related current events to Biblical prophecy. He was also an evangelist, and the number of people I have met who became Christians through his eschatology meetings and books and tapes (even if they no longer believe in his eschatology) is astounding! God used his - what I consider false - teachings to help people see that the Bible applied to the here and now.
Another example is that of the ridiculous disagreements over the mode of baptism. Interestingly, the majority of the movements that hold most firmly to immersion are also the movements made up of common people who hold to the uncluttered view that the Bible is the word of God. Is there a connection? I believe so. I believe that the issue of the mode of baptism helped normal people to take the Bible as an authority against more learned men. But I guess that is more a suspicion than a proven fact.
There are many more examples of incorrect beliefs actually pushing those who hold them in a good direction. Therefore, I believe that the four above results can also be applied to movements:
1. Being able to recognise faults in a movement helps free us from idolizing that movement (the Reformation, the Great Awakening, the Welsh Revival, the early Church etc).
2. The fact that God used those faults for His good purposes gives Him glory and takes glory away from the movement.
3. Our own movement (or even personal belief system) does not need to become perfect to be used by God (ie. don't major on minors). This also means that just because God is using our movement - even something specific within our movement - does not mean that it is right. I think that is an important factor to keep in mind. God is incredibly gracious to us and this fact should keep us humble and keep us from trying to get Christianity to "work" mechanically.
4. Be careful of writing off another movement just because you can see such blatant errors and mistakes. (Word of Faith Movement?)
That last point, of course, leads to the questions: How do you deal with heretics and heretical movements today? How was it done in the Bible? How heretical is too heretical?
Might try and answer that tomorrow.
First, being able to recognise and acknowledge faults in a man of God helps us escape idolatry - they, too, were/are only men.
Second, the fact that God uses their faults gives glory to Him, rather than to the men themselves.
A third result is an encouragement to us: God can use us in spite of our faults.
A fourth is a caution: God can use others despite their faults.
Now I want to broaden the scope to include other historical illustrations. The first one that jumps to mind is John Wesley's Arminianism. I'm sorry for anyone who doesn't agree that it is false doctrine - I do think it is false. And yet, God used this belief to bring many people into the Kingdom. It was because Wesley believed it was people's own decision that determined their salvation that he was so doggedly evangelistic.
A man well known in NZ (with some international fame) called Barry Smith was an end-times prophecy guy who related current events to Biblical prophecy. He was also an evangelist, and the number of people I have met who became Christians through his eschatology meetings and books and tapes (even if they no longer believe in his eschatology) is astounding! God used his - what I consider false - teachings to help people see that the Bible applied to the here and now.
Another example is that of the ridiculous disagreements over the mode of baptism. Interestingly, the majority of the movements that hold most firmly to immersion are also the movements made up of common people who hold to the uncluttered view that the Bible is the word of God. Is there a connection? I believe so. I believe that the issue of the mode of baptism helped normal people to take the Bible as an authority against more learned men. But I guess that is more a suspicion than a proven fact.
There are many more examples of incorrect beliefs actually pushing those who hold them in a good direction. Therefore, I believe that the four above results can also be applied to movements:
1. Being able to recognise faults in a movement helps free us from idolizing that movement (the Reformation, the Great Awakening, the Welsh Revival, the early Church etc).
2. The fact that God used those faults for His good purposes gives Him glory and takes glory away from the movement.
3. Our own movement (or even personal belief system) does not need to become perfect to be used by God (ie. don't major on minors). This also means that just because God is using our movement - even something specific within our movement - does not mean that it is right. I think that is an important factor to keep in mind. God is incredibly gracious to us and this fact should keep us humble and keep us from trying to get Christianity to "work" mechanically.
4. Be careful of writing off another movement just because you can see such blatant errors and mistakes. (Word of Faith Movement?)
That last point, of course, leads to the questions: How do you deal with heretics and heretical movements today? How was it done in the Bible? How heretical is too heretical?
Might try and answer that tomorrow.
posted by Ali at 8:47 AM
2 Comments:
I think this is a great line of thinking. So long as we remain vigilant about the truth, I think we can and should affirm that God uses mistaken ideas and practices for his glory. I find it necessary to say "remain vigilant about the truth," because in our pragmatic society people will inevitably begin to identify whatever "works" as absolute, unquestionable truth.
I find it necessary to say "remain vigilant about the truth," because in our pragmatic society people will inevitably begin to identify whatever "works" as absolute, unquestionable truth.
Yes, I agree. I wanted to add to no.3 above that just because God is using our movement - even something specific within our movement - does not mean that it is right. I think that is an important factor to keep in mind. God is incredibly gracious to us. Keeps us humble, and keeps us from trying to get Christianity to "work" mechanically.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home