God's Little Wise Guys

Have you ever thought or asked the question, Why, God? I have.

The fact is this is evidence of rebellion latent within us, as a book I’ve been reading most painfully points out.  The author, a Chinese Christian who lived in the first half of the twentieth century, explains that there are several manifestations of the rebellion of mankind against God, which was originally introduced by Adam and Eve’s sin.  Eve, in essence, questioned, What’s so bad about eating the fruit off the tree, God?  This is one manifestation of rebellion:  reason.  As humans, we love to reason our way through life.  If it doesn’t “make sense” we avoid it.  The problem is that when we apply the force of reason to the will of God for our lives, we are rebelling against God’s authority.  To obey the will of God requires crucifying our flesh…denying human reason.

There’s a dc Talk song that brings out this point well.  “Mind’s Eye” is a song explaining how the heathen think we’re crazy for believing in a God we’ve never seen.  It defies reason to believe in the ability of Jesus Christ to save the world through a blood sacrifice.

I’ve gotten to thinking about this, and it’s really rather scary:  We can reason our way out of God’s will…or even into convincing ourselves that something is God’s will when it’s really our own wishful thinking.  I know I’ve been guilty of this countless times before.  But, here.  Let me give you a small sample of this section of the book concerning human reason.  The author puts it so much more beautifully and compactly.  I wish I had time to type the whole 7-page section of this chapter…because I honestly think you’d be astounded…I know I was.

But here’s a sample, where the chapter ends:

Spiritual Authority by Watchman Nee
“The Manifestations of Man’s Rebellion” – (pp. 97-98)

In Leviticus 18:22, each time God orders the people of Israel to do certain things, He interpolates a phrase:  “I am the Lord your God.”  This is not even prefixed with the preposition “for.”  It means “I so speak because I am the Lord your God.  I do not need to give any reason.  I, the Lord, am the reason.”  If you see this you will never be able to live by reason any more.  You will say to God:  “Whereas in the past I lived by thought and reason, now I bow and worship You; whatever You have done, because it is You who have done it, is sufficient for me.”  After Paul fell on the road to Damascus his reasonings were all cast aside.  The question he asked was, “What shall I do, Lord?”  He instantly put himself in subjection to the Lord.  No one who knows God will argue, for reason is judged and set aside by the light.

To argue with God implies that God needs our consent for all He does.  This is utmost folly.  When God acts He is under no obligation to tell us the reason, because His ways are higher than our ways.  If we bring God down to reasonings we will lose Him because we make Him one of us.  In reasonings we shall not have worship.  As soon as obedience is absent, worship is lost.  By judging God with our reason we set ourselves up as gods.  Where, then, is the difference between the potter and the clay?  Does the potter need to ask the consent of the clay in his work?  May the glorious appearing of the Lord put an end to all our reasonings.

Therefore, what I get out of all this is…

…you know when I, when you, will stop wanting to question why?  When we fall in love with Jesus.  Not a concept of Jesus.  I’m not talking about being religious.  Simply performing religious duties, like putting money in the plate on Sunday, going to church, reading, praying, singing, etc.  I mean spending personal time in God’s presence…getting to know God as not a concept…Jesus as not a mysterious awesome being floating around beyond our capabilities of comprehension…but Jesus Christ as the Friend who sticks closer than a brother.  Once we understand His love for us…that His commandments are there to preserve us…that the trials He brings us through are there to perfect us…

…then we will gladly submit to the spiritual authority of Jesus Christ.

Oh God help us not to have a head knowledge of you…not to just love you in name…but to fall IN LOVE with You…

And one other thing.  Sometimes I feel like I’m in God’s presence…and I get so close to entering into a place in worship where I actually see His glory…where I’m so close to…something big…having a powerful encounter…entering into a life of constant communion…

…but it’s only a fleeting moment.  So close yet so far.  Suddenly I feel *grrrrr*, like, Lord, I sometimes come close but never actually get to know You…

Anyone else had that?