I’ve made it a life observe to dip my toes each few months within the bracing however soul-refreshing waters of the writings of Puritan John Flavel throughout my devotions. One way or the other, Flavel (whom I just lately was advised would have his title pronounced with a protracted ‘a’ and accent on the primary syllable) traverses the space of centuries for me greater than many Puritan divines.
Final week, I used to be studying in a collection of sermons on the dying of Christ, and Flavel started to spotlight the endurance of Jesus on the cross. He’s expounding Isaiah 53:7,
“He was oppressed, and he was stricken, but he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that’s led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that earlier than its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”
This textual content and Flavel’s sermon deliver out what theologians name the passive obedience of Christ—how He willingly submitted Himself to the indignities, cruelties, and blasphemies of His Ardour with out criticism or objection. Flavel calls this passive endurance “meekness”—the audacious energy of character and internal energy that enables an individual to endure evil with implacable resolve.
A View By means of the Glass
Flavel makes use of a stupendous metaphor to spotlight this side of the cross:
“This admirable endurance and meekness of Christ, was the fruit and offspring of his good holiness. His nature was free from these corruptions, that ours groan and labor below; in any other case he may by no means have carried it… The rules of all these evils being in our natures, they may present themselves in time of trial. The previous man is fretful and passionate. But it surely was in any other case with Christ. His nature was like a pure crystal glass, stuffed with pure fountain water, which although shaken and agitated by no means a lot, can’t present, as a result of it has no dregs.”[1]
What a compelling picture of Christ, and what an correct distinction to us. We’re like that cup the place all of the contaminates have settled to the underside, and what we see, and presume others see, is the readability of our motives and the rightness of our pondering. It solely takes just a little trial, just a little of issues not going our method, and “the rules of all these evils being in our natures”[2] will turn out to be readily obvious the place we thought once-crystalline readability was once.
Certainly we see when impurities are muddying up our souls, don’t we? I’m undecided we do; in truth, I feel we’re much more liable to ignore the impurities and declare we move the take a look at of purity. You understand how we are saying it—”It’s not my fault,” “Cease judging me,” “You misunderstand,” or the all-time traditional, “Nicely, God is aware of my coronary heart.” Yikes. I’ll have sufficient Christian road smarts to not say issues like that outwardly, however after I take a look at my coronary heart, I don’t see impurities. It’s simply cool, refreshing me.
What Colours the Water of Our Souls?
Right here’s a variation analogy. Once I was a child, again when the house race was in full tilt, that they had this drink referred to as Tang. It was supposedly the drink that saved astronauts alive in house. So, in fact, we children needed to have it every single day. Tang was an orange powder that chemically dissolved in water in a method that was cool again then, however I’d discover it a bit reticent to drink now. The factor is, it by no means left that residue we received from Kool-Support on the backside of the glass. Tang actually turned clear water into fluorescent orange-colored liquid. That’s how I are inclined to see myself when my methods and desires are opposed. I take a look at the eerie uniform shade of my soul and suppose, “I like that. That works for me.” Which then, in fact, permits me to paint all the things and everybody with no matter is coloring my soul.
Merely put, our tendency is to both ignore the impurities that float round our distempered souls or to adapt ourselves and our responses to them and name that “proper.”
However we’d be failing to exegete Flavel appropriately if we made this his foremost level. Flavel is doing one thing stunning right here. He’s referencing us—however he’s highlighting Jesus. At His second of biggest agony and trial and isolation and mockery… nothing modified in His soul. As Isaiah says twice in 53:7, “He didn’t open his mouth.” See, we all know Jesus spoke—we have now His remaining phrases fastidiously recorded for us within the Gospels. However He didn’t open His mouth. He didn’t complain. He didn’t plead His case to humankind as a result of it was for humanity that He allowed Himself to be crucified. And He was by no means, in the entire ordeal, moved off of His mark. As turbulent because the waters of His soul should have been (how can we fathom?), nothing got here out of Him that was not fully in step with His holiness of life and of goal.
That’s what Flavel needs us to see. And we have to see it juxtaposed with our cloudy, discolored souls to not disgrace us, however to remind us of the greatness of our salvation. It took a sinless Savior to cleanse us of the stain of sin and to ship us the Holy Spirit to organize us for eternity with Him. There’s a work happening in our souls. It’s referred to as sanctification. It’s the making-holy presence of God. Fellow Puritan John Owen famously referred to as the Holy Spirit the “Beautifier of Souls.” His work in our lives is to take away the impurities so that every time we’re upset, there can be much less of ourselves muddying the second and extra of the character of Christ on show in and thru us.
Ministry past the Glass
We should keep in mind this for ourselves so we see the aim of God in revealing our sin. We have to see this in these we take care of and counsel. It’s the pure tendency in counseling and private ministry for each the counselor and the counselee to repair on the externals, the circumstantials, the experientials of life. Can we resist making an attempt to assist counselees polish the skin of the glass? Can we assist struggling individuals embrace the purifying work God is doing by His Spirit of their souls? We will as a result of we have now a pure Savior who has accomplished the toughest work for us, with “admirable meekness and endurance.”[3]
Questions for Reflection
- What theologians have helped to deepen your love for Christ and understanding of Scripture?
- In what methods do I typically attempt to “polish the skin of the glass” as an alternative of addressing deeper non secular or emotional points?
[1] John Flavel, from The Important Works of John Flavel, a sermon entitled, “The style of Christ’s Loss of life, in respect of the Endurance thereof.”
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
