Devotional and Discussion Thought of the Day:

⁴  Teach me your ways, O LORD; make them known to me. ⁵  Teach me to live according to your truth, for you are my God, who saves me. I always trust in you. ⁶  Remember, O LORD, your kindness and constant love which you have shown from long ago. ⁷  Forgive the sins and errors of my youth. In your constant love and goodness, remember me, LORD! Psalm 25:4-7 (TEV)

⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. ⁶  Remember the LORD in everything you do, and he will show you the right way. ⁷  Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the LORD and refuse to do wrong. ⁸  If you do, it will be like good medicine, healing your wounds and easing your pains. Proverbs 3:5-8 (TEV)

Deliver me from self-trustfulness, In the frequent days in which I must do battle with my self as foe, arm me with a constant trust in Thee. (1)

Heresy is not so much a new doctrine, but an Orthodox doctrine that is overemphasized. (2) 

A sincere resolution: to have faith in God always; to hope in God always; to love God always… he never abandons us, even if we are rotting away as Lazarus was.

When I read the quote in blue above, from the biography of a man who personally impacted how I preach, it stunned me for its simplicity, and its truth.

I could give example after example of when man’s reason and pride joined together to subtly and slowly twist doctrine, or the reaction to that heresy which caused a quicker reaction that threw them off the cliff in the other direction.

One example is in the discussion of how faith and works are related.  If one overemphasizes the doctrine of justification, he may end up teaching that works and piety are not needed in the Christian life. A reaction to that would be an overemphasis on the doctrine of sanctification, where certain works/gifts/charisms once seen as a reaction to grace now become legislated and those who don’t practice or show those works are taught to question their salvation.  The two sides meet, they harden their position, defending what they see as a true doctrinal position, to the extent that only that doctrine matters.

When I read the quote on the plane, 30 such issues came to mind.  (examples include the Sacraments, the Commandments – especially the Sabbath,  Religion versus Relationship, the Work of the Holy Spirit, Worship Wars, Evangelism/Mission versus Orthodoxy)   Several that friends of mine are dealing with, or have dealt with in recent years. I tucked it away in the back of my mind.  This morning my regular devotions (from which the other four quotes come)  brought up the problem again, and the answer to it.

Hence the blog this morning.

The issue is one of sin, specifically the sin of pride and the exaltation of man’s ability to reason.

We know the danger of man’s reason apart from God, but do we realize that we still fall prey to the pride which exalts our reason, our understanding?  That makes us believe that we know all we need, even more than those around us?  Do we realize we are still but the children of God, that we don’t know it all, and even more importantly, we can’t apply all that we do know?

It is, as the quote in green above states, the battle of self idolatry.  Proverbs reiterates the same thing, our need not to be able to understand, but to trust God, to lean on Him, to continually refer back, not just to man’s wisdom, but to scripture, to prayer. Psalms reiterates this theme of trust, of walking with God.

The challenge is that doctrines are beautiful, there is something overwhelming about those “aha” moments when something life-changing is realized.  But that one doctrine cannot become the defining doctrine of our life.  Even the study of all doctrine cannot be, for doctrine itself doesn’t save us, Christ does.  Doctrine may instruct us in how our souls are healed in how reconciliation occurs, of how the means of grace deliver that precious grace.  The wisdom of God being revealed is a wonderful thing.

But it isn’t our God.

Imagine studying about marriage,  You’ve read every sociological book, every psychological book, every book describing the intimacy that a husband and wife share, physical, spiritual, emotional.  You look at your own marriage certificate, memorizing it so well, that you could reproduce it from memory…even the crinkle in the seal.  You invest every moment of your time in such learning about marriage that many consider you an expert.

But you’ve done so, at the expense of time with your spouse…..

How well can you really know what the union of two souls are?

Same thing with God.

The key to avoiding heresy is not managing to juggle and keep in balance all the doctrines that are taught in scripture.

The key is abiding in Christ.  Of walking with God, of realizing that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Of knowing the dimensions of His love for you and all His people. To receive His mercy, His forgiveness and the healing of our souls. It is then you can hear His voice, it is then you know His love and mercy and grace.  It is then you treasure its words, for what it reveals about God and His people.  It is then that doctrines aren’t just a matter of knowledge, a matter of the mind.  But then that they are a description of our life as thise who trust God.

It is then, that these words, in bold colors above, resonate with us, because they are our prayers.

God’s peace to you… and know that you are kept, your heart and mind, in that peace. by Christ.  AMEN.

(1)  From Celtic Daily Prayer, Aidan Readings for 10/25, credited as from Hebridean Altars

(2)  Ortiz, Juan Carlos (2011-08-09). From the Jungles to the Cathedrals: The Captivating Story of Juan Carlos Ortiz (Biography: Great Leaders of Our Times) (Kindle Locations 1717-1718). Vida. Kindle Edition.

(3)  Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 924-925). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.