It is a stunning matter for a man to learn. To be brought to. To be taught. To be instructed of. Enlightened to. Have come crashing into him. The reality of how much he actually hates in reality of the reality he would otherwise claim to have desire to know. To apprehend. To understand. To even…accept. And stunning is far too soft a word, even here.
To not merely find as though he of himself can make this discovery, that he is both liar and lying, first of and to himself, thence to all others as they may be seen or found, might more rightly be called impossible to a man. Well, because it is. It is impossible for man.
But the believer has been summoned to that place where lying is impossible. There are the eyes here of the maker of eyes. The ears here of the maker of ears. A mouth that speaks above all speakers. And a mind above all other minds of which all other minds, mouths, ears, and eyes are not the true, but types and shadows; not for comparison to, but of likeness of…serving only at best, for direction toward the true.
Summoned, yes. The believer is under all of judgment. Summoned to it. And it not at all means he has worked this to his own acceptability, quite the contrary, ever the contrary…for for him, and to him, it is inescapable. Incontrovertible. Eyes are searching, ears are hearing, and a mouth speaking words that are quick and active vivisecting him, dividing asunder all and everything that is of matter to him, severing tendrils of bindings to matter (and all that is merely of material nature) that spirit be made manifest first to him, then as God wills through him as preeminent of all, and holding primacy in all. Nothing is said here that is first said, here. The Spirit gives life. The flesh profits nothing.
And he finds a warring. Even that warring inescapable. And of such nature of dread tumult that it would be utmost folly for any to imply here the man chooses, or can summon to himself enough space, find place of peace, or presence of mind to find place of withdrawing to even consider choice or choices…as though he might hide in a closet while every armament in rounds of bullets and artillery constantly whiz by (I speak as a man) and the unceasing thunder of bombs refutes any thought there might even be a safe closet to withdraw to…to hide for a moment, and thus consider…choices. He will either die, or die to, any thought of his own escape. But even this, he does not know.
Too dire a scenario? Or too real?
One would reasonably say (I speak as a man) “Where is peace in this, where can it be if what is spoken of is true?” But that is not the right question. The only matter pertinent to anything, and in particular for now in this commentary is “Is it true?”, regardless of ones disposition toward it. If it is not settled to one (or any) that what was both given to that apostle to write and understand that the flesh is at enmity with the spirit and the spirit at enmity with the flesh, and that there is a natural hostility to the truth(s) of God, it may yet be proved to him. The matter is not therefore whether one wants to believe such, but whether this truth has been made clear to him. For at that point, and in such warring must come a concomitant knowing “I cannot make peace for myself here, it is a thing that must be done for me, or I perish”.
And so even as entry into what would appear as all unsavory to a man and not of his own choosing for himself, God may give grace to understand and further establish first…to that man, then in that man and, if God wills, through that man…that nothing avails here except the work of Christ to bring to peace in the midst of such warring. Yes, peace in the storm.
Jesus is/was never reluctant to speak all given to Him by the Father for our instruction, enlightening, comfort and joy that we be made able (as He) to bear all seeming contradiction(s). He did not withdraw or exempt Himself from us in any way as a man might in expressing what would be considered among men as a hard truth by saying “I hate to tell you this…but…”
No, instead He speaks of matters (we learn) quite true without need of feigned sorrow nor what would be called sugar coating. “In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world”. It has been said elsewhere of such remarkable words that in a sense…only Jesus Christ (speaking the word(s) of God to us) could “get away” with such saying to us…for He Himself is the guarantor of the good cheer He tells us to have…to even “be of”. No wonder only He can get away (so to speak) with saying such. For if we are persuaded it is He alone who first overcomes the world in all, and in giving of Himself to us and for us is made such guarantor, we understand now it is not as much of command given to be of “good cheer”…but matter of knowing possession of (or being possessed and captured by) the very Christ of God. Yep, He is a conqueror in all. And so we come to learn that commandment which all of once spelled death to us, through Christ are made to us eternal life. Even to such extreme (but is it?) that there are those told and hear “And you shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake”…without a shred of “Gee, I hate (or I am sorry) to tell you this…but…”
Yes, only God in and through Christ can get away without apology for speaking the truth in all. For He is the truth in all, without holding back from us all necessary to us, for His glory and our good. Even to such saying that all once formerly sought, all once striven for, all once diligently manipulated toward of all and even every man…to acceptance in and of the world by whatever means such acceptance and acceptability is garnered…is now made not only futile to seek, but voided in Him. It’s just not there. No believer need seek to make himself odious to anything (especially the world) for in and through Christ, he already is. Ha ha! It’s too late for us to make ourselves…anything! (Even as it truly has always been too late for us to do anything…about ourselves!)
What a relief.
We are what we are.
Thanks be to God!
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