Hints of Fallenness

March 1, 2022February 25, 2022 / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

The events of Genesis 3 have a continued impact on us every day. I think it is good to continue to study it closely. We know that the Serpent engaged Eve in a conversation that led to disaster. He started by introducing doubt about God’s word – “Did God really say…?” But let’s consider the Serpent’s second statement to Eve. Remember how he discounted the promise of death and offered an alternative that captured her heart, “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Her response to that offer, along with Adam, was not just a one-time thing. Yes, that moment was critical. But the temptation lingers for us all. Humanity continues to pursue some corrupted form of godlikeness to this day. We see it on narcissistic social media and in competitive work environments, and if we are honest, we can also see it in the mirror. It is helpful to notice how easily Christians still fall for this temptation, and yet we do it in a sort of “sanctified” or “Christian” way. Here are four variations that pull on us:

Be like God, knowing – Humanity has a hunger to be “in the know.” We don’t easily feel settled in a position of humility, even as Christians. Knowledge is compellingly attractive, especially when others don’t have it and we can feel superior. Is there not some of this “insider knowledge” permeating the gossip addiction in many churches? And what about the tendency many have to hold untested and uninformed positions as strong convictions? Some people find personal security in their black and white views on various issues rather than having the courage and faith to grapple in the grey zones of complexity and humility.

Be like God, controlling – Humanity inherently hates the notion of a God on the throne. This tension is clear in the moral rebellion of society, but it can still be there subtly in church world, too. We humans dislike being out of control. Whether it is sickness, or earning an income, or church decisions (don’t say “change!”), or whatever, don’t we tend to seek control? And sometimes, while we are striving to control situations, we seek God’s endorsement on our situation management by praying for his blessing.

Be like God, ruling – Humanity longs for God’s position. Pyramid climbing is the norm in the business world, academia, social gatherings – it is everywhere. Perhaps you have experienced conversations where the other person vies for position and seeks to establish their superiority through various tactics. Jesus has demonstrated our God’s self-emptying and humbling nature, and calls us to have the same attitude. Yet we can jostle for position and engage in “Christian” rivalry. We easily sanctify the act of climbing up our pyramids as long as it is for “godly influence” or “ministry.”

Be like God, alone? The world’s way of pursuing the “be like God” dream always includes getting rid of God in some fashion. It’s almost as if they know that there isn’t room for two “gods” and so must competitively dismiss all others to take their position. Perhaps it is this move to aloneness that is most sad to behold. We know that God is jealous of His unique position and glory. And yet God is not self-absorbed and glory-grabbing – He exists in a communion of loving glory-giving. He doesn’t pursue the subjugation of every person for the sake of His personal sense of security. Rather, He gives His very best to win the hearts of a corporate bride for His Son. He doesn’t exercise authority or dominion rashly, or selfishly; instead, He humbly pursues those who hate Him that His love might capture them.

But what about the throne? He will, after all, not share his glory with any other god, right? Right. But the Bible also gives the stunning expectation that those in Christ will get to rule, to sit with Christ on His throne. We will never be “gods,” for there is only one God. Yet He has reached down, humbling Himself, that we might be lifted up to reign with Him, to know Him, to love Him. The moment we compete with God, we push Him aside and find ourselves alone on our own throne. We move away from such riches for so little.

The issue underlying Genesis 3, in one sense, remains our issue today. Do we really know what our God is like and trust Him?

Let’s continue to read His Word and be gripped by who He really is and what He has done. Then perhaps we wouldn’t need to “christianize” and “sanctify” a worldly pursuit of power, status, influence, knowledge, and godhood in our mini-kingdoms. Instead, we could rejoice in the reality that far surpasses all our dreams yet inherently opposes all our fleshly pursuits. The difference? We are called to trust with humility, rather than haughtily grab. Be sure to keep your gaze on Him, even in church world!

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Gospel Dimensions 2

July 11, 2013 / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Yesterday we pondered how small thinking about God will negatively shape our preaching. What about our dimension estimates of humanity? Again, this can really make a difference to our preaching.

1. When we see humanity as too elevated. I suspect everything I will write in this post about humanity will really be leaning toward tomorrow’s post about sin. I’m convinced that we simply don’t grasp how profound our problems actually are. We swim in the brine of a post-Genesis 3 world and we are saturated to the core of our being, but don’t realize it. Consequently our view of humanity can easily get too elevated, while losing sight of how special we are. The issue is God’s image. What does it mean to be made in God’s image? When we corrupt the image language of Genesis 1 with notions of autonomy, authority and rule apart from relationality, then we end up with a mis-measured humanity. The wonder of humanity is that we are made in the image of a relational God and we are made for relationship with Him. Too much of our gospel-vision lacks a real grasp of how deep that design goes. Instead we fall for a mis-measured human vision of autonomy, rule and authority. Suddenly the image of God is about god-like qualities of abstract thinking and self-definition and self-determination and dominion over others and rule over creation . . . and our thinking about Genesis 1 (image) sounds and smells like Genesis 3 (hiss).

2. When we see humanity too individually. This is another way of saying essentially the same thing. I suspect many of us are better at spotting individuality in our reading of the New Testament than we are at spotting it in our reading of humanity. That is to say, I suspect many of us know that the “you” of the epistles is usually “you all” rather than “you and you and you and you.” It makes a difference. Especially for us English speakers who don’t distinguish you singular from you plural. We are saved into a corporate entity called the church, not given separate and distinct individual memberships for our own benefit. So we hopefully see that on a horizontal level, but I suspect we still fall into seeing humans as stand-alone creatures. It is the world that measures life and success by the items listed on a curriculum vitae or resume. Our identity does not consist in our collection of capacities (education, experience, skills, references), but rather in the fabric of relationships with which we are enriched. If we don’t grasp the difference, we will preach a gospel that tends toward personal benefits and relational disconnection.

3. When we see humanity as inherently good, but hindered. I am out of words, but this can lead into tomorrow. How bad is our problem? Do we have a broken will that needs enabling? Do we have a clouded mind that needs clearing? Or is the problem much deeper and more devastating?

Biblical Girders 4

January 18, 2013 / Peter Mead / 2 Comments

Where does each girder go? The Bible has a superstructure that holds it all together. So the thematic element of the promised seed in Genesis 3:15 will work its way through multiple books and become overt in places like Galatians 3 at the other end of the canon. But this poses a challenge. How much should we be preaching Galatians 3 when we are supposed to be preaching Genesis 3?

Many preachers would see no problem with springing from Genesis to Galatians since that is the fulfillment and the clarification of what is first stated in the Garden of Eden. I am certainly not going to criticize the impulse to preach Christ and it would be strange to leave listeners wondering who that seed might be (unless such suspense were part of a bigger teaching strategy).

On the other hand, I do wonder if we can collapse themes forward too easily and lose some of the strength of the steel at that point in the biblical story? If the Bible were a building, then Genesis would be the foundation. Steel starting there does go through the whole structure and holds the whole together. Themes of creation, of relationship, of fellowship lost, of divine grace and rescue, of divine promise, etc. all work their way from Genesis on through the Bible. That steel girder seen in Genesis 3:15 later on turns out to be the spire at the top of the whole structure, the pinnacle of it all. It makes sense to let folks know the significance of that, but at the same time it makes sense to help people see the importance of the foundation.

That is to say, instead of immediately looking up to the spire that caps off the whole building, when we are preaching in Genesis lets be sure to help people see how the foundation fits together, how the hope offered by God’s grace in the seed of the woman is such a striking promise in the context of a spurned relationship in that first senseless human rebellion. That passage is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training, etc. So let’s preach Genesis 3, not just bounce off it to go straight to the spire. At the same time let’s not get our noses in the foundations and let people miss the grandeur of the whole.

It isn’t either/or, it surely needs to be both/and. And with that both/and, I think it needs to be honouring to the earlier text in its own right, not just a token glance.

Saturday Short Thought: Reinforcing Every Time

April 21, 2012April 21, 2012 / Peter Mead / 1 Comment

This week I have been pondering how to preach with a more developed set of motivational tools than just the pressure of guilt. I’m convinced this is an important issue, and not just a homiletical detail. It gets to the heart of our faith.

Is Christianity really and primarily about our responsibility to function in our own strength? Is Christianity about how, thanks to Christ, I can now become a good person? Is Christianity about creating good independent citizens, or is there the hiss of Genesis 3 in this version of the faith?

What if Christianity is much more about our response to Christ and His work in our lives? What if Christianity is about transformation from the inside out, born of a family relationship that changes our hearts and consequently, our behaviour? What if Christianity is not at all about independence, but dependence and inter-dependence?

The tension of duty versus delight is present in every sermon. Do I pressure people to perform, or do I offer the vision of Him who transforms?

Responsibility preaching throttles the life out of the gospel. Response preaching offers true life. Our preaching subtly reinforces one view of the gospel or the other, every time.