1-30-2018

Good Morning All,

              Philippians 2:5-6; “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,”

    I love these verses because in many ways it points to our greatest sin; equality with God.  It is what Eve wanted when the serpent whispered in her ear that she would not die when she ate the fruit but that her eyes would be open and she would be like God.  I have this conversation many times a year.  I have it with the confirmation class, with high school students, with parents, with those new to the faith and those who have been part of the church for years.  In the end, we all want equality with God.

    We might admit it and rarely do we realize it but many times we are seeking equality with God.  I see it when the student tries to take the Bible and “fill in” what they are taught in school to form a hybrid of faith that lets them be comfortable with everyone; a foot in each camp.  “I think that this is what God did” or “This is how it must have happened” is how the discussion begins and soon they are claiming to know what God was thinking and thus they are making themselves equal to God.  My favorite thought is when we look at a situation and then deem it either fair or unfair.  We try to raise ourselves to be equal with God.

    Many times, we as Christians don’t really realize we are doing it.  The devil is really crafty this way.  We see a situation or an event and then we try to explain it.  Why did that baby have to suffer from cancer like that?  Why did that young person die in the prime of their life?  We try to figure it out, perhaps; because someone we work with or know has asked us why would God allow that or do that and you and I, being the good Christians we are, explain what God is doing.  The only way to explain God is to be equal to God and we are not equal.  God is God and I am not.

    When I teach this in confirmation or adult instruction classes I use this analogy.  God is the Pacific Ocean and we are a thimble.  How much of the Pacific Ocean fits in a thimble?  About as much as God fits in us.  God does not reveal everything to us.  First, we probably couldn’t handle the knowledge any more than our thimble could handle the ocean.  Secondly, we don’t need to know what God is doing.  He is God!!  God can handle it fine without my advice or direction.

    That is the whole point of our faith.  God says, “trust me” so we trust him.  We trust God to take of things because he already has.  I don’t know why God does or did what he did but I know that he has given his Son to die for my sins and in that I see a love that I can trust.  The unfortunate truth is that faith is always enough for the believer and never enough for the unbeliever.  We trust God because He is God.  I do not have to defend Him or explain Him; in fact, I do not have the wisdom or ability.  God calls us to trust and that is what we should do.

Gracious Father, lead me to trust in your great grace that we too may see equality with you as something not to grasp.  Keep me safe in my Baptismal grace and mercy that I may always trust you.  In Jesus’ precious name I pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret