Affections like Ivy

In the waiting room of a local doctor's office there is a small cabinet filled with books supplied by a local book club.  A sign encourages people to take, exchange, or donate books so others can read and enjoy them.  As I was waiting a classic book I never read caught my eye:  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.  I flipped to the beginning of the story and was greeted by a gem of a simile on the first page:  "His friends were those of his own blood, or those whom he had known the longest; his affections, like ivy, were the growth of time, they implied no aptness in the object." (Stevenson, Robert Louis, and Jenni Calder. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: and Other Stories. Penguin Books, 1979, page 29.)

Comparing the affections of Mr. Utterson to the growth of ivy provides great insight into the man.  Ivy does not discriminate:  it will climb on a brick wall, a fence, or up the trunk of great trees to soak up as much sunshine as possible.  Though the pace of growth differs on the variety, over time vines can choke out other plants.  The point the author made is the lawyer Utterson grew to appreciate the company of many sorts of people over time.  The proximity of a person and the amount of time they spent together provoked a loyalty towards them regardless if their influence was beneficial or a detriment.  His affections grew like ivy and covered their cracks.

As followers of Jesus Christ we are called to love one another.  It is not the passage of time which is to order our affections but the love of God freely given to us by grace.  1 Peter 4:8 exhorts believers, "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins."  If we say we love God, we ought to love one another.  At the same time we must take to heart 1 Corinthians 15:33 that warns, "Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."  There may be people we have known all our lives or are family relations who have no desire to please God.  Even as Utterson's affections did not depend on the "aptness in the object," we are to love those who seem unworthy.  Jesus taught in Matthew 5:43-45, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

Over time may our godly affections grow beyond human desire or longing that is often plagued with selfishness and insecurity.  The love God calls us to walk in and express is transcends natural affections of a mother for her child or a husband for his spouse:  it is selfless, giving, and sacrificial.  God's love is far more durable and resilient than the heartiest ivy, springing back to life when hacked away even by violent hatred.  Jesus prayed with nails in hands and feet, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."  The life of Jesus Christ provides the foundation and structure of what love looks like, and the fruit of the Spirit is love.  May we be fruitful to keep loving like Him!

Teachable and Blessing

Consideration of the immediate context is important in Bible study as well as acknowledging what other Bible passages say on the same subject.  It is possible to exaggerate an interpretation or application of scripture when different verses are not weighed against one another.  Undue emphasis on a particular point has ironically led to error and misrepresentation of the facts by students of the Word.  While none of us (and me especially!) claim to understand all things, as we humbly seek the LORD in the study of His Word we remain on guard against falling into this trap.

An example of this can be shown in the words of Jesus in Matthew 21:22:  "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."  If we were to camp on this verse alone without considering other scriptures it seems Christians have the power in prayer to obtain whatever we want.  If we believe we will receive what we ask for, we will receive--after all, Jesus Himself gave us this promise!  When we don't immediately receive our requests it is obviously (based on the unfailing Word of God) because we have not sufficiently believed a mountain can be removed into the sea.  I am jesting but the results of this misguided approach to scripture interpretation is not funny at all.  This scripture ought to be weighed and compared against other times Jesus prayed or other scriptures which teach on the subject.

Because of the breadth of the subject of prayer I will merely point out a few passages as examples.  There are passages which emphasise our need to pray and continue praying, like the present continuous tenses of the Greek verbs used in Matthew 7:7:  "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."  Instead of viewing prayer as a means to our ends, we pray to our Father in heaven in submission to His will.  Jesus did not make demands of the Father based on His "authority" but prayed in the Garden, "Not my will but yours be done."  Also it is written in 1 John 5:14-15:  "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."  Our confidence is not in our prayers but in the God who has revealed His will and enables us to perform it.  James tells us it is possible not to receive what we seek because we have prayed with selfish motives as James 4:3:  "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."  You get the picture.  These verses shed additional light on the subject of the prayer and provide a balanced perspective.  When we magnify one verse beyond the others it is like focusing the light of the sun through a glass which blinds us to the rest.

How blessed are those who read the scriptures with a teachable spirit, willing to receive the truth of one scripture which seems to contrast our established (but limited) theology.  And it is all well and good to form theology concerning prayer, but far better it is to put our understanding of Bible teachings into our daily practice.  It would be a great tragedy to hold degrees in theology yet spend little time or accomplish very little when we enter into the presence of God through prayer.  Hebrews 4:16 exhorts us, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  A young child with faith in God can demonstrate mastery in this arena even the learned cannot know or imagine.

Bearing Much Fruit

In contrasting the works of the flesh to the fruit of the Spirit, there are variations of an illustration I heard in a sermon yesterday I have also heard by others over the years.  It goes something like this:  "You don't walk by an apple tree and hear it straining to pop out apples by effort.  The fruit of the Spirit is something produced by the presence of the Holy Spirit within you."  I can understand why this analogy is provided to explain how we are enabled to be spiritually fruitful because the Holy Spirit indwells and enables us to do so.  But this example can be potentially misleading because it is narrowly focused on a complex, multi-faceted relationship believers share with God.  What it can suggest is, "Trees bear fruit naturally, and Christians produce fruit supernaturally without any effort or a struggle at all.  It will just happen."  And this is plain wrong.

In the scripture believers are compared to trees and branches of the Vine who is Christ, but we are not trees comprised of roots, bark, wood, and leaves.  There are critical differences between a tree planted by rivers of water and a human being who lives in a body of flesh with a sin nature,  has a mind and will of his own, and desires to follow Jesus faithfully.  It is true apple trees do not groan to expend effort as flowers bud in season, nor when the small apples develop into delicious, edible fruit we enjoy.  Trees do groan and creak under the weight of their heavy boughs in strong wind and rain, however, and sometimes limbs break.  I have never heard the analogy carried this far.  It is one thing to bear fruit, and another thing to carry it.

Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in contrast to the sinful works of the flesh in Galatians 5:22-23:  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."  Apart from this divinely produced fruit, there are at least two other ways people are connected with fruit in scripture:  the fruit of the lips, and the fruit of the womb.  There is personal sacrifice connected with this fruitfulness.  Hebrews 13:15-16 says, "Therefore by Him [Jesus] let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. ¹⁶ But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."  It is wise to think before we speak, to be considerate and edify others with gracious words.  This does not happen automatically but requires intentional effort to these ends.  It may be at times due to the work of the Holy Spirit within us we are kind and gentle without realising it because God is faithful to sanctify us.  But I expect there are far more times when we must intentionally respond to conviction with repentance, take wicked thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, hold our tongues, or make an effort thank and praise God even when it hurts.

When it comes to the fruit of the womb the entire process is filled with intention:  conceiving, carrying, bearing, and caring for a baby is filled with personal sacrifices and effort.  Plum trees produce plums, and human beings bear human babies that require constant care.  Before Christ we were dead in trespasses and sins, spiritually impotent to produce anything pleasing to God.  We were like barren Sarah, Rebekah, Hannah, or Elizabeth, incapable to conceive spiritual fruit which can only come from God.  God graciously intervened in the lives of these women and caused them to fall pregnant by natural means and give birth to sons.  It was God's work, yet they were personally involved in dealing with carrying a baby (or two!), enduring a painful natural labour, and then rising at all hours to feed, change, and care for their newborns.  This to me is a much better representation of the spiritual fruitfulness which comes from God and our subservient role to Him.  The Holy Spirit causes us to be fruitful and by God's grace we are enabled to cooperate in the process.

I do not believe for a moment as Jesus walked on this earth the fruit of the Spirit was produced in His life without effort.  Before He demonstrated love to all mankind by dying on the cross for our sins, He agonised in prayer and sweat blood.  He was not an immovable oak but the Son of God clothed in sweating human flesh with feelings, thoughts, and temptations.  Paul did not assure the Galatians this fruit would just happen because they were born again but said in Galatians 5:22-26:  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."  The fruit of the Spirit to be evident in a life which has been crucified with Christ.  Forget straining to pop out apples:  nothing less than crucifixion is required!  Jesus said if anyone wants to follow Him, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily.  Following Jesus isn't something we only choose to do once and then are supernaturally carried on a litter.  Walking means effort, decisions, and endurance.

Jesus was crucified on Calvary and died so we might live and He through us (Galatians 2:20).  See the exhortations to action here:  walk in the Spirit, do not become conceited, cease provoking or envying one another.  There are things we are called to labour to do and sinful things we intentionally cease doing.  No effort of the flesh can enable us to produce the fruit of the Spirit, yet having been born again by the indwelling Holy Spirit we labour, putting our hands to the plough alongside Jesus Christ our Saviour without looking back.  Jesus said to His disciples in John 15:4-5, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Burning Questions For God

Over the years I have heard people say something to the effect of, "When I get to heaven I have some questions to ask God"--almost to challenge God to explain Himself.  Isn't it ironic to be bold or even proud over our own ignorance?  Praise the LORD He is pleased to hear our prayers and answer questions we may have right now, but let's not for a moment feel He is under any obligation to respond to our requests.  Are not His ways higher than ours?  As a passage in the book of Joshua reveals, because of our severely limited perspective and understanding we can ask the wrong questions.

Joshua had been called by God to be strong and courageous as He obediently led the children of Israel over Jordan and into the promised land.  When Joshua approached the stronghold of Jericho he was met by an unexpected and armed "man" in Joshua 5:13-15:  "And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" ¹⁴ So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" ¹⁵ Then the Commander of the LORD'S army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so."

Upon seeing this armed Man Joshua boldly asked if he was for Israel or their adversaries.  The Man responded with "No."  Initially this seems an improper response, but the reality was Joshua was asking the wrong questions because he imagined he was in command.  The Man Joshua questioned was revealed to be the Commander of the LORD's army and infinitely outranked him.  Realising his question was invalid because of the identity of this divine Man who received worship, the One whose presence made the ground they stood upon holy, Joshua fell on his face before Him "...whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2)  Joshua realised he was face to face with the living God in human form and his question completely changed:  "What does my Lord say to His servant?"  Instead of demanding an answer to a challenge, Joshua begged his LORD to choose the subject of conversation and waited for God to speak.

With a personal revelation of God Joshua's question drastically changed.  Currently the best we can do is ask questions from an imperfect, incomplete understanding of God and His plans.  It therefore follows our questions are focused on the wrong things.  The answers to countless questions men wrestle with are provided in scripture, and God has also invited us to ask Him for wisdom when we lack it.  During our earthly pilgrimage there will always be unknowns because of our limited minds and skewed perspectives, but faith in the living God comfortably fills these gaps with peace and rest.  If you have a burning question for God ask Him and wait patiently for His answer.  I imagine many of our burning questions will turn to fine ash in light of God's eternal glory.  Like Joshua's case you may not receive a direct answer to your particular question because it isn't the right question to ask.  Many times scripture recorded people who asked questions of Jesus and He answered with a question that seemed unrelated to the original statement because He was addressing the hearts of His hearers instead of the words used to camouflage them.

"What does my LORD say to His servant?" is a fitting request to our God who is not obligated to speak but is pleased to address all who humbly worship Him in spirit and truth.