Proper 9 (A) – Involved in Christ’s Perfection

 Proper 9 (A) – Involved in Christ’s Perfection

July 5, 1987

By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell

I think that some of you have heard me say that in Martin Luther’s opinion the Epistle to the Romans is the clearest Gospel of them all. Paul not only presents the Good News of God’s love, he tells us how we may apply it to our lives. You may have noticed that the Sunday Year A lectionary has the whole Church on a course study of Romans, running from June 1 through the middle of September. In today’s reading, Paul explains how we are liberated from our congenital, self-centered, sinful nature.

Paul understood our frustration very well. He knew what was wrong, and the last thing he wanted was to do it (what was wrong); yet, somehow, he did. In another place Paul speaks for all of us when he writes: The things I say I do not want to do... I do. And the things I know I should do... I don’t. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this certain crash course that I am on? That all of us are on! We understand the right, correct, constructive thing to do perfectly well... but for some (please pardon the expression) "damn" reason we fail to execute it!

It would help if we could identify the "reason" and then discover what will nullify its influence. Paul was trained as a Jew, and the Jews had come up with an answer on how to make and execute the right choices. They said God made humans with a good impulse and an evil impulse inside them. Jews were taught that no one need ever succumb to the evil impulse because it was all a matter of choice.

A famous quote from Sirach 15:14–16 (RSV) says:

"It was He who created humankind in the beginning, and He left them in the power of their own free choice. If you choose, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice. He has placed before you fire and water; stretch out your hand for whichever you choose."

There were certain things, according to Jewish tradition, which would keep us from falling to the evil impulse.

First, there was the Law. They thought of God as saying, "I created for you the evil impulse; I created for you the Law as an antiseptic. If you occupy yourself with the Law, you will not fall into the power of the evil impulse."

Second, there was the will and the mind. The rabbis would teach, "When God created man, He implanted in him affections and his dispositions; and then, over all, He enthroned the sacred ruling mind."

When an evil impulse attacked, the Jew held that wisdom and reason could defeat it. The good impulse of the Law could be called upon to defeat any tempting evil influence.

Sounds reasonable—and, in theory, workable. Paul understood the concept. Its only problem was... it didn’t work.

As William Barclay explains Paul’s insight:

"There were things in man's human nature, in Paul’s thinking, this fatal body, which answered to the seduction of sin. It is part of the human situation that we know the right and yet do the wrong... that we are never as good as we know we ought to be. At one and the same time we are haunted by goodness and haunted by sin."

From one point of view, this passage might be called a demonstration of inadequacies:

• The inadequacy of human knowledge.
• The inadequacy of human resolution.
• The limitations of diagnosis.

When I was Chaplain of Breck School, I once complained to the headmaster about these inadequacies. A student would come to see me with a problem. I would listen, and together we would try to diagnose the disease (what was wrong). A reasonable solution was presented, and the student went on his way.

My complaint was that two weeks later I would see the student doing the same dumb thing that got him in trouble in the first place. My question to the headmaster was, "Am I wasting my time?"

Before I give you the headmaster’s reply, I think it would help to better understand what Paul means by living in the flesh and living in the Spirit.

By living in the flesh, Paul means exercising that part of us which gives sin its bridgehead—its way inside. He means that natural tendency in us to attach ourselves to the world instead of to God. When we try to live on this earth without God and without Christ.

It shows up when we see the same person getting into trouble repeatedly, and we may ask, "Will they never learn?" But it isn’t a matter of learning, because they already know!

To live according to the Spirit means to allow ourselves to become involved with Jesus Christ. Paul contends that it is out of a personal love relationship with Jesus Christ that we find the power to resist the destructive temptations of the world. And we are not talking about a battle that constantly leaves us hanging over the flaming pit by our fingernails. We are talking about victory and a new godly way of life.

We are saved from living life in the flesh (away from God) because we are involved with Jesus Christ. In today’s Gospel our Lord tells us to take His yoke upon us (it's easy then). We might say that when we have joined our lives with Christ, we have the power to do what we know is right.

So, what did the headmaster say?

He said, "No, you're not wasting your time. Because some night, at about two o'clock in the morning, that student will wake up in a cold sweat, and the Holy Spirit will be talking to him, and the student will recognize your words."

The Holy Spirit’s job is to bring us all home to God. He wants us all teamed up with Christ because life is easier that way... because life is more joy-filled that way.

What is important in our quest to do what we know is right?

• Knowledge of the Law — yes!
• Willpower — yes!
• But most important is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

Why?

Again, Paul said it best:

"I have only one fear... that I will be unfaithful to God’s love in Jesus Christ."