Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Above is the first verse of the hymn Amazing Grace. The last line of the first verse ("Was blind, but now I see.") relates directly to this Sunday's gospel reading (John 9) about the man born blind. The question I have is this: What do we mean when we sing that we were once blind but now we see?
I think these words are often said in a manner antithetical to John 9. What we often mean is that we once didn’t know right from wrong, but now we do. Thus, being a Christian becomes a matter of knowing good and evil, and then trying really hard to choose the good.
Put simply, this is not Christianity. In fact, eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is the original sin. In Genesis 3, the serpent tempts Eve to eat of the tree, telling her, “when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:4) She and Adam eat from the tree, thereby acquiring the knowledge of good and evil.
The subsequent history of humanity has been marred by the fall that occurred when Adam and Eve acquired this knowledge. If, when we sing “Amazing Grace”, we mean that we now have the knowledge of good and evil, then our singing is nothing more than a confession of sin.
Eating from that tree has two consequences. First, it leads us to hide ourselves from the presence of God: “The man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God.” (Gen. 3:8) The second consequence has two parts: refusing to admit our guilt and, in our refusal, accusing others before God. Asked whether he has eaten from the tree, Adam says, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” (Gen. 3:12) Eve’s response: “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” (Gen. 3:13)
Hiding from the presence of God, refusing to admit our sin, and trying to get God’s condemnation to fall on others…this is what happens when we eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If this is what we mean by “was blind, but now I see,” then we should be turning away from this so-called sight.
In John 9, Jesus tells the Pharisees that their very claim to see is what keeps them in sin: “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.” The attempt to self-justify leads to a profound blindness. Those who persist in it cannot see that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) They cannot see that the sin of their neighbor is only a speck, and that their own sin is indeed a log. (Mat. 7:4) It’s worth noting that the Hebrew word “Satan” literally means “accuser”. To play the role of accuser is to join Satan…not a good thing.
In contrast to the Pharisees – whose self-justification is in fact self-condemnation – the man born blind is simply a beggar. Jesus tells him, “Go, wash…” and he responds with simple obedience: “Then he went and washed and came back able to see.” (John 9:7) The sight of the man born blind is categorically different from the “sight” of the Pharisees. The sight given by Jesus “look(s) not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen.” (2 Cor. 4:18)
The eyes of faith see God’s strength in human weakness. Through faith in and obedience to Jesus, they see the glory of God in the humility of his Son. Ultimately, they see that the crucified Christ is the risen Christ, and that being buried with Him means rising with Him. These are the ones who can rightly and joyfully sing, “Was blind, but now I see.”
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Gleaning in the Fields of Boaz
The book of Ruth is perhaps one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible. (Read it. It’s short and well-worth it.) There is an aspect of Ruth’s story, however, that is often overlooked. That is, Ruth’s story prefigures the story of the Church and her members. The parallels are numerous. Here are a few:
Ruth was a Moabite. Therefore, she once worshiped false gods. Insofar as we are former worshipers of false gods, we too were once “Moabites.” Ruth was made a member of Israel through no doing of her own. The family of Elimelech (which means “my God is king”) traveled from Israel to Moab, and the son of Elimelech took Ruth as his bride. Likewise, we have been made a member of God’s People through no doing of our own. Just as the son of Elimelech came from Israel to Moab, so the Son of God has come down from heaven to earth to take us as His bride.
Ruth’s husband died, leaving her desolate and barren. The Church’s husband, Jesus Christ, was crucified, leaving us desolate and barren. After her husband died, Ruth was told to turn back from Israel, to return to Moab, and to resume her worship of a false god. The Church, in the face of her Husband’s crucifixion, is tempted continuously to turn back to her former way of life and to resume her worship of false gods.
Ruth responded to this temptation thusly: “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die – there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” (Ruth 1:16-17) Let Ruth’s steadfast faith and love be the steadfast faith and love of the Church.
As a result of her faithfulness, Ruth was taken out of Moab and into Israel’s Promised Land. It is there that she met Boaz, who was said to be “one with the right to redeem.” (Ruth 3:9) Though a foreigner, Ruth was allowed to glean the wheat from the fields of Boaz. Members of the Church who remain steadfastly committed to our Lord will be brought into the true Promised Land, where we (though foreigners) will be invited to glean the wheat from the fields. In the Promised Land, we will meet our Boaz: the risen Christ. Ruth was redeemed by Boaz, who took her to be his wife. The Church will be redeemed by the risen Christ, who will take us to be his wife.
Before the book of Ruth is the book of Judges, which concludes thusly: ““In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) After the book of Ruth is the book of 1 Samuel, which tells of God using David to establish His reign in Israel. Ruth was the transitional piece between everyone doing what was right in their own eyes and God reigning through David. Likewise, the Church is the transitional piece between everyone doing what is right in their own eyes and God reigning through the One whom David foreshadowed: Jesus Christ.
Ruth refused to abandon what had taken place in her marriage. Her steadfast commitment, by God’s weaving of her story, ultimately brought about her redemption. Just so, even though we’ll face loss in this life, even though the Church’s Husband has been crucified, God will weave the stories of his faithful people in such a way that we will be redeemed and wedded to the risen Jesus, just like Ruth was redeemed and wedded to Boaz.
Ruth was a Moabite. Therefore, she once worshiped false gods. Insofar as we are former worshipers of false gods, we too were once “Moabites.” Ruth was made a member of Israel through no doing of her own. The family of Elimelech (which means “my God is king”) traveled from Israel to Moab, and the son of Elimelech took Ruth as his bride. Likewise, we have been made a member of God’s People through no doing of our own. Just as the son of Elimelech came from Israel to Moab, so the Son of God has come down from heaven to earth to take us as His bride.
Ruth’s husband died, leaving her desolate and barren. The Church’s husband, Jesus Christ, was crucified, leaving us desolate and barren. After her husband died, Ruth was told to turn back from Israel, to return to Moab, and to resume her worship of a false god. The Church, in the face of her Husband’s crucifixion, is tempted continuously to turn back to her former way of life and to resume her worship of false gods.
Ruth responded to this temptation thusly: “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die – there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” (Ruth 1:16-17) Let Ruth’s steadfast faith and love be the steadfast faith and love of the Church.
As a result of her faithfulness, Ruth was taken out of Moab and into Israel’s Promised Land. It is there that she met Boaz, who was said to be “one with the right to redeem.” (Ruth 3:9) Though a foreigner, Ruth was allowed to glean the wheat from the fields of Boaz. Members of the Church who remain steadfastly committed to our Lord will be brought into the true Promised Land, where we (though foreigners) will be invited to glean the wheat from the fields. In the Promised Land, we will meet our Boaz: the risen Christ. Ruth was redeemed by Boaz, who took her to be his wife. The Church will be redeemed by the risen Christ, who will take us to be his wife.
Before the book of Ruth is the book of Judges, which concludes thusly: ““In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) After the book of Ruth is the book of 1 Samuel, which tells of God using David to establish His reign in Israel. Ruth was the transitional piece between everyone doing what was right in their own eyes and God reigning through David. Likewise, the Church is the transitional piece between everyone doing what is right in their own eyes and God reigning through the One whom David foreshadowed: Jesus Christ.
Ruth refused to abandon what had taken place in her marriage. Her steadfast commitment, by God’s weaving of her story, ultimately brought about her redemption. Just so, even though we’ll face loss in this life, even though the Church’s Husband has been crucified, God will weave the stories of his faithful people in such a way that we will be redeemed and wedded to the risen Jesus, just like Ruth was redeemed and wedded to Boaz.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Perils of Lent
Last week’s post considered the good aspects of Lent. To summarize, we cannot properly celebrate Christ’s victory on Easter without lamenting his suffering and death during Lent. Thus, the concentrated repentance and self-denial of Lent is a fitting way to approach Easter.
Now let us consider the negative aspect of Lent. Despite Lent’s importance, it is common for it to become petty. For example, we “sacrifice” in trivial ways and for the sake of self-improvement, like forgoing junk food in order to improve our health. Improving our health might be good, but we shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking that it’s a “sacrifice” for God. This might fall under the heading of “using the Lord’s name in vain.” To co-opt God’s name in order to support one’s agenda is problematic, and it seems that Lent is filled with such deviousness.
To use the previous example of abstaining from junk food, what do you do if this “fast” becomes a burden to others? What if junk food is all that is offered by the one serving your meal? Do you, as Jesus commands, “eat what is set before you”? (Luke 10:8) Or do you make a god out of your self-imposed fast? Sometimes Jesus will call us to end the fast for his sake and for the sake of loving our neighbors. When He calls us to do so, our self-imposed fast must be abandoned if we are to remain true to Christ. In other words, the true self-denial commanded by Christ might mean abandoning the “self-denial” we have chosen for Lent.
The other potential problem with Lent is the notion that observing church seasons is what makes one a Christian. Quite simply, this is ridiculous. Christianity is not about things we can do quite easily like observing Lent, but about faith, hope, and love. A self-imposed fast is not to be equated with the “worship in spirit and truth” that God desires.
We would do well to read Colossians: “Why do you submit to regulations, ‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’? All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. These have indeed the appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence.” (Colossians 2:20-23) For that reason, “Do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:16-17)
Ultimately, we must not confuse our self-chosen Lenten fast with the true self-denial commanded by the living Christ. Because Christ lives, his call to deny ourselves and follow him will come in ways we don’t expect and haven’t chosen. We can try to make a law out of our self-chosen fast during Lent, but “the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities.” (Hebrews 10:1) Insofar as Lent directs us to Jesus Christ, it is a good practice in which to participate. We must remain mindful, however, of our tendency to confuse the shadow with the reality, and to choose our own form of self-denial over and against the self-denial required by the living Christ.
Because He is risen and still lives, Jesus’ call to follow Him is alive and continual. (“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Matthew 24:35) His call to deny ourselves (Lent) and to rejoice in the living God (Easter) continues to this very moment, and it ought to ring in our ears always, regardless of the season.
Now let us consider the negative aspect of Lent. Despite Lent’s importance, it is common for it to become petty. For example, we “sacrifice” in trivial ways and for the sake of self-improvement, like forgoing junk food in order to improve our health. Improving our health might be good, but we shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking that it’s a “sacrifice” for God. This might fall under the heading of “using the Lord’s name in vain.” To co-opt God’s name in order to support one’s agenda is problematic, and it seems that Lent is filled with such deviousness.
To use the previous example of abstaining from junk food, what do you do if this “fast” becomes a burden to others? What if junk food is all that is offered by the one serving your meal? Do you, as Jesus commands, “eat what is set before you”? (Luke 10:8) Or do you make a god out of your self-imposed fast? Sometimes Jesus will call us to end the fast for his sake and for the sake of loving our neighbors. When He calls us to do so, our self-imposed fast must be abandoned if we are to remain true to Christ. In other words, the true self-denial commanded by Christ might mean abandoning the “self-denial” we have chosen for Lent.
The other potential problem with Lent is the notion that observing church seasons is what makes one a Christian. Quite simply, this is ridiculous. Christianity is not about things we can do quite easily like observing Lent, but about faith, hope, and love. A self-imposed fast is not to be equated with the “worship in spirit and truth” that God desires.
We would do well to read Colossians: “Why do you submit to regulations, ‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’? All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. These have indeed the appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence.” (Colossians 2:20-23) For that reason, “Do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:16-17)
Ultimately, we must not confuse our self-chosen Lenten fast with the true self-denial commanded by the living Christ. Because Christ lives, his call to deny ourselves and follow him will come in ways we don’t expect and haven’t chosen. We can try to make a law out of our self-chosen fast during Lent, but “the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities.” (Hebrews 10:1) Insofar as Lent directs us to Jesus Christ, it is a good practice in which to participate. We must remain mindful, however, of our tendency to confuse the shadow with the reality, and to choose our own form of self-denial over and against the self-denial required by the living Christ.
Because He is risen and still lives, Jesus’ call to follow Him is alive and continual. (“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Matthew 24:35) His call to deny ourselves (Lent) and to rejoice in the living God (Easter) continues to this very moment, and it ought to ring in our ears always, regardless of the season.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The Good of Lent
This week marks the beginning of Lent, starting with Ash Wednesday and culminating on Good Friday. The 40 days of Lent commemorate Jesus’ suffering and death. Thus, Lent serves as a period of concentrated repentance and prayer. The observation of Lent is a mixed bag. In my post next week, I plan to consider some of the perils of observing Lent. This week, however, I’ll accent its positive aspects. Beginning with the positive…
Before Jesus rose from the dead, “he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” (The Apostles’ Creed) And before all of this happened, he gave this warning to his would-be-followers: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)
While Christianity is primarily about Easter (Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the devil), the necessary prerequisites to Easter are Lent and Good Friday (Christ’s suffering and death). We cannot properly celebrate the good news of Easter without first observing the suffering of Lent. In other words, we cannot hear the Word of forgiveness and victory (Easter) without first hearing the Word of repentance and judgment (Lent).
To today’s would-be-followers of Jesus, Jesus’ words (“let them deny themselves”) should ring loudly at all times. Following Jesus entails self-denial for his sake. The concentrated repentance that takes place during Lent can serve as a good reminder that we have not yet fully attained the victory of Christ. Yes, in his resurrection He has overcome sin and death. However, we remain on this side of the resurrection and we live by hope: “we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:23-24)
Ultimately, to run away from Christ’s words on suffering is to run away from his promise of new and eternal life. Thus, Lent is good preparation for Easter. The Christian life ought to be one of continual repentance (turning away from our idols) and, moreover, continual joy (turning toward Christ). The tension in the seasons of Lent and Easter can serve as a good reminder of our Lord’s two-fold call: “Repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:15)
During Lent, we retell the story of Christ’s suffering and death. Come Easter, we will retell the story of his resurrection and victory. We retell this story because it is the fundamental story of the world. We retell this story because it is our story. It is the story of sin, judgment, and repentance. Furthermore, it is the story of mercy, cleansing, and victory. It is the story of Jesus Christ, who calls us into the story with the Word that both judges and redeems. It is the story of Jesus Christ, “who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:25)
Before Jesus rose from the dead, “he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” (The Apostles’ Creed) And before all of this happened, he gave this warning to his would-be-followers: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)
While Christianity is primarily about Easter (Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the devil), the necessary prerequisites to Easter are Lent and Good Friday (Christ’s suffering and death). We cannot properly celebrate the good news of Easter without first observing the suffering of Lent. In other words, we cannot hear the Word of forgiveness and victory (Easter) without first hearing the Word of repentance and judgment (Lent).
To today’s would-be-followers of Jesus, Jesus’ words (“let them deny themselves”) should ring loudly at all times. Following Jesus entails self-denial for his sake. The concentrated repentance that takes place during Lent can serve as a good reminder that we have not yet fully attained the victory of Christ. Yes, in his resurrection He has overcome sin and death. However, we remain on this side of the resurrection and we live by hope: “we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:23-24)
Ultimately, to run away from Christ’s words on suffering is to run away from his promise of new and eternal life. Thus, Lent is good preparation for Easter. The Christian life ought to be one of continual repentance (turning away from our idols) and, moreover, continual joy (turning toward Christ). The tension in the seasons of Lent and Easter can serve as a good reminder of our Lord’s two-fold call: “Repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:15)
During Lent, we retell the story of Christ’s suffering and death. Come Easter, we will retell the story of his resurrection and victory. We retell this story because it is the fundamental story of the world. We retell this story because it is our story. It is the story of sin, judgment, and repentance. Furthermore, it is the story of mercy, cleansing, and victory. It is the story of Jesus Christ, who calls us into the story with the Word that both judges and redeems. It is the story of Jesus Christ, “who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:25)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Faith, Hope, & Love
Faith, hope, and love traditionally have been called the three theological virtues. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians speaks of these virtues thusly: “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) Also, 1 Thessalonians 1:3 refers to the “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I recently read a book (Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross) that considered these virtues in reference to the three faculties of the human soul: understanding, memory, and will. The book describes how faith purifies our understanding, hope purifies our memory, and love purifies our will. It’s an enlightening discourse on the virtues. The following is what I gathered from it.
Human Understanding: Marred by the Devil, Purified by Faith in Christ
To speak specifically of faith and how it purifies our understanding, it is worth noting that the object of faith is the incarnate Word of God, Jesus Christ. To have faith is to trust in the risen Jesus who still speaks to us (in Scripture, preaching, teaching, baptism, and communion) and whose Spirit lives within us. Saint John of the Cross describes how our understanding has been deceived by the devil and how we’ve been led to live lives of falsehood. In this state of confusion, our understanding looks to the things of this world for its truth and identity. It chases one thing after another, often according to the spirit of the age or the fad of the day. This only drives us more deeply into confusion and darkness.
When we look to Christ, however, we see the One who is “the light of the world.” (John 8:12) Insofar as we follow him in faith, we “will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Though the continual temptation to live in falsehood has its appeal, it leads only to confusion. In contrast, our understanding – of who we are, who God is, and how we ought to live – is purified by faith in Christ, because he is “the truth.” (John 14:6)
Human Memory: Marred by the World, Purified by Hope in God’s Promises
The second faculty of the human soul – memory – has been marred by what St. John of the Cross calls “the world.” Our memories of good times and good things (“the world”) lead us to believe that recapturing those times/things will lead us to a state of blessedness. Thus, we restlessly try to construct our futures according to good memories of the past. This is a mistake. The blessing we sensed during those times was not in the things or circumstances we had, but in the presence of the God who gave them to us. Insofar as our memory leads us into the futile attempt to recapture the past, it needs to be purified by hope in God’s promises.
Those moments in the past when we’ve had a taste of heaven are just that: a taste. Our memory of that taste is purified by hope in God’s promise that we will be raised to heaven, to new life with Christ, and to eternal blessing. As 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says, our hope is that we “will be caught up in the clouds together with them (those who have died) to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.” There is no need to recapture the blessing of the past, because that blessing is the destiny of those who hope in God’s promise to give it.
Human Will: Marred by the Flesh, Purified by Love for God and Neighbor
The third and final faculty of the human soul – the will – is purified by love. St. John of the Cross notes how the human will is self-serving. It aims to satisfy the desires of the flesh, focusing its efforts on self-preservation and self-glorification. Because God created us to love Him and to love our neighbors (the two greatest commandments), our wills need to be purified from the desires of the flesh.
Such purification is the work of God’s Spirit: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5) The Spirit of Christ living within us turns our wills away from self-preservation and self-glorification and directs us toward self-emptying love and humility. Because “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), we give ourselves to one another in love. Such love purifies our wills from the desires of the flesh.
The Gifts of God
These three theological virtues – faith, hope, and love – are the great gifts of God to his people. They are the presence of God living within us, and they purify us – our understanding, memory, and will – from sin.
I recently read a book (Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross) that considered these virtues in reference to the three faculties of the human soul: understanding, memory, and will. The book describes how faith purifies our understanding, hope purifies our memory, and love purifies our will. It’s an enlightening discourse on the virtues. The following is what I gathered from it.
Human Understanding: Marred by the Devil, Purified by Faith in Christ
To speak specifically of faith and how it purifies our understanding, it is worth noting that the object of faith is the incarnate Word of God, Jesus Christ. To have faith is to trust in the risen Jesus who still speaks to us (in Scripture, preaching, teaching, baptism, and communion) and whose Spirit lives within us. Saint John of the Cross describes how our understanding has been deceived by the devil and how we’ve been led to live lives of falsehood. In this state of confusion, our understanding looks to the things of this world for its truth and identity. It chases one thing after another, often according to the spirit of the age or the fad of the day. This only drives us more deeply into confusion and darkness.
When we look to Christ, however, we see the One who is “the light of the world.” (John 8:12) Insofar as we follow him in faith, we “will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Though the continual temptation to live in falsehood has its appeal, it leads only to confusion. In contrast, our understanding – of who we are, who God is, and how we ought to live – is purified by faith in Christ, because he is “the truth.” (John 14:6)
Human Memory: Marred by the World, Purified by Hope in God’s Promises
The second faculty of the human soul – memory – has been marred by what St. John of the Cross calls “the world.” Our memories of good times and good things (“the world”) lead us to believe that recapturing those times/things will lead us to a state of blessedness. Thus, we restlessly try to construct our futures according to good memories of the past. This is a mistake. The blessing we sensed during those times was not in the things or circumstances we had, but in the presence of the God who gave them to us. Insofar as our memory leads us into the futile attempt to recapture the past, it needs to be purified by hope in God’s promises.
Those moments in the past when we’ve had a taste of heaven are just that: a taste. Our memory of that taste is purified by hope in God’s promise that we will be raised to heaven, to new life with Christ, and to eternal blessing. As 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says, our hope is that we “will be caught up in the clouds together with them (those who have died) to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.” There is no need to recapture the blessing of the past, because that blessing is the destiny of those who hope in God’s promise to give it.
Human Will: Marred by the Flesh, Purified by Love for God and Neighbor
The third and final faculty of the human soul – the will – is purified by love. St. John of the Cross notes how the human will is self-serving. It aims to satisfy the desires of the flesh, focusing its efforts on self-preservation and self-glorification. Because God created us to love Him and to love our neighbors (the two greatest commandments), our wills need to be purified from the desires of the flesh.
Such purification is the work of God’s Spirit: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5) The Spirit of Christ living within us turns our wills away from self-preservation and self-glorification and directs us toward self-emptying love and humility. Because “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), we give ourselves to one another in love. Such love purifies our wills from the desires of the flesh.
The Gifts of God
These three theological virtues – faith, hope, and love – are the great gifts of God to his people. They are the presence of God living within us, and they purify us – our understanding, memory, and will – from sin.
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