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theology
We hear sin talked about in terms of its eternal consequences and the wonder of Jesus’ forgiveness so much that we can start to think that there’s nothing more to it. The problem with that is that it can make us feel as if there’s no reason to deny ourselves. In a moment of weakness, Christian grace can feel like a hall pass that nullifies all the consequences of sin. That’s not helpful.
Most people read the Bible and look for the “practical parts.” We want to see how the Bible applies to our lives. In the process, we often end up skipping over the passages that show how God gives us the strength to apply those practical passages. The result can be frustration or hypocrisy. One of the areas of Scripture that we need to come to terms with if we want to grow is the theme of identity. Let me explain.
In 1505, Martin Luther was returning home after having started studies in law, when he found himself in a thunderstorm that made him fear for his life. He sought shelter by a large rock and famously cried out, “Help me, Saint Anne, and I will become a monk.” Luther was spared any harm and he returned home, had a party with his friends, and entered a monastery never to study law again. He later came to reflect on this moment and was convicted that he was wrong in treating Saint Anne in a way that he was convinced only God should be treated. This remains a point of disagreement between Catholics and Protestants to this day.
Protestants believe that salvation is found in Jesus alone. Catholics teach that Mary is the “Helper.” Protestants believe that there is only one mediator between God and men. Catholics teach that there’s a Mediator and a “Mediatrix.” Where have you put your faith? Who are you trusting to save you? Is Jesus alone the solution or is Jesus just part of the solution?
Many Protestants assume that Catholics teach that you need faith and works to be saved. Catholics, similarly, often assume that Protestants teach that works are irrelevant to salvation. The reality for both is more nuanced.
Both Catholics and Protestants see Jesus as central to forgiveness and salvation. They differ, though, in their understanding of what we can contribute to our salvation and forgiveness. Does Jesus pay the bill, or does He ask us to split it with Him?
The first place to start in understanding how Catholics and Protestants differ is in how they view the Bible. Catholicism teaches that Scripture and Tradition have equal authority while the Protestant church has held that the Bible is the only authoritative standard by which everything else is judged. This is the difference behind all the other differences.
I was speaking to someone recently and I could see that they were struggling to understand what felt like mixed signals in the Bible. On the one hand, there are verses that speak of believers as being clean, washed of their sins, forgiven, and made holy. On the other hand, there are verses that speak of God being grieved by our sins and disciplining us for them. When the Bible speaks of our forgiveness and cleansing is God just trying to inspire us? Or when the Bible speaks of the ongoing presence of our sins is God just trying to scare us? When God sees His children is He shaking His head in frustration? Or is He graciously looking away from the areas where we still falter? How should believers understand God’s attitude toward them when they sin? Let me suggest that there are two hats that can help us make sense of the Bible’s competing descriptions of God’s attitude toward us.
Today, there’s a tendency to understand our sense of who we are in light of our feelings and ourselves. ‘The answer’s in our heart,’ we’re told, but many people don’t like the answers they find there. Our heart can be cruel and often it misleads us.
There’s a song by Casting Crowns called “Who am I?” that captures the comfort and reassurance of somebody who has built their sense of identity from the Bible. It says:
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever-wandering heart
In a single stanza of their song, they express a number of unique aspects of the Bible’s perspective on identity. Notice that there’s no disguising the weakness. He can acknowledge his hurt and even admit to having a wandering heart. He can do this because he feels the care and attention of a God who sees him for who he is and still loves him. He can also do this because he sees Jesus ‘lighting the way’ and helping him to become all that he longs to be. These three aspects of a healthy identity come straight from the Bible. Let’s consider them.
Different versions of the following quote are attributed to Henri Nouwen. “We are not what we do, we are not what we have, we are not what others think of us. Coming home is claiming the truth: I am the beloved child of a loving creator.” After almost two decades as a celebrated professor at universities like Yale and Harvard, he went to work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It was only natural that he thought deeply about identity. I want to consider what we need to learn from this statement, what we need to clarify, and what’s wrong with the popular alternative to it.
