c l a s s i c a l
I remembered recently the song Bob Carlisle sang in 1998, from his CD Stories from the Heart, called "We Fall Down, We Get Up," which tells of a man who was suffering under harsh circumstances. While he passed by a colossal monastery, he wondered what a life of leisure and ease those who live within those iron gates must experience daily. One day, as he passed by the monastery, he saw a priest and asked him what life was like in such an ideal place. The priest responded, "We fall down, we get up . . . and the saints are just the sinners who fall down and get up."
The saints are just the sinners who fall down and get up. That line still moves me immensely after all these years. The truth contained in that statement touches the very core of my being as a follower of Christ. The Psalmist wrote, "Our steps are made firm by the LORD, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the LORD holds us by the hand" (Ps. 37:23-24 NRSV). I have stumbled, and God held me by the hand, not allowing me to fall headlong (i.e., fall to my ruin).
King Solomon instructed his son to never seize upon or do violence to the home of the righteous: "for though they fall seven times, they will rise again" (Prov. 24:16 NRSV). Arminian theologian Adam Clarke commented: "Though God permit the hand of violence sometimes to spoil his tent, temptations to assail his mind, and afflictions to press down his body, he constantly emerges; and every time he passes through the furnace, he comes out brighter and more refined" (link). This figurative "rising again" comes from the LORD. Henri Nouwen, no stranger to the anguish of feeling failure, wrote:
Stumbling has at times caused me to be unnecessarily distracted as well. I became so fixated on my failure that I could not move forward. Again, Nouwen encouraged, "Try to remain alert to seemingly innocuous distractions. It is easier to return to the road when you are on the shoulder than when you are pulled all the way into a nearby swamp."2 This truth reminds me of the necessity of prayer. That great Methodist minister E.M. Bounds wrote:
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1 Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom (New York: Image Books, 1998), 38.
2 Ibid., 39.
3 E.M. Bounds on Prayer, Hendrickson Christian Classics, Second Edition (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2010), 31-32.
4 Thomas à Kempis, Of the Imitation of Christ (New Kensington: Whitaker House, 2005), 176.
King Solomon instructed his son to never seize upon or do violence to the home of the righteous: "for though they fall seven times, they will rise again" (Prov. 24:16 NRSV). Arminian theologian Adam Clarke commented: "Though God permit the hand of violence sometimes to spoil his tent, temptations to assail his mind, and afflictions to press down his body, he constantly emerges; and every time he passes through the furnace, he comes out brighter and more refined" (link). This figurative "rising again" comes from the LORD. Henri Nouwen, no stranger to the anguish of feeling failure, wrote:
When suddenly you seem to lose all you thought you had gained, do not despair. Your healing is not a straight line. You must expect setbacks and regressions. Don't say to yourself, "All is lost. I have to start all over again." This is not true. What you have gained, you have gained.Is that not encouraging? How many times I have thought that my stumbling caused me to start all over again on the journey to sanctification. But I did not realize that sanctification is a journey, and will not be entirely completed until I am finally, experientially glorified.
Sometimes little things build up and make you lose ground for a moment. . . . But try to think about it instead as being pulled off the road for a while. When you return to the road, you return to the place where you left it, not to where you started.1
Stumbling has at times caused me to be unnecessarily distracted as well. I became so fixated on my failure that I could not move forward. Again, Nouwen encouraged, "Try to remain alert to seemingly innocuous distractions. It is easier to return to the road when you are on the shoulder than when you are pulled all the way into a nearby swamp."2 This truth reminds me of the necessity of prayer. That great Methodist minister E.M. Bounds wrote:
Trouble often drives men to God in prayer, while prayer is but the voice of men in trouble. There is great value in prayer in the time of trouble. Prayer often delivers out of trouble, and still oftener gives strength to bear trouble, ministers comfort in trouble, and begets patience in the midst of trouble. Wise is he in the day of trouble who knows his true source of strength and who fails not to pray.3The apostle Paul wrote, "Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God" (2 Cor. 3:5 NRSV). This truth works, in principle, with many issues -- rising from spiritual stumbling chief among them. Left to our own strength, we would be declared saints who are just sinners who fall down and never get back up again. Thomas à Kempis wrote:
I often purpose many good things, but because grace is wanting to help my infirmity, upon a light resistance, I fail.Again, the apostle Paul confessed, "Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Rom. 7:24 NRSV) This body of weakness, vulnerability, and limits -- who will deliver me from it? God will, through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 7:25)! Until that day, I am one of -- and live among -- the saints who are just the sinners who fall down and get up.
And it comes to pass that I know the way of perfection and see clearly how I ought to act; but being pressed down with the weight of my own corruption, I do not attain what is more perfect.
Oh Lord, how entirely needful is Your grace for me to begin anything good, to proceed with it, and to accomplish it. For without it I can do nothing (John 15:5), but in You I can do all things when Your grace strengthens me (Phil. 4:13).4
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1 Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom (New York: Image Books, 1998), 38.
2 Ibid., 39.
3 E.M. Bounds on Prayer, Hendrickson Christian Classics, Second Edition (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2010), 31-32.
4 Thomas à Kempis, Of the Imitation of Christ (New Kensington: Whitaker House, 2005), 176.
Not sure I would quote Nouwen but oh well. But allow me to remove the emperors clothes. Most, and I mean most, of our stumblings never make it into the public arena and we all have been quite content to let them remain clandestine. I have raraely seen a believer confess publicly his sins unless he was forced to because his sins were brought to light against his will.
ReplyDeleteYes, in my 40 years I have many times been very skilled at hiding my sins, and even though I received forgiveness for them, there are those which I feel certain should have been confessed to the congregation. Stumbling? A well worn path that both exposes our weakness and His cleansing power!
Pastor Rick,
DeleteI am afraid that if God had not graciously but firmly exposed my hidden sin, I would have never been transparent about my struggles. I must admit, though, how freeing is confessing my sin and struggles publicly.
Mind you, there are specifics that need not be mentioned; and I certainly don't confess publicly every single evil thought that crosses my mind -- who does? But acknowledging my weaknesses and failures and wrestlings benefits me spiritually. Strange: by exposing my weaknesses I feel empowered by the Lord.
WWB - Once again, Nouwen says it so well, "Try to remain alert to seemingly innocuous distractions. It is easier to return to the road when you are on the shoulder than when you are pulled all the way into a nearby swamp." It's a principle that people need to catch.
ReplyDeleteThe Jews did so but took it to an extreme by straining gnats and swallowing camels. In other words, God built boundaries, they built fences around the boundaries, and then they built fences around those fences, until God's original boundary was lost and they were left with picayune rules. The lost sight of why God wanted them to "keep the sabbath holy" for example. Jesus straightened them out.
Kind of like people who say that drinking puts you in hell. Drinking doesn't put you in hell but it can lead to sinful behavior that could lead one onto the road to hell; hence, some preach you just don't drink...
The principle that Nouwen is teaching, is the further you stray from that still small voice, those statements when the Holy Spirit says, "don't do that", the harder it is to return to the road. Catch yourself at 3 before it gets to 7 before it gets to 10.
The closer you stay to the Holy Spirit the easier it is to return. Imagine a ball of clay (you) dropping 3" to the floor (HS) or dropping 30" to the floor. The impact is worse on a 30" fall than a 3" fall.
Dale,
DeleteWhen I was young believer, I remember a pastor telling us to "keep short accounts with God." When we sensed that the Holy Spirit was convicting us of even the smallest sins (from our measuring), confess them and forsake them immediately. That way we will not carry on down a wrong path of sinful living which leads us off the road we're on.
That is, to me, what you and Nouwen are stating, but using different analogies. This concept works well with any relationship.
WWB - We don't want to stray in phariseeism but neither do we want the other extreme of antinomianism. God alone is our true and only Judge. As we walk in the empowerment of His Holy Spirit, He will guide us :-)
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