John Newton on God's good plans through our suffering

One of our number was reminded on Sunday night of the following words from John Newton in relation to suffering, Romans 8 and the goodness of God. This is certainly worth thinking over.

I Asked the Lord that I might Grow (1779)      

I asked the Lord that I might grow     

In faith, and love, and every grace;     

Might more of His salvation know,     

And seek, more earnestly, His face.      

’Twas He who taught me thus to pray,     

And He, I trust, has answered prayer!    

But it has been in such a way,    

As almost drove me to despair.      

I hoped that in some favored hour,    

At once He’d answer my request;     

And by His love’s constraining pow’r,     

Subdue my sins, and give me rest.       

Instead of this, He made me feel     

The hidden evils of my heart;     

And let the angry pow’rs of hell     

Assault my soul in every part.      

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed    

Intent to aggravate my woe;     

Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,    

Blasted my gourds*, and laid me low.       

Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,     

Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?    

“’Tis in this way, the Lord replied,    

 I answer prayer for grace and faith.       

These inward trials I employ,     

From self, and pride, to set thee free;     

And break thy schemes of earthly joy,     

That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”

* (a gourd, or fast growing vine is a term used to symbolize our idolatrous habit and desire to substitute God's gifts for God himself. Newton is picking up on Jonah who loved the plant God had given him (chapter 4), but not God and his good plans.)

C.S.Lewis on getting our desires right

Here's a little quote from Lewis worth thinking over.

"When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now. Insofar as I learn to love my earthly dearest at the expense of God and instead of God, I shall be moving towards the state in which I shall not love my earthly dearest at all. When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased."

- C. S. Lewis, Letters of C.S. Lewis (8 November, 1952)

Putting sin to death

What is it about sin?

Often we are just far too simplistic in our understanding and appreciation of our own sinfulness. 

We are so good at seeing it in others, and very accomplished in excusing it in ourselves. 

My guess is the instruction to be putting sin to death (Romans 8:13 & Colossians 3:5) is one many of us have not spent much time considering. It doesn't seem a very happy topic of thought or consideration, nor perhaps do we even want to approach and diagnose what is really going on in our lives.

What is it about the leading of God's Spirit?

However God in his love and patience is not going to want us unaware of what we need to be doing and it is clear from Romans 8 that our appreciation of the Gospel will cause us to want to look sin in the face with a desire for it to lose it's grip upon us. In other words, the Holy Spirit will lead us to fight against sin in our lives.

What is the sin underneath the sin?

So often we have been told that certain behaviour is sinful. Lying, jealousy, lust, theft, greed etc. But being told something is wrong doesn't necessarily equip me to overcome it. The more helpful question is to ask 'what is actually driving these desires within me that lead me to a particular sinful action?' So, an example: If I lie, it is likely I do so because I cannot handle you knowing the truth about me. So my need for your approval and your good opinion feeds such a strong desire in me that I feel I must lie. What is driving me is great fear, insecurity and a belief that my well being and happiness rests in my status before you. It is not just the sin of lying that has occurred, rather, far more deeply, the sin of trusting in the things of man rather than God is driving my very motivations. I will not be able to stop lying if I don't address the deeper issue.

Sin...and the Gospel death blow

What the Gospel shows me is that my approval, happiness, joy, security is already fully met in Jesus. He loved me even in spite of my sin (which I'm afraid others won't) and he accepts me counter-conditionally on the grounds of his mercy and commitment (which others won't do  ultimately either). Because I am united to his good name eternally, I don't need to fret and worry about establishing and keeping my own. Telling the truth then becomes far easier because I'm not held captive, indeed enslaved, to the opinions and approval of others. The gospel has released me from a terrible idolatry and set me free to actually want to tell the truth...even if it means I may lose your good opinion if I admit my failures to you.

This is certainly a battle, but can you see what is happening here. Through the wonder of Gospel truth, through the leading of God's Spirit I am putting this sin to death because I am cutting it out at the very source. My need and desires are transforming and so my life will transform as well.

Battle ground, not cafe

Hoping sin will suddenly stop tempting us is to 'cafe up' the Christian life. Sipping away at the Scriptures and being chatty with our friends simply won't cut into some of our deep and shameful sins. Think battle ground and our need to 'suit up' with the truth of the Gospel and you'll have a far more realistic, and I dare say, effective and enjoyable Christian life. Why? Because you're actually living out what you believe and you are being led by the Holy Spirit.

David Powlison speaks about this kind of thing in his excellent book Seeing with new Eyes. 

I recommend you purchase it and read it.