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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Pastoral Pings (Plus) ~ The Anguish that Love Feels


          For a little while, God has been addressing a work he is doing in me to make me accept that there is a certain way that anguish and love must be together. In a fallen world, with ruined lives all round us, and the world, the flesh, and the devil constantly working to pull people out of the light and into the darkness, we cannot love as Jesus loves without feeling anguish over anyone or anything that is not maturing in Christlikeness.

          I have been focusing on this verse: “my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” (Galatians 4:19) In context, Paul was writing to the Galatians who were turning away from the purity of the gospel to receive a deceptive message that mixed together the gospel with the law. This “grace + good works” gospel was so contrary to truth that Paul said that anyone who taught such a thing should be accursed for doing so.[1] In other words, this was a false gospel of death that was leading people away from the true gospel that gives life.

          In the context of the above verse, Paul was addressing the way the false teachers had come in to take a place of prominence in the people’s hearts so that they were rejecting what they had been given through the true apostles. Here is that context:

15 I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.[2]

          One thing that stood out to me was the way Paul described the relationship he used to have with this church, where they would have made incredible sacrifices to help him in his ministry. Just before this passage he had written, You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.[3] There is good reason to believe that Paul had some condition with his eyes that prompted him to describe the love of the Galatian Christians as being willing to replace his eyes with theirs.

          However, Paul came to feel like he had become their enemy by telling them the truth. He was not willing to develop a friendship based on cunning and deception, so he was the one being cast aside. And, he was heartbroken by the way the false teachers were shutting the people out from the apostolic leadership in order that the church would make much of them instead of Christ.

          Another thing that really stood out today is that false teachers want people to make much of them, while true teachers want people to make much of Christ. The false teachers wanted people to make them central so that they could maintain control. True teachers want Christ to be formed in people. False teachers feel anguish if they are not the center of attention; while true teachers feel anguish if Christ is not the center of attention.

          I appreciate Paul’s example, his sincerity, his genuineness that leads the way for me. He endured people changing their minds about him because some false teacher stole the spotlight, so to speak. But, because his heart was for Christ to be formed in these people, he did not give up and concede that these people had just moved on to another ministry. Rather, he was perplexed about why they were turning away from their first love for Christ. He felt anguish because they were turning away to a false gospel that would take them away from Christ.

          Once again I see a pattern. We are all being called to accept some kind of anguish that must be woven into our love so that we are willing to be so burdened for people to return to Christ that we would actually feel worse over their condition than they do.

          So much for God letting us wait for someone else to get their act together! It appears it is the act of the guy I see in the mirror that needs to receive such a love as felt anguish over me, so that I will be that branch of Christ (with all God’s children, of course) that feels loving anguish that brings love to others. The ultimate desire of love is that Christ be formed in the people we love (even our enemies) so that they can be accepted by God.

          So, the day begins. “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.[4]

          From my heart,

          Monte

© 2014 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)




[1] “6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1)
[2] Galatians 4
[3] Galatians 4:13-14
[4] I Corinthians 13:7

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