I was listening to a very good sermon yesterday about the servant-hood of Christ as a reflection of his being fully God. And in this sermon, Pastor Josh used the Trinity as an example of God being God by serving. The Trinity (for those of you who did not grow up in Sunday School) is...difficult to explain. It's a way that Christians think of God, where he is three complete person-hoods (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) that together are one complete God (God). I'm not going to try to explain it because I don't fully understand it myself. But Pastor Josh was pointing out how each person of the Trinity serves or "submits" to the others. Jesus is always doing things because he knows they will please the Father, and the Holy Spirit is often described as submitting to both the Father and Son (Jesus).
So here's the thought that came to me: whom does the Father submit to? God the Father is indeed part of the Trinity, but I couldn't for the life of me think of a time when God the Father submits to the other two, at least not in the Bible. He is the head honcho, the source of everything, the creative will that started it all, and the final judge as to how it will all end. Whom would He put Himself under?
And here's the answering thought:
Us. God submits to us. Now before you start throwing things at your computer and deleting me from your 'friend' list, let me explain. According to the Bible, God created people with the ability and responsibility to decide what to do with themselves. In fact, a significant portion (if not all) of that blessed book concerns choices. God seems always to be commanding, warning, cajoling, encouraging, even begging people to choose one thing over another, and then responding to choices made. Now I know that there are times (like with the Pharaoh in Exodus) when it looks like God has rigged the system, but the overwhelming majority of the story of God the Father and his children (us) is one of paths presented, directions taken, relationships formed, trust given, trust broken, waywardness forgiven, love shared. Love can not exist without the ability to choose, and sacrificial love (like the love of Jesus on the cross) would just be stupid if it did not preserve this freedom of the beloved's. Inasmuch as God gives us this will to spend ourselves and our times as we see fit, he abides by our choices, and in abiding, he submits. To us.
Kind of a scary thought, isn't it? Cool, but scary.
Anyway, that's what occurred to me during the sermon at church yesterday. I hope I didn't make your head hurt.
Next time I shall try to come with a modest joke or something fun like that. Not that deep thoughts aren't fun, but it's the sort of fun one associates with climbing mountains--worthwhile, but not particularly comfortable.
:)
4 comments:
You could argue that this is somewhat supported by Matthew 16:19, 18:18, or John 20:23 (hurray for Dogma, the movie). If we hold true on earth that not believing in God is not a sin, then atheist get to go to heaven even if they don't believe in it (assume it does exist).
More maliciously, we can make a sin believing in heaven, and then the only people who get in are those who don't believe, which I would find hilarious.
Read your blog. Glad you teach music. Christ does not submit to us. His submission was first to the Father to give up the voluntary use of His attributes - then come to be with us. Then to place himself under us to be a servant and learned obedience by the things He suffered.
After Resurrection He sat down on the right hand of the Father from where He is in total charge -invisible to most - and will give all to the Father. PS to QwertyPi- please get your emotions strait, it would not be hilarious but trulty outrageous. So have a great day and enjoy walking with Jesus. He permits our disobedience. Go for it. ::grins::
Actually, Rev, what I meant was that Jesus, inasmuch as he is God, submits to us by letting us ultimately choose to love him or not to love him. I think real love requires all parties concerned to submit to each other. Otherwise, it's just coercion. (Isaiah 42:2-4, Matt 23:37)
Also, from a Christian perspective, the flaw in Qwerty-Pi's argument is that in order for it to work, God would have to be true and untrue at the same time. Mostly, I think he was just playing with semantics (am I right, Qwerty-Pi?).
I'm not saying that this puts us humans in charge of the universe. It's more like the difference between a parent who controls every facet of her child's existence and one who wants her child to grow into a complete person. The magnificence of serving God whole-heartedly doesn't come without its risks. Our hearts have to be our own on some level before we can give them to anyone.
That's what I think, anyway.
There is some slight miss writing here. God does not submit to us or we would be in charge of God. The ideas of Christ submitting to us is not a new concept of error.
Satan wanted to be equal and ultimately surpass the position and authority of God = Is 14 and Ez 28.
You need more work on your concept of love to embrace the full characcter of Christ and the character of God - see atts in a theological book.
I Cor clearly states Chrsit being on the throne bringing all into submission in the final place of eternity.
You gotta do more home work. Love is never absent of Holiness and never apart from Sovreignty.
To get started read Council of Chalcedon. Then read the work of Christ in John 13-14. Our love for each others as beleivers is never at the expense of Christ in His holiness and in all He is as God and the God Man
Love is as God characteristic which is given to us within the scope of our humanity. read Packer on Heart of the Gospel. Fills the spirit of man with eternal gratitude and a spirit of submission to the Father and Son in the realm of the Spirit - Phil 3/3.
Sevanthood is different than submission.
Maudlin sentimentality is love gone awry in the nature of Man and is not the love of God which He imparts through the Spirit into the character of Man - objective Love which works its way out in our freedom to submit to Him as the one who truly liberates us. -Romans 6
Have a good day and be filled with praises for Christ and to Him
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