This is a great post [Worm Theology], thanks Phil. This is a topic Mel and I have talked quite a bit about, not particularly using the phrase “worm theology,” but just how there is a tendency to beat ourselves up within the theological circles we are currently in. I was really encouraged just yesterday by the message at Jubilee. It was about how Paul planted churches and then went around encouraging and building up the believers at those churches. An illustration was given of Mike Tyson, and how his trainer made him into the great boxer that he was by constantly telling him how great he was, how many talents he had, etc.. Even though there was obviously much work to be done in the training.
There is a word that is used all over the book of Acts (and all over the N.T., for that matter). It is paraklesis, the same word used of the Holy Spirit as Comforter and Counselor. The idea is of one coming alongside to encourage and exhort. It’s the word used when describing Barnabas as the son of encouragement, and even N.T. prophets are spoken of as ones who strengthen and encourage (Acts 15:32).
I heard a ministry leader from North Carolina once say that he thought that there was an incredible spirit of ‘unworthiness’ over this whole area (Minnesota) among many of our churches. That churches tended to beat on their flocks, contributing to this general sense of ‘unworthiness’ and spiritual depression. I believe this was an accurate discernment of some the enemy’s schemes here. We need to move in the opposite spirit, namely that of grace and and of mercy, as Phil mentioned.
Brothers and sisters, you are transformed (1 Cor 3:18), beloved children (John 1:12; Luke 15:20), possesors of a good heart (Ez 36:26; Luke 6:45), and incredibly gifted (Eph 4:8; 1 Cor 12:7) for many works of service that will glorify our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s strive to excel in building up the church!! (1 Cor 14:12)
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Great post Blake, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the matter. It actually makes me really happy that we have some accord in this matter. I was especially encouraged by your last paragraph. I need the truth of God about who I am spoken over me.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking this morning about how Thomas Watson in his book "A Godly Mans Picture" gives us a suggestion as to how to think about the Christian walk. He said (and I will praphrase) that "the godly man ought to carry with him two notebooks, one to makes notes of all the ways we fail God throughout the day, and the other to write down all the grace the Lord gives us despite our failings."
This is in line with your previous post that our faithfulness is not based on our works, but on the perfect faithfulness of Jesus.
When we lose sight of the Gospel, we tend to feel worth when we are not sinning, and feel unsaved when we have sinned. The reality is that the child of God always has great worth in the eyes of the father, and the act of confession, forgiveness, and turning from sin only makes that relationship stronger.
It is good to be a child of God.