Dealing with Blind Spots

Last month, Bob Heyton at Fundamentally Reformed mentioned a new book from Crossway entitled Blind Spots.  The intriguing part of his post was the ten-question quiz designed to identify in which of three basic categories one falls (courageous, compassionate, or commissioned) and its natural blind spot.  These quizzes often times use answers that do not apply, leaving one wishing for “None of the above,” but in order to get reasonable results, they give the most likely responses and ask for the reader to pick the closest one (think Family Feud).  Consider the first question in the quiz:

• Which book is most likely to make your reading list?
• A.  The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
• B.  The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
• C.  Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Alas, there was no choice that interested me.  Since none was available, The Hiding Place seemed the most likely.  After this initial bump in the road, the remainder was easier, though the questions would be problematic for those with other theological or philosophical inclinations.

Certainly, these quizzes can be “gamed” so that the outcome becomes what one deems, however I decided to play things straight and see what happened.  Not unexpectedly, the result showed that I was “courageous.”  According to the book author, the courageous person is steadfast for truth, having a passion to study “Bible, church history, and theology so you can know and defend the teaching of Christ.”  Guilty as charged.

With every strength, there is a blind spot or failing.  We are sinners after all, and none of us is thoroughly balanced in every respect, though we might look forward to that in the resurrection.  The courageous person has a propensity to be combative.

Who does the author think he is?  Jerk.

I’m not being obstinate, and anybody that says so is looking for a fight.

I’m out of here!

There is also a temptation to be a “lone ranger,” but that removes the voice of biblical perspective through education and experience from the discussion, which is the opposite outcome of what is needed.  The knowledgeable person has come to his or her level of understanding through diligent effort over several years time.  Other believers will not have apprehended the same insights, though they may be of the same chronological age.  They will not gain your perspective by osmosis.  The same effort to acquire that level of knowledge and understanding must be spent on instructing others.

There is a useful question to raise here: What if the person or group I try to instruct does not listen but continues in their faulty understanding of Christianity?  That is a real concern and needs to be addressed carefully. First, ask yourself some questions:

• • Are you missing something in your own knowledge set?  There is a reasonable possibility that you are ignorant in some area.
• • Are people not heeding, or do they instead need time to assimilate the instruction?
• • Is another person giving some conflicting teaching?

Be honest and fair with this inquiry, after all, you may be the problem.  Or perhaps I should say—learn how much of the problem you are.

After gaining relevant input, determine who needs to be flogged into submission or eliminated altogether.
The issue of pride

The quiz results also state that the “courageous” person has a propensity for pride.  On the one hand I say, “No duh.”  I realize my inclination to be correct and win the argument at all cost.  I can deliver a “slam dunk” for the win without caring for the individual—and have done so in the past (no brag, just fact).  The temptation is strong to apply the winning blow without regard for the opponent so that the argument presented might be adequately vanquished once for all.  While bad teaching and understanding must be corrected, believers are to be winsome and patient in their approach:

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Col 4:6)

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus … reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (2 Tim 4:1-2)

Yes, there are situations that require a harsh response (Tit 1:13), but we are discern how best to deal with the problem and move forward from there.  Do not bring in a bulldozer when a properly used spade will take care of the problem and do less overall damage.

Returning to the temptation for pride, why is this personality type singled out for pride?  Believers who are more missions-minded can be proud of their evangelistic fervor, and those more compassionate in their works of help and mercy can be proud of their service to those in need.  Pride is not the sole possession of one type of individual.

I understand and respect the author’s desire to address these relational aspects of the local assembly.  These blind spots can disease and cause division if allowed to fester.  As the body of Christ, we are each gifted in special ways for the building up of the body in love:

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. (Pro 10:12)
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Pet 4:8)

May we desire to see our Lord Jesus exalted as He works in and through us, both to one another and to the world.

How the Mighty Fall!

And a word of the Lord came to me: And you, son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, “This is what the Lord says:

Because your heart was exalted,
    and you have said, ‘I am a god,
I have inhabited a habitation of a god,
    in the heart of the sea,’
yet you are human, and not a god,
    and you rendered your heart as a god’s heart.”  (Ezek 28:1-2 LXX)

The high priest had twelve stones adorning him on his shoulders* so as to serve as high priest for God.  The virtuous person builds on the unshaken foundation with these stones, which the fire does not have the power to burn up; and he builds with them upon his own shoulders, that is. upon his own labors.  And the one who possesses these holds the precious stone of showing and of truth between them on his chest.  And the twelve stones are on the one hand figures of the children of Israel, in which stones you will perceive the spiritual trees of Paradise, and the tree of life—the one who acquires this will have his head marked with the words “holiness of the Lord.”  From holy stones of this sort the gates of Jerusalem were composed†—and indeed, all of Jerusalem.  The “ruler of Tyre” had once clothed himself with all these stones, not by his own labors but by grace, as in the account of Jerusalem, and like the priest of God.  But he has fallen from all these, since he said in his heart, “I am God; I have inhabited God's habitation in the heart of the sea.”

Origen of Alexandria, “Fragments”, 28

*  Origen conflates the shoulder pieces (Exodus 28:9-12) and breast plate (Exodus 28:15-21).
†  Cf. Revelation 21:19-21.

Get Over Yourselves

For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. (Titus 1:7-8)

Frequently, the priestly office and Levitical rank are a cause of pride for one who does not know how to hold an ecclesiastical position of honor. How many, after being made elders, have forgotten humility! It is as though they were ordained specifically in order to stop being humble. Indeed, they ought to have pursued humility more, because they had acquired a position of honor—as Scripture says, “The greater you are, the more you should humble yourself.”* And it is the assembly that chooses you; lower your head more humbly. They have made you a leader; do not be puffed up. Be among them like on of themselves. It is fitting to be humble, fitting to be lowly, fitting to flee from pride, the chief of all evils. Examine the Gospel: See with what kind of condemnation the Pharisee’s pride and boasting are attacked. “The Pharisee was standing and praying as follows within himself‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, wicked people, adulterers, and even like this tax collector; I fast twice a week.’” But the tax collector, on the other hand, standing humbly and quietly at a great distance, “did not even dare raise his eyes…and he was saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’” And the tax collector “went down to his home justified.’”†

Origen of Alexandria: Exegetical Works on Ezekiel, 9.2.3

* Sirach 3:18. Note that the early fathers had differing views on the status of apocryphal works in relation to the 66 books which were generally accepted and officially recognized at Nicaea.
† Luke 18:11-14.

Pride, the Greatest Sin

Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. (Ezek 16:49)

There is no doubt for anyone that, according to the teaching of the Scriptures, their sins are unequal. For the one set is called “great,” the other “smaller” by these Scriptures. Now, since sins are unequal, that is, either “small” or “very great,” someone might perhaps ask what the greatest among all sins is, and the answer is readily given that either fornication or impurity or some other pollution of lust is greater than all other sins. And indeed, those are truly abominable and filthy sins too, but they are not as bad as this one, which is condemned by Scripture here as greater than all the others, from which we must guard ourselves.

Then which sin is greater than all other sins? Clearly it is that sin because of which even the devil tumbled down. What is this sin, in which so great an eminence fell, that, as the Apostle says, “being puffed-up, he may fall into the judgment of the devil.”* The devil’s sin is being puffed up—pride, arrogance; because of these faults he passed from heaven to earth. Hence “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”† And “why is earth and ash proud,”‡ so that a man would be lifted up with arrogance, forgetting what he will become, and in how fragile a little vessel he is contained, and in what piles of manure he is submerged, and what sort of excretions he constantly ejects?… Pride is greater than all other sins, and is the primary sin of the devil himself. Whenever Scripture describes the devil’s sins you will find that they flow from the spring of pride; for he says, “I shall act with strength, and by the wisdom of my understanding I shall remove the boundaries of peoples, and I shall consume their powers; and I will move their cities which are inhabited, and I shall seize the entire world like a bird’s nest, and I shall take them away like broken eggs.”§ See how proud his words are, how arrogant, and how he considers everything as worth nothing. Such are all who are puffed up with boasting and pride.

Origen of Alexandria: Exegetical Works on Ezekiel, 9.2.1-2

* 1 Timothy 3:6

† James 4:6
‡ Sirach 10:9
§ Isaiah 10:13-14

Where Is Your Boast?

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord.  Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.  Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’”  (Jer 7:1-4)

God's people have a tendency to rely on their structures and procedures to assess or validate their practice, when they should be attending to what they were called as the Lord’s chosen.  Judah had made the fateful mistake of thinking that since the temple was still in their midst, that they were still living under a divine blessing.  Solomon’s temple had been erected approximately 350 years prior and still stood as the symbol of God’s enduring presence, which they took as a stamp of approval for their lackluster worship and overall spiritual decay.

Judah was about to be taken to task for their indiscretions, but God sent yet another prophet to warn the people to repent and amend their ways.  The people were unjust and idolatrous, thinking that if they did what was wrong and then performed the required sacrifice, all was well.  In other words, they believed that performance of the act satisfied for the sin.  God called the people to consider what he had already done to Israel, repent of their false assurance, and place their trust in the Lord.  The people’s continued disdain would only bring retribution upon their heads.  Though they had the example of the wilderness wanderings and the Judges, their wickedness exceeded what their ancestors had perpetrated (Jer 7:26) and deserved stricter judgment:

But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating.  Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.  (Luke 12:48)

Fast-forward 2700 years.  God’s people have the entirety of God's self-revelation in the cannon of scripture and high quality teaching and leadership from many venues, yet we do no better than Judah.  What do I mean?

Looking across the landscape of Christendom, one can find churches and denominations groups that champion rights across a spectrum of confessional to Bible-only; literal interpretation to postmodern deconstruction; and these can be found adhering to a form of polity which varies in liturgy from strict to free-form, music from chant to contemporary, and hierarchy from highly structured to flat.  Regardless of the make-up, one thing is usually certain: each group believes they are doing things the “right way,” basking in God’s favor.  Every local assembly of which I have been a part has felt this way.  I assume yours does as well. 

This is not an indictment against the multiplicity of denominations as much as it is against spiritual pride.  In many ways we are as guilty as Judah of old by holding up polity and programs as metrics of correctness and blessing, rather than taking stock of the spiritual condition.  Ask yourselves some questions:

• • Does the preacher tell us of our lost and sinful condition with Christ crucified as our only hope, or do you get a lesson in life skills?
• • Does Sunday School teach how God worked through men and women of faith, or do you come away with the importance of getting along with people and caring for the environment?
• • Is your small group a place where you build up one another through fellowship and prayer or a gossip/gripe session where others are torn down but you feel better about yourselves?
• • Do Bible studies work through the Bible, or are the studies taken primarily from a popular author’s latest book on how to be a better man/woman/husband/wife/parent?
• • Are the historic creeds and sound teachings of past centuries studied and used, or are the latest theological and doctrinal works consulted?

These pairings may appear to be at odds with the first-mentioned being correct and the last incorrect.  Actually, they are all good and salutary in their place.  What happens, however, is that the latter is done while the former is ignored, thus stating or inferring that is the only correct way, and “thou shalt not vary from the course.”  Over time the method becomes entrenched so that it is maintained though the individual is left languishing for lack of sound doctrine.

You and I cannot assume that because we go through the motions set in place by the assembly leadership whether in the current generation or centuries prior, that we are in growing in Christ.  That is not where we boast.  The concern should be: Am I—is my church—living before the Lord in a way that pleases him?  If not, from what should there be repentance in order to move forward in Christ and be used by him?  We learn of the the Lord, our just and merciful God, and boast in him (Jer 9:24; 1 Cor 1:31).

Approach the Scriptures with Humility

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.  (Psalm 119:18)

The Holy Scriptures require a humble reader who shows reverence and fear toward the Word of God and constantly says, "Teach me, teach me, teach me!"  The Spirit resists the proud.  Though they study diligently and some preach Christ purely for a time, nevertheless God excludes them from the church if they're proud.  Therefore every proud person is a heretic, if not actually, then potentially.  However, it's difficult for a man who has excellent gifts not to be arrogant.  Those whom God adorns with great gifts he plunges into the most severe trials in order that they may learn that they're nothing.  Paul got a thorn in the flesh to keep him from being haughty.…  Pride drove the angel out of heaven and spoils many preachers.  Accordingly it's humility that's needed in the study of sacred literature.

Martin Luther, Table Talk 5017

Don't Get Cocky!

Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar.  Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”…Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel.  There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.  And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.  Exod 24:1-2, 9-11

I read the above passage in my morning reading and considered the marvelous privilege these men had.  Seventy-four leaders of the people were allowed to come into the presence of YHWH, see a glimpse of his glorious splendor, and commune with him.  Consider for a moment: the God of all glory desired to share intimate fellowship with his creatures.  What marvel for those men to have such an audience!  At the same time, we must make a sobering review of how these ended.  None were allowed to enter the promised rest in the land to which they were being taken.  What went wrong?

Seventy elders—Nothing specific is mentioned of these men, however there is one glaring instance of group think in which they must have been complicit.  Twelve spies went from Kadesh-barnea into the land as spies, bringing back a report and examples of fruitful harvest available. What happened next?

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.  And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron.  The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!  Or would that we had died in this wilderness!  Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword?  Our wives and our little ones will become a prey.  Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”  And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”  Num 14:1-4

Where were the elders?  Why did they not intercede on behalf of Caleb and Joshua and affirm the good report.  But no, they chose to bow to the majority wishes and remained silent.  What was their reward of service?

But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers.  And none of those who despised me shall see it.…And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me?  I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me.  Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the Lord, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.’”  Num 14:21-23, 26-30

They were faithless, suffered discipline, and missed the blessing ultimately delivered to the next generation.

Nadab and Abihu—These eldest sons of Aaron seemed to have started well, yet what do find?

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace.  Lev 10:1-3

The sons of Aaron apparently got cocky and decided to go about things their own way. For whatever reason they attempted to bring something God had not prescribed as a token of worship, but the Lord considered it profane.

Aaron and Moses—Leaders of God's people and the two most closely aligned with the Lord and his precepts, above all they had an obligation to be examples of conduct and reliance on the Lord, but in one notable case, they failed miserably.

Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?”  And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.  And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”  These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through them he showed himself holy.  Num 20:10-13

All this time, Moses and Aaron had done the Lord's bidding and put him first.  Now they tried aligning themselves as somehow on sufficient divine footing to do what something besides what he had said and gained some glory for themselves.  God will have none of that.  His name is to be upheld holy and supreme (Exod 20:7; Deut 5:11).

Conclusion—Regardless of our privileged status before the Lord of lords and King of kings, we must understand that he alone is to be exalted.  It is not our place to seek a position that he has not granted or work in a way in which he does not approve.  The correction will be painful and possibly final (death) but will be for our ultimate good because he loves us.