Eschatology Today

Inaugurated Eschatology: (n.) The wonderful already-but-not-yet tension and reality of redemption. Read the theological reflections of Pastor Jay and others around him below. This is a great place to dialog about the beauties of the Gospel!

Deep Reflections on the Holy Spirit

Rob Banister Report: The Holy Spirit from travis hawkins on Vimeo.

Praying for New Inclinations

Wow! It has been a looonnnggg time since I last wrote. That is due to a long story. Can't go into details now, but the lessons, growth, and theology I am learning in the course of this story will makes its way, carefully and prudently, into future, hopefully more frequent, posts.

But for now, a word on how to pray for your sanctification. I am reading through WGT Shedd's Dogmatic Theology, a work this American Reformed theologian wrote in the late 19th century. A fairly under-known, but very good treatment of Reformed dogmatics. In his chapter on Anthropology Shedd distinguishes between the inclination and the volition within man. The inclination is the fundamental root wiring, if you will, of the human person. Inclination is the bedrock, pre-volitional leanings of the human heart. The inclination is therefore not something chosen, per se, but something that is as it is in light of our condition as fallen people and/or redeemed people. We cannot reach down and change inclination. Volition, on the other hand, is the expressions or surfacings of inclination. However, volitions can go against the grain of inclination, from time to time. For example, a drunk who is inclined as a drunk (addicted) can refuse a drink, say during the beginning of the day, so he can perform well at work, be lucid, and keep his reputation and job. But, upon returning home he begins to pour his drinks, until his stupor is back, and he passes out into yet another night of sleep. This is the 'high functioning' drunk. His bedrock is inclined toward addiction, but he can control it in light of his other purposes in life. His volition is always being pulled at, but he can break this tractor beam in light of other priorities that are not utterly assailed by his addiction. Inclination = bedrock, out of our power, inborn, pre-volitional. Volition = surface desires, can be manipulated by us to some degree, can vary.

What is the pastoral point here? It is this: when you pray for your sanctification, make sure you are asking for your inclinations to change. Often we pray for and thus seek to act upon our volitions. So, we abstain from pornography, or eating dysfunction, or gossip, or consumerism, or gluttony, or messing around with our girlfriend/boyfriend, for a while. But, then we fall. We can fall hard. It was as if sin went away, in order to crouch in the shadows and pounce on us with greater force than before. Why? Because we focused on our mere surface desires and actions. We did not focus on root desire.

So, in our prayers and our behavior, how do we do this? One, pray for God to change you at your pre-volitional, heart inclinations. Ask him to change whatever it is in the deepest part of you that causes you to have weakness in sexual, relational, vocational, etc, areas of your life. Modern, secular psychology says it is important to identify those specific and deep seated issues. You may be able to do that, and it generally is always helpful. But sometimes you don't know why you are so whacked in sin. But God does. So ask him to work whether you can identify your pathologies or not. Either way, you are accountable and God is powerful. Second, in your prayers and your thinking, you must focus on the gospel. It is the gospel that will change you at that level. Selfishness can make your will conform do to certain 'moral' things. That is why we have the so-called good non-Christian. They do exist. But they live by a strong ability to manipulate their surface desires due to self exaltation not the power of God. Why do rich movie stars go to Haiti or Africa to help the weak, feed the poor, and fight for better HIV meds? Love? Really? Maybe there are hints of it in there. But, probably more for self medication vis a vis their guilt, and probably for self exaltation,ie pride. But, true good works are never the result of reshuffling the deck of our volitional cards. True good works are the reordering of our very inclinations because of the work of God's Spirit applying the gospel in us. That is transformation, not just behavior modification.

You want to be more humble? Then believe the gospel more. You want to stop fornicating? Then trust Jesus more. You want to be able to eat a plate of food in peace? Let Christ take your guilt. You want to be able to be honest before men and stop spin-doctoring your image? Let Jesus be your true identity.

So, our daily choices are important. But, it is our root inclinations that God is most concerned about, and only he can work there. So, pray for that, keep that central in how you follow Jesus, and always focus on the gospel!