Last week, we listed five common approaches to putting off the old self. In my long experience with conservative churches, in particular, I’ve crossed paths with so many men who adopted the strategies on this list. They simply did not know what else to do with the old parts of their character that didn’t line up with their vision of the “new man” in Scripture. I feel deeply for them. For the most part, these men loved God and were steadfastly devoted to Him. They sincerely wanted to be all that God designed them to be in Jesus, and they were willing to apply extraordinary effort, discipline, and endurance in this direction. However, they seemed to hold an understanding of growth that left large parts of their hearts unattended. And this inattention had consequences. As my seminary professor, Dr. John Coe, said, “The degree to which we aren’t aware of what is in our hidden heart is the degree to which it controls our experience of life.” I’ll go a step farther: to whatever degree we haven’t dealt with our hidden hearts, we will feel more like “guys” than men. Or, we will embrace a concept of manhood that is malformed, conforming or reacting to our repressed material rather than reflecting God’s design.
So, what happened? How did these sincere and devoted men come to believe that forward movement in their Christian lives meant abandoning large parts of their hearts? How did you? How did I? Certainly, I was one of these men for at least the first decade of my journey with Jesus. Well, I believe that if we explore two more questions about last week’s list, we will find the answer. First, what thread connects the five common ways we have tried to put off the old self? Second, what understanding of growth does the list spring from?
Please look through last week’s list again. What stands out to you? Does there appear to be a common denominator between these approaches to dealing with the problem areas of our hearts? As it turns out, there is. In all of our attempts to ignore, minimize, manage, overcome, or release hidden weaknesses, we keep our distance from the content. We strike the Heisman pose, right? Aren’t these methods the five ways our spiritual coaches taught us to stiff-arm uncomfortable material in our hearts before it can get close enough to take us down? Hey, we’re running for the endzone, aren’t we? And we’re determined to get there—it’s certainly not helpful to get dragged down just past the line of scrimmage! So, over time, we can easily come to see troublesome places in our repressed hearts as internal adversaries, bent on crippling any genuine attempt we make to put on the new man. Even more, these inner opponents threaten added pain and humiliation through their power to grind us down in failure, guilt, and shame. It’s not shocking, then, that many of us abhor direct encounter.
But there’s more, right? Not only do we tend to avoid contact with our weaknesses, our theology of growth might render face-to-face engagement wholly unnecessary. Many of us have a hard time outlining our beliefs about sanctification. After all, we may not have been taught how to grow; we simply “caught” how to grow. Even if our church’s belief about Christian development wasn’t explicitly stated, it was imbedded in the pastor’s preaching, ministries of the church, exhortations from fellow congregants, books we read. It manifested itself everywhere. It was the air we breathed—we just absorbed it.
And what was this belief about growth that we soaked up? For many of us, our conscious or unconscious view of progress in the Christian life came in this form, taken from my book:
- I should be grateful for what Jesus did when He died for me on the cross.
- I express my gratitude through obedience to God’s Word. I want to be the kind of man He wants me to be and live the “set-apart” life He wants me to live.
- I work diligently in my spiritual practices (Bible reading, prayer, worship, service, etc.) and try to obey God in all things. As I do, the Holy Spirit changes me on the inside to be the kind of man who obeys from the heart and exhibits the fruit of the Spirit.
- I change to the degree I put forth effort in my spiritual practices and in obedience.
Does this perspective of Christian progress ring true for you?
Next week, we’ll discuss a crucial implication in this theology. But, for now, let’s make three observations about the four-part belief system, then move into our prayer project.
- The focus is on “putting on the new man.”
- It is within our power—out of sincere gratitude to God—to become the men He wants us to be and to live the kind of lives He wants us to live.
- We should be able to jettison the old life. We can turn away from our former selves and press forward.
Peace to you as you jump into your prayer time…
Prayer Project
Please take some time to sit in a quiet place where you won’t be distracted for at least 30 minutes. Then, ask God and ask yourself the questions below. If you can, write down your answers in a notebook that you might keep for this journey we’re taking together. No right answers here—just be as honest as you can.
- God, what do I think of stiff-arming weak areas of my heart? Has this been my way of life? If it has, what’s been my go-to type of stiff-arm? Is it one of the five ways we tend to deal with repressed material? Is it something else?
- When I look through the theology of growth outlined this week, does it articulate my own beliefs? If it doesn’t, what have I believed?
- Lord, what do I think about my view of Christian advancement? As I write it down and look at it, does it seem sound? Off? Lacking?
- Take some time to sit with this thought: “You, Lord, are my Shepherd.”