Just Thinking
“For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.”
Today’s Text: Joshua 11:16-23 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
Saving faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ is what makes us Christians. We belong to Him when we put our complete trust in Him and commit our lives to follow Him as Lord—Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and Him crucified, resurrected, and returning—literally.
Saving faith leaves no room for a metaphorical, or otherwise alternate interpretation of the core message of the gospel. An alternate interpretation of the core of the gospel message does not constitute saving faith, but faith in something else that does not save.
At the same time, there may be parts of the Scriptures that are very difficult for us to understand. However, it is important to grapple with those parts of Scripture that may offend us. It is important to grapple with those parts of Scripture that we may not agree with—at least on a literal level.
Because there is a logic that we must accept as being beyond any doubt: If we disagree with anything from the mouth of God, we are the ones who are wrong.
Another reason that it is important to grapple with the difficult passages is that, when we do so, the things that we really believe about the Scriptures comes to the surface. And those things that we believe deep down have to come to the surface if we are to have any hope of being teachable and corrected where necessary—especially when it comes to the core message of the Bible.
Many evangelical preachers—especially those who lean heavily toward reformed theologies—will say, “Keep the main thing the main thing.” But determining the “main thing” is not always so straightforward. My “main thing” is the gospel as I have expressed it above—Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and Him crucified, resurrected, and returning. There is not a single evangelical Christian who would deny the historical and literal truth of that phrase.
Whatever else we might think constitutes the “main thing” is surprisingly, and even alarmingly, fluid. I mean, who is really the judge of what the “main thing” is, or the “secondary” or “tertiary,” anyway? I certainly am not.
And so, the necessary posture of all believers should be that we are all sinners in need of Jesus, and that everything we believe might be wrong—apart from Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and Him crucified, resurrected, and returning, literally.
By the way, I do consider myself “reformed,” although some would argue that I am not. Maybe they are right. Who is the judge of such things?
Our differences of understanding usually come down to how literally we will interpret certain parts of Scripture, and the passage today is a good example of that. Most reformed believers will understand the LORD’s hardening of hearts literally. In other words, God broke into history and literally made the kings of the promised land want to fight the Israelites, so that they would be destroyed at the hands of the Israelites with His Spirit fighting for them.
Personally, I believe that God’s “hardening” of hearts is more of a metaphorical expression that describes God’s perfect timing in bringing circumstances together in order to accomplish His divine will. In other words, the expression of God hardening hearts speaks to God’s sovereignty.
If we think of space-time as an infinitely faceted Rubik’s Cube that aligns perfectly every once in a while under God’s hand, where each of the facets of that Rubik’s Cube is someone exercising their God-given free will, that is more how I think of it.
Of course, some people will say, “What evidence do you have that the expression of God hardening hearts is metaphorical? Prove it!” And to that I could fairly say, “What evidence do you have that the expression of God hardening hearts is literal? Prove it!” Because, who is the judge, really?
Granted, the idea of God literally making people do this or that is possible. He is God! And that concept is certainly easier to grasp. But the idea of a “hard heart” itself is metaphorical, is it not? Also, I guess that in my mind and heart, a more complex God fits better with what the Scriptures say about Him—especially given all the examples of people exercising free will in service of God’s sovereign will.
Anyway, I could be wrong. But I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and Him crucified for my sins, resurrected for the hope of eternal life, and returning for the promise of glory and peace. And my Lord has called me to worship God with all I got, love others as myself, and bear witness to His name. Those things are absolutely certain for me.
Given that, I have to ask the question: Why does this debate even matter?
Well, I think it matters because it has been my experience that churches who hold to a more literal reading of the Scriptures tend to be more exclusive. If someone doesn’t believe exactly what the church believes, those people must not be saved. And if those people refuse to believe exactly what the church believes, then those people cannot be admitted into the church, or those people must be excommunicated from the church.
I don’t know… I just feel like that must break our Lord’s heart.
Father, Your ways are perfect. Your ways are higher than our ways, Your thoughts than our thoughts. If I need correction in my thinking, Lord, change my thinking. But may Your gospel never be compromised and corrupted in my heart. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
