Journey to the Shores

The Holiness Tradition

Excerpts from Gregory of Nyssa, Richard Rolle, John Calvin, Blaise Pascal, Thomas a Kempis, William Law, and Teresa of Avila.

In this post, we are looking at the Holiness tradition through Devotional Classics. Often, spiritual formation is compared to a long journey or even a marathon. During long stretches of growth, we experience temptations that challenge us to continue to love God and to follow his path for us. To help us along the journey, Richard Foster has three practices that help us grow in the holiness tradition.^[1] First, we train. As we prepare for a marathon, we train regularly to strengthen our minds and our bodies. Second, we ask others to come alongside us.^[2] During times of temptation, these people encourage us to be holy, to be set apart from others, and to lean on God. There are times when it is easier than others, but having people with us for the journey will keep us accountable. Third, when we stumble and fall, we ought to remember God has us, and all we need to do is get back up and brush ourselves off. God loves us unconditionally and holds us, the believers, when we fall.^[3] The following three themes are shared throughout the texts: marathon, temptation, and love. These complement each other and provide us hope and guidance from those who have come before.

Marathon

Thinking about my walk with Jesus and how it parallels the idea of a marathon, I cannot help but think of one of my favorite Bible stories. In Genesis, we see the story of Joseph and his dreams. He had many hills, valleys, a pit, and a jail cell.^[4] In a manner of speaking, he has become a beacon of light. He first persevered through the trials, then fought his unwillingness to forgive, ultimately embracing the overwhelming experience from the Holy Spirit that enabled him to forgive his brothers.

 Paul urged us to “forsake our former desires which are in conflict with the two tables of the law and to renounce all the dictates of our own reason and will.”^[5] Like Joseph, we must overcome our own reason that may lead us away from forgiveness. “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”^[6]

John Calvin states that “self-denial makes us calmer and patient. Scripture draws our attention to the fact that if we want ease and tranquility in our lives, we should resign ourselves and all that we have to the will of God, and at the same time, we should surrender our affections to him as our Conqueror.”[7] William Law also states, “If self-denial is a condition for salvation, all who desire to be saved must make self-denial a part of everyday life.”[8] As Christians, denying ourselves is part of our daily walk. We must deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Jesus daily.[9] Gregory of Nyssa states, “We should show great diligence not to fall away from the perfection which is attainable but to acquire as much as possible: to that extent, let us make progress within the realm of what we seek.”^[10]

We constantly strive for perfection, much as the marathon runner is constantly fighting his or her daily fatigue, seeking greater endurance. Ours is not a physical endurance but one of a spiritual nature. As Richard Foster explains, “We, like the athlete, must experience self-denial as a normal part of our training regimen so that we may “press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14)

Temptation

Just like Jesus was tempted, we will also be tempted in our lives. How we move through it is our dependency on God. At the end of Matthew 3, we see Jesus baptized, and the heaven opened to reveal the Spirit of God. This Spirit took Jesus into the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil. ^[11]

Blaise Pascal reminds us that “there is in us some great principle of greatness and some great principle of wretchedness. It must also account for such amazing contradictions…that our only true bliss is to be in him, and our sole ill to be cut off from him.”^[12] We are full of unrighteousness, we are pulled in different directions. We want to please God, but we also want to do what our flesh wants. Temptations pull us from God; Richard Rolle compellingly states, “Love for God and love for the world cannot coexist in the same soul: the stronger drives out the weaker, and it soon appears who loves the world, and who follows Christ. The strength of people’s love is shown in what they do.”^[13]  What is my stronger drive? Doing what God calls me to do or doing what I want to do? As I go through my day and various temptations arise, I must remember what Jesus has said:

“Be Gone, Satan!

You shall worship the Lord your God

And him only shall you serve.”

Matthew 4:10 ESV

Thomas A Kempis gives four sources of peace when we are confronted with temptation. “First, strive to do another’s will rather than your own. Second, choose always to have less than more. Third, seek the lower places in life, dying to the need to be recognized and important. Fourth, always and in everything desire that the will of God may be completely fulfilled in you.”^[14] Theresa of Avila gives sound advice saying we should begin to pray when we fill temptation nearby. As time goes on, it will become easier to turn to God during difficult times.^[15] We will become dependent on Him instead of our own understanding, and we look for the path that God has given us.^[16]

God also sends people to us who are further along in their walks. I know I have had several women who have come alongside to encourage and admonish me as temptations of easy roads become available. Sometimes pushing an easy button is what I desire, especially when circumstances are less than ideal. Teresa of Avila expresses a similar reflection but also adds that these individuals lead us closer to God. They take us with them on their journey.^[17] We become accountable to each other, in other words, iron is sharpening iron.^[18]

“The great God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the One who revealed himself to Moses, David, and Mary—is our ever-present help in times of trouble. Jesus Christ, over ever-living Prophet, is with us—teaching, empowering, loving. The blessed Holy Spirit draws near to us in the hour of temptation—guiding, strengthening, encouraging.”^[19] These reflections by Richard Foster outline our path away from temptation and toward holiness.

Love

The third theme of holiness, love, is equally important to the aforementioned two. When I read about the flame of love of which many of these spiritual leaders speak, I am always reminded of a song by Sonicflood:

My flame is often fanned in the presence of the Holy Spirit. I get goosebumps, and I can feel a warmth growing. If I am at a speaking engagement or a Bible study, I feel this passion rise, and I often will apologize for it. I shove the Holy Spirit back into a box. As much as I want the flame to be fanned, there is an uncomfortable notion that keeps it a bay.

Richard Rolle says it so eloquently, “Once I realized that it came entirely from within; that this fire of love had no cause, material or sinful, but was the gift of my Maker, I was absolutely delighted, and wanted my love to be even greater.”^[21] He continues to say that to experience this fire, we must give up worldly honor, hate vainglory, and parade of knowledge. “And then, conditioned by great poverty, through prayer and meditation they can devote themselves to the love of God.”^[22]

In Romans 12, Paul is speaking to the Romans about not conforming to this world but to be transformed by it. Love is an action, and it must be sincere.^[23] The action of loving God is living according to his will. William Law says, “Our lives should be as holy and heavenly as our prayers. It is our strict duty to live by reason, to devote all of the action of our lives to God, to walk before him in wisdom and holiness and all heavenly conversation, and to do everything in his name and for his glory.”^[24]

Reiterating what Richard Rolle previously stated, “Love for God and love for the world cannot coexist in the same soul: the stronger drives out the weaker, and it soon appears who loves the world, and who follows Christ. The strength of people’s love is shown in what they do.”^[25] This begs the question: am I doing what is required of me for God’s people? Am I a living example of Romans 12:9-21 ESV?

Mere Christianity

C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors. His storytelling ability reaches all ages. My children understand the concept of God creating the earth because of his Narnia series. Mere Christianity is one of his many books that combines Christian beliefs and the ideas of human nature. His “Three Parts of Morality,” resonates with the idea of being virtuous. Morality is concerned: “Firstly, with fair play and harmony between individuals. Secondly, what might be called tidying up or harmonizing the things inside each individual. Thirdly, with the general purpose of human life as a whole: what man was made for.”^[26] Lewis seems to think that we often focus on the first but not the last two. We strive for kindness and fair play between us all, but we neglect our inner personal change, courage, and unselfishness to help a system run well.  “You cannot make men good by law: and without good men, you cannot have a good society.”^[27]

            Lewis used examples of ships convoying to illustrate his points for morality. One particular one stands out to me, “The man who says that a thing cannot be wrong unless it hurts some other human being. He understands that he must not damage the other ships in the convoy, but he honestly thinks that what he does to his own ship is simply his own business. But does it not make great difference whether his ship is his own property or not?”^[28] As Christians, we are not our own, we belong to God. Our bodies are temples, vessels that bring the message of Christ to those who do not believe.^[29]

Challenge Accepted! Fighting Temptation

Teresa of Avila challenges us to go to prayer when we feel temptation coming in like a sly fox. This week I focused on this not only to improve my own prayer life but to challenge myself when circumstances become hard. Instead of reaching for that snack that only fills my belly for a second or yelling at my children because I allow anger to get the best of me, I must reach instead for prayer. Going to prayer was not my first inclination, but it became easier, and I welcomed it. It gave me a chance to take a breath, speak to God, and then act. I noticed my stress level was not as high, and my children responded to me in more positive ways. They were having conversations with me, and, in turn, their attitudes towards others improved. This challenge proved to me that having God at the forefront of my mind during all moments of the day instead of scheduled times brings peace to my soul.

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