Creatures before the Creator
The quote I posted from Stanley Hauerwas reminded me of something Francis Schaeffer writes in True Spirituality, about the fact of us being creatures before the Creator, and I was a bit amazed to discover that I haven’t posted it yet here on the blog. The first chapter of True Spirituality is basically completely underlined by me, and it’s a book I went back to over and over in the past.
… I am to love God enough to be contented, because otherwise even our natural and proper desires bring us into revolt against God. God has made us with proper desires, but if there is not a proper contentment on my part, to this extent I am in revolt against God, and of course revolt is the whole central problem of sin. When I lack proper contentment, either I have forgotten that God is God, or I have ceased to be submissive to him …
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The rebellion is a deliberate refusal to be the creature before the Creator, to the extent of being thankful.
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When we say we live in a personal universe and God the Father is our Father, to the extent that we have less than a trusting attitude we are denying what we say we believe. We say that as Christians we have by choice taken the place of creatures before the Creator, but as we show a lack of trust we are exhibiting that at that moment, in practice, we have not really so chosen.
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At the same time, I say there is a battle in the universe, and God is God. Then if I lack trust, what I am really doing is denying in practice that he has a right, as my God, to use me where he wants in the spiritual battle which exists in the seen and unseen world.
From Chapter 1 The Law and the Law of Love
Then later:
If I refuse my place as the creature before the Creator and do not commit myself to him for his use, this is sin. And anything else is also misery. How can you enjoy God on any other level than what you are, and in the present situation? Anything else will bring misery, a torturing of the poor, divided personality we are since the fall. To live moment by moment through faith on the basis of the blood of Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit is the only really integrated way to live. This is the only way to be at rest with myself, for only in this way am I not trying to carry what I cannot …
From Chapter 11 Substantial Healing of the Total Person