Trinitarian Joy: December 2009

Not Home for the Holidays

I have been musing over what must have been going on at home this Christmas since we had decided to stay out east. There is something unique about 'home' and not just the physical house but rather the people, the friends, the family, the smells (yes, even lutefisk). As I contemplate my desire to be at home God has been gracious to remind me of the ultimate home. No, not golden streets, or mansions but the people, the family, and particularly, our God. The desire, to be at home with family during this season, should pale in comparison to the desire of sitting with my spiritual family at the Marriage Feast where we will all be with the Lamb who was slain on our behalf.

To be more specific... I remember the past of sitting down at a long table stretching from the dining room to the living room which was packed with family and food. After we found our seats and the 'moms' took pictures we would all look down the table anticipating my grandfather's words of spiritual reflection and then his prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord. This aspect of Christmas will not be the same this year for any of us because Grandpa was called 'home' this year. It's bitter-sweet to consider these things but I would have to say that it is far more sweet than bitter. Why? Because the joys we have experienced as a family with our grandfather around a long table packed with family and food is a foretaste of our true family, our true home and our true Father! It will be nothing less than our experiences together as a family here but it will be exponentially more fantastic there for we will be together, face to face with our Redeemer... finally at home!

Unworthy Servants

Luke 17:7-10 "Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'? Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded say, 'We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty.'"

Recently, I have been privileged to carry some new responsibilities and in the midst of these opportunities I can feel my heart occasionally reeling inward. Although service is being rendered it can often be rendered, not in service to the King, but in service to the servant - me. Or when I have served with supposed great intentions for the King my heart yearns for prestige, comfort, or approval from others. My heart seeks contentment in things I have done and consequently causes discontentment with the King and what he has done on my behalf. I can't serve two masters.

And then I am reminded that my approval is Jesus, my prestige is Jesus, my comfort is Jesus... all that I am and all that I have to feel good about myself is Jesus.

A heart that fails to sense afresh its unworthiness is a heart that has become discontent with the person and work of the King. It's truly wonderful to be spent as an unworthy servant, in service to, the King.

(watch @ ccef.org or trinitarianjoy.blogspot.com)

Why Trinitarian Joy?

For me the most astonishing reality that I have learned is that God takes ulitmate joy in himself. This ultimate joy is revealed in Scripture through the roles and relationships within the Triune Community. Whether we look at Creation, Fall, Redemption or Consumation, God -through the roles and relationships of the Trinity- is always orchestrating his supreme joy and exhaltation in himself.

God created us in his image so that God might see himself in us. In other words, as children of God we are tools of God's delight. This is not to say that God needs us to experience delight for he is perfectly satisfied in community with himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. However, God creates man out of the perfections of his trinitarian joy whereby man's joy is fulfilled in putting God's greatness on display. In other words, we have been created to join intimately into God's trinitarian joy wherein we are satisfied and God is glorified.

Now sin has destroyed our life with God for we have exchanged the glory God for the glory of his creation. We have neglected God as the source of all joy and have sought for intimacy elsewhere. 'But God who is rich in mercy...' lovingly glorified his Son by deploying Him to purchase up sinners unto Himself from their damnable state. And the Son lovingly glorified the Father through his obedience thereby securing a people unto His name. And in the wisdom of God the Spirit was sent to glorify the Son by tranforming these ransomed sinner into Christlikeness. Is it not evident that God's joy in himself secures our joy in him?

As God's family, it is through the cross that we have access into the holy place before God's throne. The gospel intimately joins us again into the joyful fellowship of our Triune God.

Since God is committed to making himself great, his promises of a restoration are sure. The Father will continue to make much of his Son and the Son will make much of his Father. And one day all those whom the Son has purchased will be presented holy and blameless before the Father. Not only will we be glorified but creation itself will be fully subjected to the authority of the Son who will restore all things for the glory of the Father.

When all is said and done, it is obvious that we were not created unto ourselves to bask in our frail, finite-selfworth, but rather we were created for nothing less than an infinite triune God who has rescued us from our damnable self-interest and has made us alive unto Himself.

Therefore, take joy in that which God takes joy in, God.