by Roland Wrinkle
Our Calvinist tradition teaches us, as the first T in the famous acronym TULIP, that we are “totally depraved.” Many of us believe we are saved by incantating the “Sinner’s Prayer” (“I know that I am a sinner. I know that I deserve the consequences of my sin.”). A famed gospel song has us confess, “I’m Just An Old Sinner Saved By Grace.” It also makes great sermon fodder (Think Jonathan Edward’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”). And we scour the Bible for spiritual McNuggets we can throw out that support our assumptions; it’s not terribly hard to find Paul referring to himself as the Sinner-in-Chief or to us as “we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Is this really true? Of course it is. That’s the whole point of needing salvation from some source other than ourselves because we cannot do it for ourselves.
But that’s only half of the story. And, if you focus on that half you miss the big narrative of the Bible, which is not just, or even primarily, about how awful and wretched we are. More importantly, you dishonor both the Holy Spirit and how God sees us and what He has planned for us. Read the whole story – not just the bits and pieces people throw at you or with which you are familiar. Read the whole thing and then keep all of it in mind. How did He create us? As wretched sinners so He could have something to save? No! He created us “in His own image” and He created us “very good.” Where the problem comes in is that God also made additional decisions: to give us free will and to make us His partners and agents in His continuing creation and, eventually, His New Creation. Here’s what we were hired (born) to do: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
But on day one on the job, we decided that we wanted to define good and evil for ourselves rather than trust God (that was what the apple-biting story is all about) and, ever since, me and you sometimes decide to use our gift of free will to do things that just don’t reflect the image of God from us back into the world (the whole point of being God’s image-bearers).
Yes, we’re sinners. But we’re not only the chosen partners and agents with God in His Grand Plan of New Creation and not only were we put in charge (dominion) of all the earth (Greek, kosmos), but we will actually rule with God in t at New Creation: “You ransomed for God saints [those who are in Christ] from every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth.” If you think the grand story of scripture is that we’re poor sinners [which is surely true], but Jesus died to forgive our sins [which is also surely true] so we can go to heaven when we die [which is surely not what the Bible is telling us], then you’ll miss all of this critical stuff. Also, this way of thinking over-focuses on “me and my salvation” instead of on what God is doing in the world and will do for the world. Finally, it fails to do justice to the Holy Spirit and its role in the big scheme of things. God also regenerates us through the power of His Spirit. God is restoring our relationship to Him. He is living within us. Pentecost was the pouring out of God’s Spirit upon God’s people as promised by Jesus Himself: “But theAdvocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John14). If we are just poor, old, wretched, depraved sinners sitting around waiting to be saved by grace so we can go to heaven when we die, who needs the third person of the Trinity? Or the Great Commission? Or us to serve as agents of New Creation and co-rulers of God’s brave new world? We have still yet another job: to testify, to spread the Good News of what God is doing. How many multitudes are you going to sweep off their feet and into God’s arms by presenting yourself as a miserable sinner characterizing a fellow image-bears are equally pathetic? Ours is a faith founded on hope, not fear.
For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.(Psalm 139)
In a farewell discourse, Jesus said this to His disciples:“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love…. I have chosen you out of the world….” (John 15). God sees us as His beloved children, image bearers, partners and co-rulers in New Creation. Yeah, you’re a “poor sinner,” but get over it and start changing the world into what God intended it to be. He is relying on you