Above Reproach

Is the judge being considered for Justice of the Supreme Court “above reproach?” It depends on your definition. And, you will have to decide if it matters. Does doing his job require that he be “above reproach?” 

And, for the purposes of this newsletter, how does this issue help us understand our Bibles better? Because qualifications for Supreme Court Justice to not appear in Scripture. But the phrase, “without reproach,” is applied to pastors, and, somewhat similarly, to Christians in general.

We find in Titus 1:6 the words, “if anyone is above reproach,” referring to the appointment of elders. Likewise, 1Tim. 3:2 says, “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach,” referring to a pastor or elder. The Bible says that church leaders should be “above reproach.”  

The phrase means that they should be “above criticism or accusation.” That is, their deportment and conversation should not bring them into disrepute. 

What if you have a clean, white wall, and someone throws garbage against it and stains it? Is it “above reproach?” Is it “spotless?” Well, not really. The wall may not have soiled itself, but the actions of others smeared its appearance, or, damaged its reputation.

With regard to a Supreme Court Justice, I’m not sure how much it matters. If he grew up engaging in various levels of debauchery, does that disqualify him from interpreting the law (I am not speaking to the issue of sexual assault)? I’m pretty sure he can do his job, hearing complex arguments and deciding on how the Constitution applies. But once accused, whether rightly, or falsely, I’m not sure it matters.

But not so with pastors/elders. Certainly our actions that deserve criticism or accusation may disqualify us from our roles providing spiritual oversight to the flock. But so may also, not only such actions, but even the accusations - even false accusations. He may be innocent, and still disqualified from pastoral ministry, because of the importance of reputation. Unlike a Justice, a pastor’s ministry relies on the trust of the people of the local flock. Without trust, his usefulness is destroyed. And so we find that “without reproach” is a qualification not only to be earned, but also guarded.

Probabilities vs. Possibilities

We tend to tie our expectations to probabilities. Probabilities are extensions into the future based on what we have witnessed in the past. If there were wars in the past, it is probable that there will be wars in the future. If compound interest worked in the past, it is probable that it will work in the future.

But God is not merely the God of probabilities. He is also the God of possibilities. That is, He often works in patterns, so that what He has done before we may be able to expect Him to do again. But He is also the God who is able to do something brand new; something that we would not dream of Him doing. Not probable, but definitely possible. 

When we live as though God is absent, or when we live as though God does not matter, then we are confined to this world of probabilities. Peter quotes the “mockers” in his second letter, who say, “all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” God’s promises and God’s warnings can be treated lightly because we haven’t seen Him break into reality lately. With regard to the future, the godless “probability” thinkers say, “Tomorrow will be just like today, but even more so.” 

This kind of living is not according to faith. It is not according to promise. It is not according to God’s Word. It discounts both the plan and power of God, and discredits the truth that “in Him we live and move and have our being.” 

God, who existed from eternity past, created the heavens and earth. Probable? No. Possible? Definitely. God called Abraham out of all the worshippers of pagan gods to a worship of Himself. Probable? No. Possible? Yes. God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those under the Law. Probable? No. Possible? Well, yes, because it happened. And God’s Son, who came the first time to purchase salvation, will come a second time to reign over a new heavens and new earth. Probable? Well, it’s never happened before, so it is hard to imagine it happening now. But possible? Yes, according to God’s promise; according to God’s Word.

So how about you? Can you change from the way you are into the likeness of Jesus? Can you experience victory over that stubborn sin or selfish streak? Well, based on your past failures, it may not be probable. But based on the promise and power of God, it is definitely possible, not because of your own resources, but because of what He is able to do and because of what He wants to do.

Our God Both Big and Small

One aspect of God’s bigness is His smallness. That is, He is so great, His greatness must invade even the smallest of places. Using other terms, not only is God transcendent. He is also immanent. He is not either/or. He is both/and. 

Yes, God is big. As far as the universe stretches, He is bigger. The unit of measure, of course, is not the same. God is not measured by miles or light-years. He is unbounded. One mile or a million are both the same to Him. But we have to say, limited as we are by human language and human minds, that God is bigger. Likewise, God is older than the universe. He was and is before all things. But again, God is not measured in years. He is not old. It is just that all times are in His hands, as He is timeless. 

If these ideas about God’s transcendence are reality-rattling to us, then also are ideas about His immanence. To think that God has His fingerprints on every square inch of this world is an amazing thought.

Let’s think of it this way: God created all that there is with one, over-arching purpose: that all creation would glorify Him. That is, every bird that sings, and every frog that croaks, sings or croaks to the glory of God. The sun that shines does so to the glory of God. The flowers that beautify do so to the glory of God. All creation, though shadowed by sin, seeks to glorify God, or, is frustrated that it can’t.

And so, every piece of tissue in your body was designed to glorify God. Your mind was created to reflect and contribute to His glory. Right down to your molecules and cells and DNA, all designed and desiring to contribute to the song of the ages that glorifies His name. Or, frustrated that they do not.

You see, when God creates, it is not some distant project. If God has a serious design for creation that relates to His own glory, this whole “heaven and earth” project is not like that old shed you built in your back yard. God cares, and He cares deeply about the outer edges, and the inner workings, of this creation.

What should shake us about this is that we were built to glorify God in every aspect of our being, and we so scarcely acknowledge it. We so often suppose that we were built for ourselves, and for our own purposes. And then we find that this God is watching each thought, each reaction, each breath. And we are frustrated that we fall so far short.

The High Calling of Loving our Difficult God

Our Trinitarian God is big. He is complex. He is not easy.

If God were easy, then He would be easy to love. We could as easily wrap our minds and hearts around Him as we could wrap our arms. But our arms don’t reach, and neither do our minds or hearts. And so, we are tempted. 

We are tempted to take our big, complex God and make Him small and simple. We are tempted to refashion Him in our own image, so that He nicely aligns with our pleasures and preferences. We are tempted to shave off His “rough edges,” to make Him more comfortable, easier to live with. 

When we succumb to this temptation, we are no longer worshipping “the one, true God.” Instead, we are worshipping a false god of our own making, of our own imagination, and we become guilty of idolatry. God says in Psalm 50:21, “You thought I was just like you.” It is clear that what we thought was wrong. 

When we puzzle about God in our minds, it is easy to imagine God as we want Him to be. But then, when we read our Bibles carefully, as for the first time, we begin to see some things that don’t fit well with our god-formulas. 

The Bible shows God to be sovereign, and we want a sovereign God, just so long as He is not too sovereign. But a God cannot be “kind-of” sovereign. Either He is, or He is not. And so, when we take steps to limit God’s sovereignty, we are taking steps toward idolatry.

But on the other hand, the Bible also shows God to exhibit amazing flexibility in his dealings with men and women, so much so that it seems that our immutable, unchangeable God actually … changes. And so when we contradict what God has revealed about Himself, we are, again, guilty of idolatry. We must be careful.

And, we want a God who is universally honored. And, He is not. He is mocked, not universally, but widely. His existence is denied. His character impugned. And certainly, His worship is neglected. We want a God that we can look up to. And it would sure be a lot easier to look up to Him if everyone else did as well. And they don’t.

But not only is he not honored, but He actually humiliated Himself, in the death of His Son, according to His own purposes - part of His sovereignty; part of His flexibility; part of His mercy - and for all these reasons, and more, we should love Him - our difficult God.