Where Thieves Break in and Steal

I was listening to This American Life this afternoon, specifically episode 383: Origin Story. I was immediately struck by the theme of the show, particularly the first story featuring a long-standing battle between 88 year old Julian Koenig and his once business partner, George Lois. The gist of the segment featured a debate of truth: who created the concept and wrote the copy to a specific magazine ad back in the 60s.

Admittedly, the story’s narrator, Sarah Koenig, who happened to be the daughter of Julian, said that the argument was fairly insignificant. She said that no one really cared about who wrote the groundbreaking advertisement 50 years ago. My reaction was mostly annoyance on the part of one man’s work being taken so easily by another man. Specifically, how easily it was done, and ultimately, how no one really cared.

Think of your work, or what you do day to day: is it important? What if someone took it from you? What if everyone believed someone else did what you did? What if they didn’t care and thought you were bothersome for even trying to correct any false assumption?

But that’s how life is. What we do may be important in the moment to some or many, but soon enough, it becomes insignificant, stupid, petty, forgettable… As years roll by and time sprints forward, people only care about what is current. Whatever it is in that moment, it will also pass.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26)

Our life’s work, is recognized for a moment, then soon forgotten, reinvented, or taken by someone else (as in the case of Julian Koenig). Our best memories are tainted with forgetfulness, embellishment, or loss entirely. A daydream we had once may become reality, a lie may be told so long that it becomes truth to us. Who’s to know? Who’s to even care? Does it matter? To God it does.

The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. (Psalm 5:5,6)

To God we are all accountable. Our life and pursuits are not our own. The world and all its benefits may be around us, but these benefits should not draw us in to become our sole purpose.

In somewhat of a summary to the radio show, Julian’s daughter, Sarah, stated:

“I understand why he cares. He’s 88 years old now, so his legacy, understandably, is on his mind.”

Soon after in the show, Julian said of his life, his legacy:

“Advertising is built on puffery, on...at heart, deception. And I don’t think anyone can go proudly into the next world with a career built on deception”

Is this depressing? Yes it is. Our life and people in it will many times disappoint us. Eternity is what we should be living for now, no matter what age we are.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

-Posted by CAB

The Beauty of the Holy Spirit in the World

Can the natural man discern God in the natural world? The Psalmists in the creation Psalms (e.g. Psalms 8, 19, 139) extol the beauty of what God has made and glorify Him for it. Paul proclaimed to the Gentiles that He had left for them a witness to Himself through creation and through His Providence (Acts 15:17). C.S. Lewis in his autobiography, “Surprised by Joy” held that the joys which he experienced in life testify to the presence of God’s Spirit. Robert K Johnston(in “Discerning the Spirit in Culture: Observations arising form Reflections on General Revelation,” Ex Auditu 23 (2007): 53), believing that the Holy Spirit is experienced also from outside of a man (including unbelievers in a limited way), writes that the experiences that one has can inform them about the Spirit outside of Scripture.

Johnston is correct to some degree that the Spirit’s work through creation, creativity, and conscience has been somewhat downplayed by the focus on His role in redemption(Johnston furthermore warns against locking God within the confines of Church for His activity based on the Reformer’s view of His revelatory presence p.67), but the primary role that the Spirit enacts in creation is, however, aimed at the redemption of His creation. The thrust of Paul’s apologetic is to turn them from vain things to the living God who has provided for them: “We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." Furthermore, in the creation Psalms the knowledge of God is apprehended in them only because they originated from Israel who knew about Him. Jesus Himself said that the Holy Spirit that would testify about Him to the world through the Apostles (John 15:26).

Even Paul in the earlier reference called the Gentiles to leave their false religion to worship Him who provides so that they might be saved (Act 14:15b). Without the special revelation of God man will ascribe creation to something of their own invention (cf. Rom 1:18ff).

Posted by MKB

The Holy Spirit in the world.

Among the members of the Trinity, each Person engages in a specific work with regards to the world. Each member however is involved in the work of the other. In other words, the works of the three members of the Trinity are not done autonomously. In the Incarnation for example, the Holy Spirit was involved in communicating the Father’s will, words, and empowering God the Son in the person of Jesus. So it follows that whatever God the Father or the Son does in creation is also acomplished by the Spirit. Wayne Grudem succinctly defines the specific mission of the Holy Spirit as, “The work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world and especially in the Church.” So form the outset of this discussion, the Holy Spirit needs to be seen as the presence of God’s activity in the entire history of creation. There is no aspect where He was, or is, or will not be active in creation.

From the very beginning of creation He is present and active. In Genesis 1:2 His first work was to “move” or to “brood” over the waters while the earth’s material was not yet organized. The creation account goes on to describe the six days of organization of the material of the universe and to set in into motion. Although we know from other verses that it was through Christ that all things are made and sustains them (cf. John 1:3; Col 1:16-17), the role that the Holy Spirit has in creation is to be the agent of organization and to give life. He can be attributed with providing all of the useful materials in the earth which are employed by mankind; the rich vegetation is for our happiness, and the glorious arrangement of the stars as a testimony to God.

The Holy Spirit has a good intention towards that which He has created, even after the curse came upon it through Adam’s sin (cf. Gen 3). “The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. (Ps. 145:9; [cp.vv. 13, 15-17]). Being God’s active agent in the creation, it is through the Holy Spirit that God established order and laws of nature in the universe, and who continues to do so (cf. Ps. 104:30; Job 32:8). This good intention towards creation looks towards a future restoration, where in the Millennial Kingdom He will renew His creation. Isaiah writes under the Spirit’s inspiration, “Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field is considered as a forest.” (Isa 32:15). God is not in overt hostility to the cursed creation. There is a tension in that it does reside under His curse on account of man, yet there is still a intention on the part of God to bless it utterly in the restoration of all things (cf. Rom 8:19-21). Until that time the creation is held in a kind of stasis of curse and blessing in Gods Providence.

Posted by MKB

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