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Charles Finney, the grace of God, and comfort November 8, 2007

Posted by Anya in : I won't keep things purposely vague , 1 comment so far

Charles G. Finney has not been on my list of popular theologians since… about… fifth grade.  Anyway, this year I finally was assigned his autobiography.  It’s… interesting.  And I’m quite irritated with the Presbyterians for licensing him to preach when he hadn’t even read the Confession of Faith and catechisms, much less agreed with them. 

Anyway.  Finney believed, and taught, that the only thing that held sinners back from being converted was their own stubborn will.  Now in a way, this is true.  Sinful humans do choose to go on sinning.  However, Finney also taught that “God was trying to gain their unqualified consent to give up their sins and accpet the Lord Jesus Christ…” [Ibid]

I’m reminded of James Ward’s song I Am the Door…

He must be weak, if He could speak,

He’d say, “Accept Me if you please.”

We create a God we hate in our petty minds so lame

So very wise in our own eyes

How could Jesus back up His claims?

He said, “I am the Door –

“I am the Door — no one comes to the Father but by Me

“No one knows the Son except the Father

“No one knows the Father like I do

“To those I choose to reveal good news

“I am the Door for you.”

Where, in this theology, is the God Who chases and redeems His unfaithful Bride — because it is His good pleasure to delight in her?

Finney again:  “Sinners were not encouraged to expect the Holy Spirit to convert them while they were passive…”

What else can a dead man be?

[Jars of Clay]

There’s something in my veins,
But I can’t seem to make it work… won’t work

So carry me,
I’m just a dead man
Lying on the carpet
Can’t find a heartbeat
Make me breathe,
I want to be a new man
Tired of the old one
Out with the old plan

Can you find a beat inside of me?
Any pulse?
Getting worse?
Any pulse?
Getting worse?
Inside of me, can you find a beat?

Carry me,
I’m just a dead man
Lying on the carpet
Can’t find a heartbeat
Make me breathe,
I want to be a new man
Tired of the old one
Out with the old plan…

How it cheapens the grace of God to assume that we can work our own salvation.  How extremely precarious it makes the whole thing, if it rests on us.

I wrote in a song I was working on [thinking of John 6:67-69 and Michael Kelly Blanchard’s one old song]  “Where would we go, what would we do?  We have no hope outside of You.”  There is nothing left for us without Christ — absolutely nothing that we can do for ourselves.  That is not a comfortable thing to know, but…

Luther:  “Comfort? Your Grace, I’m not interested in comfort.  Comfort is not the issue.”

Cardinal Cajetan: “So you consider your discomfort more important than the survival of Christianity?”

Luther:  “I’m interested in the truth!”

[from the movie Luther]

As Christians, what are we interested in?  Our comfort?  Or the truth?  Do we really think that we can find comfort outside of the truth, or the truth outside of Christ?