Meanwhile, God's holy people passionately and faithfully stand their ground. (v. 10)That one sentence in the midst of intensely described chaotic evil. No more "good enough" Christianity. God's holy people are face-to-face with the enemy of their souls and they stand their ground - not because of who they are or what they can do, but because of Whose they are and what He does.
Where does the passion and faithfulness come from? Does it only show up in extreme persecution? I'm not sure, but I think we have some hints that as God's holy people, He is in the business of forming this passion and faithfulness in each of us now. We can insist on our own way or we can submit to the Spirit's difficult, but maturing work. Crabb writes in great detail about the differences between these two responses - "good enough" Christianity and "other world" maturity. I'll share just a little so that we can receive more insight into God's transforming work.
"Good Enough Maturity is characterized by:
- a sense of well-being sometimes based on religious activity (that includes all modern forms of spirituality without Christ, without His narrowly defined, broadly available gospel at the center)
- no habitual indulgence in visibly serious sin (conformity to one's chosen achievable stand of morality that requires only communion with FLESH, not with SPIRIT).
"Denial of Desires for God Himself and Denial of Guilt before God for valuing another good over God - both remain undisturbed in superficial healing. Both co-exist with good enough maturity.
"Other World Maturity is characterized by:
- a consuming passion to experience God that is stronger than all other passions ('Put first things first and second things are thrown in, if not in this world, in the next; put second things first and you lose both first and second things, first thing now, second things eventually and forever.' Based on the words of C.S. Lewis)
- a growing hatred for everything in oneself that hampers worship (loving God) and service (loving others): A longing for communion with God that properly draws the battle line, with violation of trinitarian relating on one side - the FLESH - and glad conformity to trinitarian relating on the other side - the SPIRIT. When battle lines are properly drawn, weapons of the world won't do. Only spiritual weapons suffice. "
Standing ground in today's world is harder to identify. I can look passionate and faithful without really entering the battle or utterly depending on the Spirit. It's a good enough christianity. The discontent, the unsettledness in my spirit is His prompting that there's more that He's calling me to - a greater love, a true passion, a tried faithfulness.
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