It’s an obvious point, right? But perhaps it’s surprising how often we forget it. Not everyone sins like you do. And yet I’m surprised how often my thinking is very one-dimensional, aka me-dimensional, when it comes to thinking about how people think, feel, act.

I met up with a friend recently and we were chatting over a particular situation facing us both. And it struck me that all the temptations I was being confronted with in that particular situation were almost entirely different to what they were facing. I was very aware of my heart’s desires whispering away, and so sought his counsel and prayer. Likewise he was was asking the same of me. Yet we were talking about a completely different fight. The same big enemy (as for any Christian, the world, the flesh and the devil), the same battlefield as it were (for it was the same situation), but the fight looked very different.

Personality, character; call it what you will, but the reality is we can be quite different. Some of us are more similar to others in certain ways, but we can also vary a lot – whether that’s nature or nurture. And that means we’ll face different pulls, different battles, different sins – even in what seems to be the very same situation.

I was just reflecting that it’s worth bearing this in mind as we seek to help each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s worth bearing in mind as we seek to apply God’s word to each other, and especially for those activity involved in preaching and teaching. Your radar might not be showing up the same things as mine. And that means if I’m seeking to love you and look out for you, I need to do a certain amount of ‘thinking outside the box’. That must begin with talking together; with actually sharing what we find hard, without making the assumption we’re all wired identically.

Just been reading an article for the dissertation here by Richard Gaffin on the significance of Jesus’ resurrection for our redemption. Quite often we talk about the resurrection as ‘proof that Jesus was God’, or the clinching piece of evidence that ‘it’s all true’. Which is all very well and good, but Gaffin argues that actually having a good theology of the resurrection is key to understanding our lives now and our lives in the future.

1 Corinthians 15.20 is a key verse in Paul’s argument in that chapter:

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Christ is the firstfruits of a resurrection harvest that includes US (v23). It is a guarantee of future bodily resurrection. The way in which the NT describes the event has that now-but-not-yet vibe, as we’re described as already being raised, yet still await a future resurrection.

Gaffin goes on to talk about how we do tend to polarise justification and sanctification, with the latter often just being our response of gratitude for the former. He writes that actually Jesus’ resurrection teaches us that we should give intense attention to the eschatological nature of sanctification, and the present work of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit is Christ, the life-giving Spirit himself, and his enduring work is manifest in fruits (Gal 5.22,23). So, it is in these fruits that we get a preview of the new creation, not in some suped-up experience. And in case we stray into an over-realised new creation living now, Paul makes it clear that the resurrection life on this earth now is cross-shaped…

‘…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share his suffering, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.‘

But what marvellous truth… Christ is raised! We too will be raised! Don’t forget it, wander from it, cover it up. You’re in the process of being sanctified… work hard at it… Christ is the first-fruits! It’s nearly harvest time.

Ryle on ‘The Fight’…

A general faith in the truth of God’s written Word is the primary foundation of the Christian soldier’s character. He is what he is, does what he does, thinks as he thinks, acts as he acts, hopes as he hopes, behaves as he behaves, for one simple reason – he believes certain propositions revealed and laid down in Holy Scripturee. “He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Heb 11.5)

[…]

Let us settle it in our minds that the Christian fight is a good fight – really good, truly good, emphatically good. We see only part of it yet. We see the struggles, but not the end; we see the campaign, but not the reward; we see the cross, but not the crown. We see a few humble, broken-spirited, penitent, praying people, enduring hardships and despised by the world; but we see not the hand of God over them, the face of God smiling on them, the kingdom of glory prepared for them. These things are yet to be revealed. Let us not judge by appearances. There are more good things about the Christian warfare than we see.

[…]

Let us remember that if we would fight successfully we must put on the whole armour of God, and never lay it aside till we die. Not a single piece of the armour can be dispensed with. The girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the helmet of hope – each and all are needful. Not a single day can we dispense with any part of this armour. “In heaven we shall appear, not in armour, but in robes of glory. But here our arms are to be worn night and day. We must walk, work, sleep in them, or else we are not true soldiers of Christ.” (Gurnall’s Christian Armour.)

No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
(2 Tim 2.4)