Many of us will be familiar with the dual identity of the believer in Christ as a saint and sinner. A lot more recently I begun hearing a third aspect of our identity – sufferer which I suppose, though true, is a derivative of the other two. The idea of Saints, Sinners and Sufferers has been popularized by Michael R. Emlet in a book that goes by the same title. However, it is the subheading of the book that actually got my attention: Loving others as God loves us. What a striking message for many of us in ministry who can be tempted to be very judgmental of those who are struggling along the path of discipleship.
Two events in the recent past have made me think quite deeply about shepherding. One was preaching through Hebrews 11 at church. The second one is listening through Hosea in our morning devotions at the office. Let me unpack some thoughts:
In my study and preparation though Hebrews 11, I noticed that the chapter though sometimes called the great hall of fame of faith is actually populated by pretty broken people – The Surprising People of Faith. The list includes 16 individuals and 2 groups – Israel as a nation and prophets). Yet it is quite an unlikely list…
Abraham – Formerly an idol worshipper (Joshua 24:2) and deceiver (Gen 20:2). Isaac – A deceiver. Jacob – the ultimate deceiver who tricked his brother, father and uncle. Joseph – The favored child of his father who had dreams of power and influence. Moses – Raised in royalty, murdered an Egyptian, law giver who had a temper. Israel – God’s chosen people who constantly backslid and worshipped idols. Rahab – A woman of the streets. Gideon – a doubter who leads God’s people in war but did not finish well (Judges 8:27). Barak – The reluctant commander (Judges 4). Samson – Mighty champion but weak with women (Judges 16). Jephthah – Rough guy who makes a tragic vow (Judges 11: 1-3, 31,39). David – king, adulterer and murderer. Samuel – prophet but poor parent. The prophets like Elijah and his depression, Elisha who curses 42 kids, Hosea who marries a prostitute, Jeremiah and his wailing etc.
Surely the list is quite broad and diverse but it paints for us a picture – the people of faith only have it because it is a gift from God that no one earns or deserves. God’s people of faith are mere recipients of grace. Faith and grace then are two sides of the same coin. No wonder then Paul says;
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 1: 8-9.
Clearly, God’s family is made up of people who are not yet perfected (Heb 11:40). None of us has earned the right to be in God’s kingdom, we are all recipients of grace.
How might this affect our discipleship/shepherding?
As recipients of grace, we must extend grace to one another. Every believer is positionally a saint (1Cor 1:2), functionally a sinner (1 John 1:8) and certainly a sufferer (John 16:33, 1 Peter 4:12, 2Tim 3:12). They are struggling on many fronts and hence the call not to criticism, bitterness or hatred but to one-anothering, love, patience, encouragement and to stir up one another to love and good works.
And since this will be an experience for pretty much all of life, we must exercise extreme caution in our shepherding/church discipline so that it does not come across as ‘we are the saint and you are the sinner’ but actually as gentle, loving, careful and restorative process by fellow strugglers.
Certainly there will be those who are pretenders to the faith among us (Gal 2:4) and are not truly regenerate. Such must be called out for indeed they seek to enslave by having disciples follow them rather than Christ (Acts 20:30). Yet, some level of restraint will still need to be exercised for we cannot humanly speaking, easily tell the wheat from the tares – the Lord himself will separate them on the last day (Matt 13:30).
Fromm our staff devotions in Hosea, it is quite a striking to notice how the Lord puts up with his backsliding people. The warnings are given again and again yet the Lord never really divorces from his covenant people. He certainly will use the rod of discipline on them (exile and domination by foreign nations) but they remain his covenant people from whom he will raise a saviour. The closing verses are particularly poignant;
“I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.
I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;
his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon.
They shall return and dwell beneath my[] shadow; they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.“
Hosea 14:4-7
Dear saints – your brothers and sisters are walking a hard path of sanctification – be gentle and patient with them. The Lord is at work in them and will one day perfect them. For now, they are saints, sinners and sufferers but in the new creation they will only be glorified saints without any sin or suffering and then this old song will be reality –
Tugakena muno muno ma! Twagirio gucoka kwagana!
Tuture nake, Muhonokia, Tene ona tene!
(Joyful, joyful, will the meeting be, when from sin our hearts are pure and free;And we shall gather, Saviour, with thee, in our eternal home. The English version does not capture it as clearly as the Gikuyu translation of the same song above).
I Was Just Wondering 