Our Hidden Life in Christ
By Pastor Shiv | May 13, 2020
“Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.”
– Ecclesiastes 12:12
I secretly took comfort in this verse, which I found written on a pasted sticky note in my seminary library. As a former computer programmer who scarcely read books and being fairly new in my faith, I felt overwhelmed being around scholars and bookworms, and of course tons of books. Reading does not come naturally to me. I read slowly and give up on a book quite easily.
In many ways, I am still learning to read. If you are like me, take heart! Jesus never said, “Blessed are the book lovers, for they shall inherit a stellar library.” But could someone like me survive in a pastoral vocation that calls for wide reading? And in a tradition known for its theological and intellectual strengths? Well, if God made the speech-impaired Moses one of the greatest preachers in the world, then I guess there is hope for me.
The Qur’an refers to Christians and Jews (not the Muslims) as “the people of the book.” To be a Christian is to know the living Christ revealed in the pages of a book, a living book – the Bible, authored by the Spirit of God by the hands of numerous prophets and apostles. Whoever reads and meditates on this Book of God, the Book above all books, is taught by God himself. Then, reading books that are authored by men is not an insurmountable task!
Let’s face it: as a Christian there is no running away from reading – reading the book – the Bible, and even other books. The question becomes – to what end? What books should we read and why? Given my seminary training and tradition, I feel the temptation to be a scholar. I am not sure if I am called or gifted to be one, but I see it as a temptation. Sometimes I face my old temptation to make a name for myself and at other times I face a lust for knowledge. Both are detrimental, even destructive, to my calling and my discipleship in Christ.
I remember God speaking to me clearly in my heart and teaching me when I was in seminary: “Woe to me if I become a good student or a scholar at the expense of becoming a good disciple.” Even if I am a scholar of the Bible, but do not have a loving, living, daily and intimate relationship with him, it is vain, even deadly. That’s what Paul was as a Pharisee. But after he met the Lord Jesus, he was changed to the extent of declaring, “I count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).
This same Pharisee-turned-apostle writes, in the same epistle, two statements not far from each other, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” and “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:3 and 3:16). It is when our reading, even reading of the word of God, becomes disconnected with our hidden life in Christ, we have given into the old self, which is dead. The reading, scholarship, and ministry that result from the activation of this dead self lead to death; they are fruitless and even harmful. These lead to a dead Christianity that is devoid of the life of Christ. Sadly, it is so easy to fool ourselves and fall into the trap of the devil.
Our reading of books should lead us to know Christ Jesus in order to love him, be like him, to obey and serve him and make him known. And this does not exclude us from reading works written by secular or pagan authors. Often these works, some of which were even quoted by Paul, are valuable for our discipleship and ministry. Though it takes maturity to read them discerningly and profit from them spiritually, rather than be misled by them.
Let me reiterate one thing before I share about the book on my heart. Beloved, delight yourself in the word of God, the Bible. Read it daily and methodically using a reading plan. I cannot overstate the significance of being in the word. There is no dichotomy between delighting in God (Psalm 37:4) and delighting in his word (Psalm 1:2). And what better way to glory in the Protestant Reformation that put God’s word in the hands of every layman over 500 years ago! Don’t sacrifice the reading of the Bible to read other books. Admittedly, many books and passages of the Bible are hard to understand, and you might feel discouraged. Explore ways to gain more out of your Bible reading each year, such as using a study Bible. I am getting into Isaiah this time of the year. A book that I find so beautiful, yet so mysterious. I read the introduction to Isaiah in the ESV Study Bible and it is already helping me a lot.
I’d like to recommend to you a little book called Let Go (Whitaker House, 1973), available from Amazon and Whitaker House. It’s really a collection of 40 short letters written by the 17th-century French archbishop and theologian Francois Fenelon to his protégé. These were later collected and published because of the depth of wisdom and insight of this spiritual giant. The volume is subtitled To Get Peace and Real Joy, an even more pressing quest during the time of the coronavirus lockdowns.
I would classify this book under what may be called “spiritual theology” that deals with our inner spiritual life – our thoughts, attitudes, and motives. Such books are often overlooked in the Evangelical world, and even the Reformed world, in favor of books that fall under systematic, historical, biblical, or even practical theology. While these are good and profitable for our discipleship, we must also read books that address not just our heads, but our hearts more directly. By heart, I do not mean our emotions; but our desires, wills, and our character. Unless this inner transformation and sanctification is happening within us, bringing our souls to greater subjection and conformity to Christ, our spiritual growth will be stymied, and we will remain baby Christians.
If pressed to describe the book in one phrase, I would say it is about “the death of the old self” – a notion found in Paul’s writings. Though Fenelon does not expound the words of Paul, it is evident that he has assimilated them deeply into his own soul. He shows that when the old self exalts itself and refuses to die, it not only steals peace and joy from our lives, but it keeps us from knowing a sweet, humble, and submissive communion with our Lord Jesus Christ. By pointing us to the beauty of the cross and calling us to humbly surrender to God in the uttermost recesses of our hearts, placing our faith fully and firmly in God’s sovereign will, Fenelon teaches us how to suffer well, face trials, and embrace our weaknesses.
I was given this book seven years ago by a man whom I would describe as kind, gentle, and humble. But I did not pick it up to read until last year when my wife and I welcomed our first child. Welcoming a baby challenged our faith and revealed our character in many ways, especially in the first few weeks when we did not get enough sleep. I was grumpy, impatient, selfish, and slow to help. It is no exaggeration to say that Fenelon’s writings saved my marriage and ministry at a crucial point in my life. There were days when I read a few of his letters, which I did in my morning devotions, repeatedly, to let it sink in. I thank God for the good and perfect gift of Fenelon’s insights into our hidden life in Christ and wholeheartedly recommend this little book to you.