MORAL TENSION AND MORAL SUCCESS FOR THE BELIEVER Part Two

It might surprise a great many Christians, some who have come up in a traditional Christian culture and church, that Paul the Apostle recognizes that human beings experience various kinds and levels of moral tension, even after becoming Christians (hence his ethical instructions and moral advice/commands in his letters). He even asks, somewhat rhetorically, are we going to remain in the habit of sinning after being justified and reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:1)? Although his answer is an emphatic no, his reason for why not is amazingly realistic and nuanced (Rom. 6:2). In chapter 12, there is something of a rationale for Paul's realism. Paul notes that the world is continually trying to "squeeze" Christians back into its mold, into its it way of doing things, because it has rejected the rule of God, and expects everyone to follow its moral convictions rather than God's (Rom. 12:2, cf. Eph. 2:1-3). God, on the other hand, is working in those whom has redeemed, and who have surrendered their lives to him, to liberate them from the moral pressure exerted on them by the world, and to mature them in a godliness that reflects his own moral purity and uprightness back into the world (cf. Phil. 2:13-16). He has set this in motion in them at first through a thoroughgoing moral transformation at justification, and after that by an ongoing moral transformation of their minds, as a result of a new and close relationship with God, by which he will resource their spiritual development with his grace and support (Rom. 5:2; Rom. 8:1-4). Mind changing involves the way Christians and believers think morally about life and conceive the world in which they live. The practical expression of this follows in the later verses of chapter 12, where Paul starts by addressing self-perception, and that believers do not think of themselves more highly than they ought, but instead consistently put others ahead of themselves (Rom. 12:3, 10). Even in the Roman world this kind of notion, just as it does today, ran contrary to their thinking and societal culture, and it posed a significant challenged to its everyday philosophy of morality.

PAUL AND MORAL TENSION

It seems abundantly clear, that in Romans 6:6, Paul has in mind that the body of sin, which he views as the controlling power or influence for sin and sinning in human nature (cf. Rom. 7:7-25), is rendered powerless and ineffective by its crucifixion with Christ for those who are now in union with Christ through justification and reconciliation to God. Sin's power to control, unchallenged, the moral landscape of the believer's life is rendered ineffectual. It is no longer, going forward, the overwhelmingly determining factor behind the believer’s conduct that it once was. A break with the ruling power of sin has occurred through justification, and the rule of grace has been established through moral transformation (Rom. 5:19-20; 6:3-7). Nevertheless, someone ought explore how, in Paul’s letters, he deals with ethics and morality for believers in the church who are justified and morally changed by God. Since we do not have the room to do that here (as fully as it ought to be done), I want to make a few general observations, and comment on their implications.

It is not uncommon for Paul to talk about ethical and moral transformation, and yet give ethical and even moral instructions to the same saints who are changed by God. These are usually along the lines of avoiding certain conduct, attitudes, and thinking, and he does so with exhortations like also put off certain things – like falsehood, unresolved anger, unwholesome talk, bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, malice, and unforgiveness - things one might conceivably think have been "sorted out" by moral transformation at justification (Eph. 4:25-32). After all in another place. Paul did say that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). The apostle most certainly believed in a decisive moral change at initial salvation (as did Jesus - John 3:1-18). One might assume that these things mention were now rendered impossible for those for whom the body of sin has been done away (Rom. 6:6). And yet the apostle exhorts that they be avoided.

As an example, considered Philippians 2:1-5. Paul talks about adopting a mindset of humility that puts others first. In Romans he urges his readers not to think of themselves too highly (Rom. 12-:3). In Ephesians 4, while acknowledging that they had been taught and encouraged in Christ to put off the old self, and to take up the new self, which is created by God to reflect his holiness and righteousness, they must pay attention to themselves, to avoid behaving like the Gentile unbelievers around them (Eph. 4:17). It seems incongruous to speak that way to those who are sanctified, are in union with Christ, and for whom the body of sin has been done away. So, what exactly what is going on here? In 1 Corinthians Paul warns the church against factionalism, pride, moral immaturity, and treating one another badly. And in Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, and Philippians, Paul warns the church of the dangers of disunity.

Paul is not an idealist, in the sense that he views moral transformation initially at salvation or even a subsequent experience of sanctification, to be end of every moral question and dilemma, as though absolute moral perfection and maturity is immediately conferred at the start of the Christian life. They are going to have to grow and mature in godliness, do battle with the mortal pressures that surround them in the world, and exercise control over their own desires, appetites and conduct in order to live as God bids them to live. As daunting as that seems, and Paul acknowledges the reality of the pressures believers face in a world opposed to God (Rom. 12:2), he sets out the basis for living an upright life that honors God. At first there is a moral transformation that breaks the power of sin in our nature to dictate and control every move in our lives, as it once did. This Paul calls a crucifixion with Christ, and a doing away with the body of sin (Rom. 6:6-7). He also insists that a consequence of the death of the old life in connection to union with Christ necessarily means that a resurrection to a new life has occurred (Rom. 6:4-5). This new is resourced in us though our new relationship to God and to his grace, the grace of God that is the new environment in which we now live (having been liberated from the environment which sin dominated) (Rom. 5:2). The principle impartation of grace, of all of the resources of God for a new life of moral integrity, is the impartation of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us to provide moral guidance and power (Rom. 8:1-4). This is a new relationship with God through the Spirit, by which Paul says elsewhere, our bodies have become the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19-20). His implication is that to be reconciled to God means we have been brought into a new relationship with him going forward (Rom. 5:1).

PAUL AND MORAL SUCCESS

Paul’s consistent view is that the moral starting point for salvation is decisive and transformative, tantamount to the crucifixion of the old life, and a resurrection to as new life of holiness. It settles the foundational moral groundwork for building the new life of holiness in both character and conduct. That I believe is how we should take this language in Romans 6:6 about the body of sin being done away. Union with Christ provides a decisive moral transformation, and lays the groundwork for a life of holiness that is robust enough for the will of the believer gain victory over sin and success in moral development (Rom. 6:1-5; 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Cor 5:17). Nevertheless, right practical conduct coming from initial moral transformation can only progress toward mature godliness through the power of the Spirit at work internally in the life of the believer (Roam. 8:1-4; Gal. 5:16, 18, 24-25).

The transformed and the Spirit-led life is capable of improvement, development, and maturing in godliness to better reflect the holiness and righteousness of God (cf. Paul’s own confession – “…not that I have already attained all of this… but I press on…” Phil. 3:12-14). The package of new life in Christ doesn't arrive fully assembled at the door. Assembly is required, and it is in a divine human cooperation, the believer with the God, which, through his grace, makes possible the progress and success of a life of holiness. Moral traction in the believer's experience comes from ongoing interaction with God beyond initial transformation, so that persistent fellowship with God will begin to see the consistent engagement of right conduct as the natural outflow of transformed character.

Such a view means the apostle can speak of going from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18), or of the inner man improving at the same time the outward man is deteriorating (physically) (2 Cor. 4:16-18), of working out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12-13), of God’s goal to finish what he has started in us toward the day of Christ’s coming (Phil. 1:6), that the goal of the order of salvation is progressive leading to conformity to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29-30), and that he viewed himself not as someone who had attained the full righteousness of God’s purpose for his life yet, but that he was striving to attain to it with his whole mind and will in the future at the resurrection (Phil. 3:7-14). This “tension” in Paul, between holiness attained and at work already, against it future improvement thought the working of God grace in us ought to be acknowledged and taken seriously as a Pauline theology of holiness. And while we may not agree with Augustine’s anti-Pelagian pessimism about holiness, we do agree with Wesley, who viewed holiness as God's command (Lev. 11:44-45), and believed (as did Pelagius) that he must have made it possible through an application of the power of the cross to save and sanctify the saints (Rom. 5:12-21), a definite and conscious moral and mindful surrender to God (Rom. 6:11), and an ongoing surrender of our humanity and every remaining imperfection to the rule of God by keeping in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:24-25).

PAUL AND MORAL VICTORY

Even viewed as a separate work of grace, the body of sin done away ought not to be seen as absence or total suspension of impulse (desire/appetite) or temptation to sin, but as a removal of the automatic and uncritical surrender of the will and mind to sin. It is an end to the unchallenged consent of the will to act sinfully and willfully, without the constraint of a renewed conscience from God, and a change in moral nature (Rom. 6:1-11). There is a victory in this, even in initial salvation at justification and reconciliation to God, whereby the old life is crucified with Christ, and we are raised to new life in Christ, a life that has at its core the goal of pursuing the holiness and righteousness of God for which we were created. The unopposed nature of sin, with its power to regulate conduct, and dominate the sinful mind has been broken by God in initial salvation, and a new life has begun where everything is new (2 Cor. 5:18). This is by all measurements a victory!

With the strong moral guidance or impulse of God through the indwelling Spirit, a new life with different outcomes is not only possible, where those who walk with God through the Spirit are in fellowship with him, it is even likely (Rom. 8:1-4; Gal. 5:16). At the same time, Paul does not seem to view desires or appetites as removed, suspended, or eradicated, but brought under the control of the Holy Spirit in their lives. This is the essence of his proposal in Galatians 5:16, that where the Spirit provides moral leadership and where he is followed (walked with, kept in step with – Gal. 5:16, 24-25), they will not continually and habitually fall prey to the desires of the flesh, as they once did. Rather they will begin to develop the habit of holiness.

This tension is important to see, and we ought to recognize that in Romans 6, Paul argues for decisive moral victory, making consistent upright practice and character development possible. It has been initiated in justification and pardon for sins, as well as from the results of union with Christ, but it is developed in an ongoing relationship with God through the Spirit, where a conscious surrender to God has taken place, one that has embraced the death of the old life, and gone on to take firm hold of the power and possibilities of new life in Christ (Rom. 6:11).

Early in chapter 5, Paul has proposed an alteration of the inner moral environment that now prevails in the life and heart of the believer as a result of justification, that the new believer now stands in grace, on grounds where God resources us for holiness! At the same time, every believer must work this out practically in their daily lives and personal fellowship with God, even as they live in and move about in a broken and wicked world, serving God as his ambassadors and witnesses. Paul freely acknowledges in places in his letters, that this world not only affects us, and is the vehicle of temptation, but that it seeks to squeeze believers, who have surrendered everything to God (Rom. 12:1), back into its mold (culture, way of living, worldview) (Rom. 12:2). Nevertheless, For Paul decisive moral victory in Christ is not only possible it is achievable, and moral success is real, substantial, life-changing, and moral-ethically effective as a witness for God. Unlike Augustine's pessimism, Paul reaches for holiness by striving for the prize for which he has been called upward in Christ, that is to attain resurrections and the righteousness in Christ, while at the same time claiming to have attained a significant measure of the prize even at the present time (Phil. 3:16).

The decision to surrender to the power of God and to live a changed life is bound to be subject to challenges, sometimes by the world, and sometimes by elements of our humanity that are flawed, and weak. These challenges require grace from God so that through the Spirit he might ratify the work already done in us at justification, and has been done in us since through the Spirit and his grace. If Paul is arguing for anything in Romans 6, and similar passages elsewhere, he is arguing for a decisive moral transformation, producing decisive moral changes, where both are supported by a willing and full surrender of the believer to God (Rom. 6:11; 12:1-2), so that God’s provision of grace for moral success is fully apprehended, and lived out in subsequent ongoing, daily surrender the influence of the indwelling Spirit (Rom. 8:1-4).