Imagination v. Inspiration

The simplicity that is in Christ. [2 Cor. 11:3, KJV]

Simplicity is the secret of seeing things clearly. A [matured Christian] does not think clearly for a long while, but a [matured Christian] ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think a spiritual muddle clear, you have to obey it clear. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will think yourself into cotton wool. If there is something upon which God has put His pressure, obey in that matter, bring your imagination into captivity to the obedience of Christ with regard to it and everything will become as clear as daylight. The reasoning capacity comes afterwards, but we never see along that line, we see like children; when we try to be wise we see nothing (Matthew 11:25.)

The tiniest thing we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is quite sufficient to account for spiritual muddle, and all the thinking we like to spend on it will never make it clear. Spiritual muddle is only made plain by obedience. Immediately we obey, we discern. This is humiliating, because when we are muddled we know the reason is in the temper of our mind. When the natural power of vision is devoted to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the power of perceiving God’s will and the whole life is kept in simplicity.

[From Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest Selections for the Year (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1993, c1935), September 14.]

This morning I encountered that reading above - I like it so much that I posted it here. It rings so true in my life. Without obedience there would be no divine inspiration but instead human imagination. A case in point is Robert Funk and the Jesus Seminar which Mark wrote about.

Back in 2002 when I was considering seminary, one of the three options I considered was Claremont Theological Seminary (and they had more financial scholarships available compared to Talbot and Fuller). But as I spent an afternoon in Borders Books and Music, reading his book "The Five Gospels: What did Jesus really say?", I found the book was just so lousy that I scratched Claremont off my option list. All because Funk was a Professor Emeritus there.

Because I like the heady stuff, I need to heed Paul's advice closely: "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." [1Tim.4:16] Without obedience, it's all imagination and not inspiration.