Exodus 1:11.
So I watched part of an interview this week between the actor Matthew Mc Conaughey and Psychologist Jordan Peterson. The issue was how the actor found a way past his own issues (agnosticism), by believing God had told him to get past his theological and practical complacency by 'taking the wheel' (responsibility) and getting on with what was necessary.
I also watched another piece - an examination of Peterson's discussion with Joe Rogan on the serpent in the wilderness incident (Numbers 21), which Christ refers to in respect to His own crucifixion (John 3:14).
Both of these pieces are seeking to identify 'truth' derived from Biblical materials and concepts - the question is what are the 'liberating' concepts identified, and are they what really counts in respect to our standing before God.
In the first video, for example, Mc Conaughey states that his 'awakening' broke him away from that God was someone who continually forgives to a being who is clearly requiring much more from him. Peterson responds to this by saying that it's no mistake that Christ is 'finally' viewed (in the book of Revelation) as a judge, not as a redeemer, and that such a process of awareness is what really counts for us.
Peterson takes a similar route with the wilderness incident, saying what this and Christ's crucifixion really point us to is confronting our deepest fears and reconciling ourselves to these to bring about a necessary healing. This, notes Steve Turley, is totally in line with the 'orthodox traditions' of Christian spirituality.
So let's summarise what these materials are saying.
God's forgiveness really doesn't bring about too much unless you're prepared to 'get real' in respect to taking charge of yourself. You have to see God as, principally, judge, who is continually requiring improvement out of you (or your church community) if you want to stay up with Him, and real growth takes place when God takes you to the point of your deepest fears and gets you to overcome them.
Goodness.
As I looked at what had been laid out here, a couple of things readily came to mind.
1. These guys have clearly never really wrestled with the writings of the Apostle Paul on the actual nature of grace and faith, as unpacked especially in the book of Romans, because of the saving work of Jesus Christ and
2. If they think these approaches are sound, then they need to spend some time under the rigour of a system like the one Martin Luther endured as an Augustinian monk to understand where such total adherence to such approaches really leave us.
God's answer to our deepest trouble - sin - is not cheap or easy - it costs far, far more than we can afford or resource from ourselves, so if we think we're making some grade, we are far more lost than we realise.
The answers these presentations provide were all in play in the medieval religious system, and they all failed, miserably, once the delusion of thinking we make the difference was unmasked - we don't. Christ does.
The solution we provide to our day has to be far deeper and substantial than mind games and religious mysticism. Christ alone is the blood and bone of God's redemptive work in creation - a substantial cosmos made far more real by the Lamb slain.
That is the prize worth all - the treasure so freely given.
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