Upside down orthodoxy
Aug. 17 2007
In my recent post on why I think humble orthodoxy is important, one person left the following comment:
“Is it just me or does Humble Orthodoxy birth an upside down thinking? It seems that the more growth you experience, the more you learn to distrust your own knowledge. As if the more Orthodoxy you obtain, the more you learn Humility is the only way and the key mark of Humility is to question the Orthodoxy obtained. I haven’t thought about it enough to know if it applies in my own life, however it seems that a few of these posts talking about Humble Orthodoxy, particularly this one, have a consistent UPSIDE DOWN thought process.”
Another person responded, “I don’t think it’s upside down, however I would love to hear more on the blog about how to humbly approach orthodoxy not just humbly representing it.”
I’m thankful for both comments and would like to attempt to explain why humble orthodoxy is not “upside down thinking” and how we humbly approach orthodoxy.
Upside Down Thinking
At the Desiring God pastors’ conference this year, William McKenzie opened his session by saying we need to have the Bible beneath our feet, in our hearts, and over our heads. He powerfully illustrated this simple statement by holding the Bible toward his feet, next to his heart, and then over his head. The first two—beneath our feet and in our hearts—are generally not problematic for most people. We understand we need to “stand on God’s Word” as it offers the only sure foundation. And, most have favorite passages that they treasure or commit to memory, hiding it in our hearts that we might not sin against God.
But I think the third position, the Bible hoisted over our heads, is less understood and less practiced. We’re comfortable with the Word providing something for us (foundation for our feet, encouragement when we’re weary) but at times grow uneasy if not rebellious when we think of the Word of God reigning and ruling over us. To embrace a humble orthodoxy, which exalts the reign and rule of God through His Word is not upside down thinking—it’s setting things aright. The proverbial apple cart is toppled over when we only have the Word beneath our feet and in our heart; that’s upside down. It’s humble orthodoxy that puts the word and the Word over our heads.
The Word reigning over us requires and produces humility. It isn’t as much a matter of distrusting your own knowledge as it is being submissive to and trusting the truth about God. When we do that, we lie deep in the dust (poverty of spirit), we mourn over our sin and sin of the world, and we respond to others with gentleness (meekness) informed by our own poverty before God (Matt. 5:3-5). That’s what I was attempting to describe in my recent post. Humble orthodoxy reflects the Beatitudes. It’s growth in the truth and the corresponding humility truth produces. Wherever one is lacking, the Christian is incomplete. Humble orthodoxy is a joyously thankful embrace of the truth because we know we don’t deserve it. And like any joyous embrace, it holds on and squeezes tightly rather than pushes away or denies. Chesterton once remarked, “The purpose of an open mind is to close it on something solid.” That’s humble orthodoxy.
A Humble Approach to Orthodoxy
Humble orthodoxy begins with our approach to truth itself. Is it possible to practice a humble orthodoxy without being careful in our approach to the truth? I don’t know; maybe.
But this is certain, we’re better off to begin with the right approach than to begin with haughty hearts and have to be corrected by God. Here are six things—three statements about our relationship to orthodoxy and three statements about humility before the Word—to consider in our approach to the Word of God and biblical orthodoxy.
1. Recognize we don’t know everything. We see through a glass darkly on some things (1 Cor. 13:12). It is good and humble of us to recognize that our night vision and partial knowledge likely exists on more things than we either admit or know right now. There are doctrinal positions I held fiercely and dogmatically at one point in my walk. And as I said in the original post, I steamrolled people who didn’t hold that view. By God’s grace, I’ve come to learn of inadequacies and error in positions once held dear. I “knew in part.” I didn’t know everything then, and I don’t know everything now. It’s good to recognize that I’m not omniscient. Such recognition increases the prospects of humility.
2. However, we should also recognize that we do know some things. Though we know in part, the scripture is clear on a great number of matters essential to the faith. That’s why there is an orthodoxy to even speak of; the essentials are clear and ought not be doubted. We don’t doubt the incarnation, sinless perfection, miracle working power, teaching authority, deity, crucifixion, substitutionary atonement, resurrection, ascension, return and reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those things (among others) define the faith and are not negotiable. We hold these truths tightly because they are of first importance, and being so the Lord has not left these things hazy. Far from leading to doubting orthodoxy, humble orthodoxy embraces the essential truths of the faith as fully as possible, even defending them wherever needed (Jude 3) but always “with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet. 3:15-16).
3. Recognize the source of orthodoxy. It is the Word itself that establishes the orthodoxy, not our agreement with it. We’re humble and orthodox if we realize that the truth doesn’t depend upon our adherence to establish it. Neither does it depend on the thoughts of great Christians in the past. If we’re humble, we learn from those who have gone before us. We study church history and the writings of previous saints. And we are helped, corrected, warned, encouraged, and instructed as we do so. And though our heroes may be champions of orthodoxy, the scripture provides the plumbline. Orthodoxy is not a democratically established idea. The Monarch, the King of kings, declares what is right thinking and belief in His Word. “Hear ye, Hear ye the King!” should bellow in our ears as we approach the Word. For in the scripture the One who determines what is orthodox speaks.
4. Recognize that “humility” is not the same as doubt or being non-committal. That’s precisely what some people suggest—humility is questioning everything and holding to nothing. But biblically that’s being “double-minded” and “unstable in all our ways,” not humble (Jam. 1:6-8; 4:8). We receive the Word with meekness (Jam. 1:21), not with doubt. In other words, we joyfully accept what God reveals with the kind of lowliness that esteems the Word and the Lord as higher than ourselves.
5. Recognize that true humility requires a transformed mind. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. His thoughts and ways are higher than our thoughts and ways (Is. 55:8-9). That should make us flinch, pause, and reflect every time we encounter a passage of the scripture that we tend to explain away or disagree with. If God’s Word is infallible and inerrant, and if the thoughts of God are higher than ours, then in humility, we question what we think in favor of the more sure word of prophecy revealed in the scripture. After all, whether we understand it or not, the scripture is entirely and always orthodox. Our minds need renewing (Rom. 12:2), not God’s. “Let God be true and every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4) is our attitude before God’s Word.
6. Recognize our need to obey the Word of God. That’s obvious, though it needs stating. If we are humble and orthodox, we approach the Word of God with a prayerful heart of obedience. We ask the Lord to grant us grace to do what he commands. We determine that it’s far better for us to do whatever the scripture requires though it be costly, than to take the way that seems right to man but leads to destruction. His commandments are not burdensome and like the psalmist we delight to keep His law as an expression of love for our Savior (John 14:15).
Conclusion
I don’t want to give the impression that my thinking is never “upside down” or that I’m always recognizing what I should when it comes to the truth. Neither do I want to leave the impression that this is in any way the definitive statement about these matters. But I do think that when we are thinking “right side up,” the Word will rule over us in all things and we, like the spiritual paupers we are, will come humbly recognizing our need and the greatness of the God who saves us.
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Thabiti Anyabwile is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman and blogs regularly at Pure Church.