6. A Spiritual Sloth Will Never Become a True Saint

6. A Spiritual Sloth Will Never Become a True Saint. 

“If you consult your own soul with complete honesty, you will see that there is one and only one reason why you are not even now a saint. You do not wholly want to be.” (William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life).

Spiritual Sloth: (Greek, “Acedia”); spiritual laziness; indifference and apathy at the deeper levels; lack of spiritual ambition; joyless in sacred pleasures; spiritual ennui; careless attitude toward spiritual matters; a dispassionate lack of mindfulness and soul-care; a listless ignorance of what is eternally important; empty of the energy to escape self-centeredness; a lack of motivation to follow through on spiritual duties and activities; a spiritual sluggard; a sickness of the soul that results in boredom with God; a vague sense of dissatisfaction with anything spiritual; a cold sin of omission that drifts away from any hope of locating life’s true purpose and meaning; the unwillingness to be a diligent seeker of God and His Kingdom; a strong temptation from the evil one to remain spiritually empty and unfulfilled. A spiritual sloth is content to, spiritually speaking, follow the pace of the real sloth by moving at ten feet per minute, 1/9th of a mile per hour, and sleep twenty hours a day.

Descriptions of Spiritual Sloth: 

1. “It is like dying in advance.” (Pope Francis);
2. “It is a deflation of the soul that hinders spiritual resolve.” (anonymous);
3. “It renders a person idle and useless for every spiritual work.” (John Cassian);
4. “It is a sort of heavy, oppressive sadness that presses down on a person’s mind in such a way that he wants to do nothing and no activity pleases him.”  (Thomas Aquinas);
5. “It is a joylessness when faced with God as our supreme joy.” (Peter Kreeft);
6. “It is a supernatural torpor that doesn’t want to take the trouble at asking the great spiritual questions.”  (Blaise Pascal);
7. “It is the sin that is so dead that it doesn’t even seem to rise to the level of sin; a sin so sinful that it isn’t even sin.” (Peter Kreeft).

Streetview Dixieclub – Oh When The Saints Go Marching In

SAINT: The basic meaning of the term saint is “holy one,” which is from the Latin word “sanctus.” A saint is one who has been anointed by the Holy Spirit, enabled to grow in “set-apartness” for God’s special purposes. A saint is one who is officially dedicated to God in order to increase one’s usefulness to Him. A saint is one who has been spiritually sainted by virtue of being hidden inside Christ, the Anointed One, and also practically sainted by virtue of choosing the distinctive life of growing in goodness, purity and reflecting God’s character.  A saint is one who has surrendered to the Holy Spirit and then empowered to mature in living out the gospel values of the Anointed One Jesus. A saint is one who has officially declared an intention to remain loyal and faithful to the Anointed One, separated from the ungodly in identity by choosing to be distinctive in personal character and life purpose.

HOLY: One who has been anointed by the Holy Spirit, set apart for God’s service and assigned to a sacred purpose; a person who has been sanctified, consecrated, dedicated to a sacred usefulness; one who has been empowered by the Holy Spirit to grow in the holy nature of the Anointed One; one who has been spiritually separated from all that contradicts the character of God, and instead is united to the vary character of Jesus Messiah.

So what is a Saint, other than a Holy One and an Anointed One? A willing member of the holy priesthood of all believers; someone who is determined to be in the Lord’s sanctification process; a follower of Jesus who is intentionally living into holiness, set apart for service to God; an apprentice to the Anointed One who accepts being assigned by God for a sacred purpose; a humble student of Jesus who wisely reminds others of God’s presence in the world; an imperfect person who is designated to represent a perfect God; a spiritually anointed one whose behavior is increasingly separate from the sinful and worldly; a Christ-follower who is engaged in the process of being cleansed and purified in order to increase one’s usefulness to God; a believer whose life is marked by growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Messiah. “It is God Himself who has anointed us. And He is constantly strengthening us in joint fellowship with the Anointed One, in union with Christ. He knows we are His since He has stamped His seal of love over our hearts and has given us the Holy Spirit as the security deposit, His guarantee of the fulfillment of His promise.” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, TPT and Amplified Bible).

Don’t Believe the Myths about Sainthood. Sainthood has a P.R. problem. There are so many myths and counterfeits and misconceptions, the world wouldn’t know a true saint if it tripped over one. A typical image of a saint is a holier-than-thou, self-righteous, fun-hating stiff. A saint is viewed as a domesticated, tamed, lifeless person who loves to heap guilt on others. People make the mistake of believing that sainthood is reserved for the super-spiritual, the hyper-Christian, the pious mystic untainted by the world. With impressions like these, who would ever want to be anointed, who would choose to be a saint?

Myth #1 – Saints are only those who are intensely pious, more spiritual, and are super-Christians.

Truth #1 – “Holy is the best word we have for the all-encompassing, all-embracing life of God that transforms us into a uniquely formed and set apart people. Holy is never a pious abstraction. Holiness cannot be reduced to an emotional devotional experience that we cultivate in order to “feel spiritual.” Holiness is an invitation to enter into what God is doing and intending to get done in the world. And it’s for everyone. Holiness is not targeted to an elite spiritual aristocracy.”  (Eugene Peterson, The  Jesus Way).

 

Myth #2 – Saints don’t want to be tainted by the world as they live into holiness.

Truth #2 – Jesus went out of His way to touch the untouchables. He was a friend of sinners, and all those rejected by the religious establishment. Jesus talked with them. He lived with them. He was unafraid to be blemished in some way by His contact with the sinful. On the other hand, Jesus never compromised His character. He never joined in with the sinful life, even when tempted. He kept Himself clean while engaging with the unclean. That’s a picture of sainthood. Someone willing to provide the presence of a pure God in the midst of an impure world. Someone who rubs shoulders with the dishonorable in order to bring the light of healing and hope, forgiveness and redemption.

 

Myth #3 – Saints tend to be glum and overly serious, because they don’t know how to have fun. 

Truth #3 – “These Christians are a quiet and holy people. They have discovered a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasures of this sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They have overcome the world.” (Cyprian of Carthage, 250 AD).   “From gloomy Christians, Lord, deliver us.” (Teresa of Avila).

 

Myth #4 – Saints are all tame and domesticated, living a bland life with no personality of their own.

Truth #4 – “Holiness is wild  and undomesticated. Holiness is an interior fire, a passion for living for God, a capacity for exuberance in living out the life of God in the details of our day-to-day lives. Holy is not a word that drains the blood out of life. It’s a word that gets the blood pumping, pulsing life through our veins and putting color in our cheeks.”  (Eugene Peterson, The Jesus Way).

 

Myth #5 – Being set apart, saints tend to live at a distance from the everyday world and real life. 

Truth #5 – Human beings are called to holiness because God their Creator is holy. God is indeed distant from the world, is transcendent, set apart, distinctive. But He is also vitally present and active within the world. Rabbi Sacks called it a “calibrated distance.” Just as God remains present in daily life despite being set apart, saints are called to live in and be active in the world. God does not participate in the unholy, because of His purity. Saints are not to participate in the unholy because we have put on Christ, wearing our new nature. Saints do not make peace with unholy alliances of any sort. Saints are intentionally involved in God’s sanctifying process, remaining saints-in-making, holy servants of God in everyday life.

 

Myth #6 – Saints are too narrow-minded to live a well-rounded, beautiful life. 

Truth #6 – “The new thing in this little Jewish community in Eastern Europe (during the 18th and 19th centuries) was that holiness, the highest of all values, became so real and so concrete that it became as perceptible as beauty. How was it possible not to feel the presence of God in the world? How could one fail to see that the whole earth is full of His glory? Such longing for the higher endowed them with an almost superhuman quality. They did not write songs, they themselves were songs. They often lacked outward brilliance, but they were full of hidden light.”  (Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Earth is the Lord’s).

 

Myth #7 – Sainthood is not meant for everyone. You have to be specially called to be a saint.

Truth #7 – “All of us, if we only knew it, are on a hunt for the holy, for a life that cannot be reduced to the way we look or what we do or what others think of us. We are after something – more life than we get simply by eating three meals a day, getting a little exercise, and having a decent job. We’re after the God-originated and God-shaped life – a holy life.” (Eugene Peterson, The Jesus Way).   “If you consult your own soul with complete honesty, you will see that there is one and only one reason why  you are not even now a saint: You do not wholly want to be.”  (William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life).

 

Myth #8 – Saints are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.

Truth #8 – How did Christ live here on earth? He did good deeds. He healed everyone within reach, and some who were long-distance. He liberated the demon-possessed. He sought out those on the margins. Since Christians are called to be “little Christs,” (C. S. Lewis), a believer is one who does much the same as the Master. Ever since Christianity was established, believers have been pioneers in human care. They created the first hospital, the first hospice, the first prison reform, the first crisis pregnancy center, and have had the most direct hand in developing those institutions ever since. Christians were the first to run to the aid of plague victims in the Middle Ages. They brought and developed learning to unlearned populations. They led the way to the abolition of slavery. They established health care in leper colonies. The list goes on. Christians are the opposite of all-talk and no-action. Believers have the same inner promptings to demonstrate compassion as Jesus . Christians have excelled at initiating mercy and kindness wherever it is needed. Believers have been of immense earthly good wherever they have lived.

Myth #9 – Saints are self-righteous, proud of their saintliness, holier than thou, and love publicity.

Truth #9 – “A saint is a human being released from the love of self and enslaved by the love of God.”  (Douglas Steere).  “Saints learn to be unknown.” (Thomas A’Kempis, The Imitation of Christ).

 

Myth #10 – A saint is basically a nice person who does good things, an eager activist in righteous causes.

Truth #10 – A saint is one who is picking out a new spiritual wardrobe, priestly garments of splendor. Saints are in the process of taking off their old nature and putting on their new nature in Christ. Saints wear a robe of righteousness and are clothed in Jesus. They are not merely putting on a comfortable costume. saints aren’t merely playing a part in a religious play. The new wardrobe is not just for appearance’s sake to look good. Putting on Christ means a saint’s outer life of virtue is in synch with his or her inner life of faith. That’s why wearing Christ transcends a generic goodness intended for cultural acceptance. The saint seeks to emulate Christ, demonstrating the very character of God, not participating in whichever social goodness is trending.

 

Myth #11 –It is pretty much impossible to live the life of a saint, to live the holy life. 

Truth #11 –  Everyday saintly actions in the holy priesthood of all believers:

1. Bring God to the People: Demonstrate God’s character through the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23); Develop a lifestyle of blessing others in God’s Name.
2. Bring the People to God: Intercede for others through disciplined prayer; Remind others of God’s presence in the world through word and deed.
3. Offer yourself Daily as a Living Sacrifice:  Read God’s mind by studying Scripture;  Minister to “one another” in God’s Name;  Offer up a constant sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
4. Put On Christ as your Priest’s Clothing: Take off the Old You in sin, rejecting the attitudes and behavior of the old nature; Put on the New You in Christ, growing in faith and goodness.    (SL).

Setting the Bar High. We all have a decision to make. Do you want to live a good life, or a holy life? Do you want to exist as merely a good person, or a sanctified person? Many are searching for a life that has some teeth in it, a life that is demanding, that takes a meaningful commitment. Is being generically good, good enough for a fulfilling life? If you are basically a good person, you work hard, you wouldn’t intentionally hurt anyone, and you follow the rules for the most part, is that a high enough calling for you? The truth is that if you are satisfied with being a good person, with what amounts to a secular righteousness, you are in danger of setting the bar too low as far as life’s purpose. Do you want something more compelling that ordinary goodness in your life? A long train of spiritual heroes recommend you think about holiness, being set apart for the Master’s use. Maybe you should consider the idea of becoming an anointed saint.

Generically Good? Is a good life good enough? Perhaps it’s time to set ourselves apart and become a part of the holy sainthood. Maybe it’s time to be anointed and dedicated to the Master’s use, like a vessel of honor in the Lord’s well-stocked kitchen (2 Timothy 2:20-21). Perhaps it’s time to seek a sanctified and holy life, a consecrated life, the life of the saint, a member of the anointed ones. Maybe being generically good isn’t good enough.

Wanted: A Magnet. Are we looking for a way to give holiness some pulling power? Are we trying to make holiness attractive to the crowd as well as the church? Look no further than Jesus. He led a beautiful, holy life.

1. His holy wisdom helps make sense of the world. His wisdom is a vast improvement over the world’s glaring foolishness. True to His Word, He is truth-in-action.
2. His holy goodness makes the world a better place. The obvious beauty of His goodness is a decided advantage over the banal ugliness of sin. He is love-in-action.
3. His final victory provides the ultimate attraction. His holy life couldn’t be defeated by death. He was victorious in something that defeated everyone else. His resurrection was power-in-action.

So how can we make holiness compelling? For one thing, maybe the main thing, is to keep pointing people to the Gospels. Talk about His character and personality, His life and  ministry. It’s hard to argue with any of that. As the Holy Spirit guides the process, people will question Him, then admire Him, then investigate Him, then follow Him. It is a divine duty of all believers to live in such a way as to make Jesus an attractive option, the only option. Christians need to grow in winsomely fleshing out the beauty of His holiness through demonstrating His wisdom, His goodness, and His ultimate victory. While we do that, keep praying that God would give us “a crown of beauty” to replace our ashes of defeat. (Isaiah 61:3).

Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band – When the Saints Go Marching In (Live In Dublin)