Issue 73
Kingdom Knowledge & Practice

Discern What Pleases the Lord

By Wen Yongxu

Why "Holy Ruthlessness" and "Holy Destruction" are Needed

Translated by Lin Yu

Ruthlessness is the result of inspection and discrimination

In Ephesians 5:10, the apostle Paul instructs believers: "Examine what pleases the Lord." This sentence has a strong sense of positivity; it calls believers to actively take up the responsibility of seeking, and Examine and verify carefully so that you can discern how to live truly to please the Lord. Since the overall framework of chapter 5 is about living “as children of light” and bearing “all goodness, righteousness, and truth” as fruit, the instructions in verse 10 do have a moral component. The life of "goodness, righteousness, and truth" that we are called to live is also the moral life that God wants us to find and live out. It is universal and encompasses "everything."

However, we also need to read specificity into Paul’s instructions. For me personally, with the unique life and calling I have received, what does it mean to “please the Lord” in this current situation and in this current season of my life? Viewed in this light, it is inevitable that how I am personally called to live in a way that pleases the Lord will be different from the way that someone else “pleases the Lord.”

After all, Paul admonishes us in the following verses:"Take heed, not as fools, but as wise. Make the most of the time, for the days are evil. Do not be foolish, but know what the will of the Lord is." (5:15-17)Verse 17 of it, "Do not be foolish, but understand the will of the Lord" is the necessary balance of "cherishing the time" (or "seizing the opportunity"). OK, let us examine ourselves:

In this current season of my life, and with the specific resources, gifts, and calling God has given me, what does it mean to me personally to live out goodness, justice, truthfulness, and seize the opportunities I am called to pursue? What can we do to “please the Lord”?

The most basic thing you need to answer this most important question is discernment—the ability to know what to do and what not to do.To be honest, everyone is extremely busy in today's life, and all kinds of good opportunities are constantly competing for our attention. If you don’t clearly understand God’s call for everyone in this current season of life, you will easily say “yes” to too many “good” things, which will exhaust your physical and mental energy.

In fact, when we say "yes" to many things, we also need to say "no" to other "good" opportunities in order to give the "good" we say the focus and concentration it deserves. Take marriage as an example. We must say "no" to other potential partners in order to be fully committed to the one to whom we say "yes, I do." Let’s take another example. If I have to teach on Wednesday night, but my friend invites me to have dinner with him on Wednesday night, because my body is limited by time and space, I cannot say "yes" to both parties at the same time.

Life is full of multiple choice questions. Even if it is difficult sometimes, you still have to make a decision. What we need, therefore, is the discernment to seek with an active intention what is pleasing to the Lord. Once you find it, you need to, as theologian John G. Stackhouse, inspired by Clark Pinnock, say"holy ruthlessness". It means bravely, sometimes even ruthlessly, saying “no” to “good” opportunities because that’s not what we are called to do, and therefore saying “yes” to the things that should be said “yes” to.1Maybe many people need this kind of "holy ruthlessness". In other words, in order to be truly called, we really don’t need to be “too nice” to everyone.

▲Respect the limitations of human power, and certain commitments need to be broken sacredly.

Showing off is to preserve the best physical and mental strength

Of course, there are always times when some things just can’t be pushed away. We also need to realize that not everything we promise to do requires the same level of effort. This also requires discernment.

For the seminary where I teach in Taiwan, for ordinary full-time students, in addition to coursework, there are also services required by the school and participation in church ministries. The total burden is quite heavy. Even so, smart students will strategically choose: which subjects require 100% of effort to get an A; some require 85% and will be satisfied with a B; and some require only 70% of effort to get enough grades to graduate. good.2 For those students who are called to pursue further studies in the academic field of theology, they need to devote more energy to the in-depth study and research of biblical languages and theological courses. For those students who are preparing to enter the pastoral or counseling field, they will invest their best energy in practical courses, areas where they can gain experience, and ministry internships. As finite creatures, each of us has a unique calling from God. However, the fact before us is that not every commitment that requires strength and concentration will receive our 100% efforts. Really, with limited power, some things only require 70%, so that we can focus our attention and energy on things that are more important and worthy of 100%'s focus.

This means that in order to "test what pleases the Lord", it is inevitable to distinguish which ones are worthy of our 100%, which ones are 85%, and which ones only need 70%. For those who only need the commitment of the 70%, we have also faithfully learned how not to put in more than necessary in order to preserve optimal physical and mental strength for the rest that require the commitment of the 85% and 100%.

this means,"Discovering what pleases the Lord" requires discerning which commitments have a "holy laziness". In good conscience, only by acknowledging the limitations of being a finite human being can we live a moderately humble life.And this human finitude, properly respected, can actually be a great blessing, not a curse.

Maybe some people will protest what I said: Doesn’t Colossians 3:17 tell us to be “excellent” in all things (that is, 100%)? Didn’t Paul say, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”? I would like to point out that the "excellence" worshiped by perfectionists is actually modern people's misinterpretation of scriptures and is a product of the (American) megachurch culture.

Rather than thinking that what Paul is referring to here in Colossians is always striving for perfectionistic excellence, I believe that "whatever you do in the name of the Lord" really means speaking and acting in a "praise" manner, because Such an attitude of worship reflects just the right proportions.One of the aspects of this attitude manifested in "examining what pleases the Lord" is that in prayer, we strive to discern what to say "yes" to, what to say "no" to, and what to say "yes" to. Put in as much effort as you can. Once this is clear, practice "divine ruthlessness" and "divine sacrifice" faithfully and without feeling guilty. Only in this way can we, in Christ and through the Holy Spirit, truly commit ourselves to the Lord in all our words and deeds, and thank God the Father in them.

(See the English unit for the original text.)

Note:

  1. John G. Stackhouse, Jr. recalls the advice Clark Pinnock gave him in his youth about being ruthless, asking him to speak out about our need for "holy ruthlessness." Please refer to Stackhouse's blog post "In memory of Clark Pinnock, a "ruthless" theologian", https://www.johnstackhouse.com/post/in-memory-of-clark-pinnock-a-ruthless-theologian.
  2. The level of concentration and energy we invest may not be reflected in the final results. Sometimes you may only get 70 points if you put in 100% of effort in a certain subject; sometimes you may only get 95 points if you put in 70% of effort. This is also something to consider when deciding how much effort to invest.

Rev. Dr. Clement Wen, currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at China Evangelical Theological Seminary in Taiwan. He served as the Youth Pastor of the Chinese Bible Church in Maryland (2010-2015), and later obtained a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He and his wife Lu Xiaojun have two sons, Ethan and Micah. The content of this article is based on Pastor Wen’s video at [KG Knowledge Gym] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JBgREiH464).