Do you see a river of life (creation) or only a river of death (sin)?

People of Reformed theological persuasion tend to be quite passionate in describing sin patterns–at least in theory. We feel at home with concepts such as Total Depravity (thank you Calvin. Some day I’ll share my friend Doug’s bible study: “Why total depravity leads to joy”). We know that even our best isn’t very good. Yes, we have been already adopted, but we are not yet glorified, and so we are still sinners in need of God’s daily grace.

However, I’ve noticed that some attracted to Reformed theology and biblical counseling are very much focused on the fall, on the broken world. A person comes to us and we see how they serve private idols more than God–their “practical atheism” to use a term oft quoted by the late Rev. Jack Miller. This person focused on the Fall of humanity tends to be sin counselors, exceptionally gifted in seeing the consequences of sin and advising another on how to put to death the “old man.” I’m one of them. I tend to be a pessimist. Anyone can be an axe murderer if given the right circumstances.

But we Reformed people at least pay lip service to the concept of the image of God not being totally distorted in anyone. His image is in all and that is why God’s common grace is given to all. In believers, we see God’s creation and re-creation through the work of Christ on the cross. Sin is put to death and life begins to flow through us. What would happen, then, if we counselors became creation focused? Where would we find our focus? Would we spend less time pointing out sin patterns and more time helping clients see what God is doing and how he has gifted them despite the brokenness in and around them.

This last Sunday, my pastor pointed us to a passage in Ezekiel 47. The prophet is taken to see a trickle of water coming out of the envisioned temple (emanating from where the brass cleansing bowl had been in the OT temple–no need for that now that Jesus had cleansed once for all). It starts as a trickle but within a mile it is a raging river that no one can cross and it brings life to the Dead Sea. Imagine this river washing out all the salt and death from the Dead Sea. I’ve floated on that Dead Sea and have seenthe dryness that is in that valley. With the exception of the Ein Gedi oasis, it is not a place you want to live. But, God’s healing waters flood the area and washes out death. Along the banks of the river, trees of healing bear fruit. This is the ever expanding mission of God moving out from the temple to his people.

If this is the picture of the kingdom of God, already here and being made more true every day, then do we see it? Do we taste it? Not if we stay so focused on the sins we and those around us commit. This reality of Ezekiel’s vision ought to encourage us to take longer looks at God’s healing power in our lives and around us. What has he already accomplished and what is he accomplishing already?

 Let us not be like Jesus’ followers who turned away and forgot his power when the way got tough.