Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
Proverbs 13:11 ESV
I recommended a certain kind of “mindset” in my book, Solomon Says (though I don’t know if I ever used that word). Recently, I’ve been listening to the book The Slight Edge. It isn’t a Christian book, but it has got me thinking about the relationship of faith to hope and future-orientation.
Idolatry & Glory
Early in his letter to the Romans, Paul talks about people who “exchange” the glory of God for what is less than human.
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Romans 1:21-23 ESV
This accusation is somewhat subtle. Paul argues that God’s “invisible attributes” are “clearly perceived” in the things He has done. Yet, people want to glorify visible things, and so turn to the animal world. The most well-known Scriptural instance of this was the Israelites using a statue of a calf (Exodus 32:4; I Kings 12:28). The strength of the ox was legendary to those people, and they probably saw the idols of a way of invoking that strength. But they actually weakened themselves:
They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image. They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
Psalm 106:19–20 ESV
Even in the case of “images of mortal men,” which Paul mentions though does not elaborate on as much, worshipers demean themselves:
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.
Psalm 115:2–8 ESV
Paul preached along these lines when he confronted idolatry in person (Acts 17:29). But in this passage in Romans he focuses more on the discrepancy between the glory of God and that of animals, mentioning that humans are “mortal” because they share that in common with the animals.
Idolatry and Time Preference
Paul’s condemnation of idolatry, soon takes on another dimension. Those who exchange God glory are also exchanging their possible future glory.
He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
Romans 2:6-8
Why “patience in well-doing”? Because the “glory and honor and immortality” won’t be immediately experience. You will have to wait. That’s why those who “obey unrighteousness” are “self-seeking.” They think they must have the immediate glory that unrighteousness promises them.
This becomes emphasized in the faith of Abraham that Paul describes later:
In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
Romans 4:18–21 ESV
So rather than worship mortal man, like Paul describes the unrighteous doing in Romans 1:18ff, Abraham reckoned his body and his wife’s as dead, but still trusted God for his “resurrection” promise. He valued the future over the present.
In economic terms, his faith took the form of a “low time preference.” He discounted present discomfort in favor of an eventual blessing. Idolatry is a high time preference custom.
The New Christian Low Time Preference
Paul’s grand conclusion to this, is that Jesus’ death and resurrection make the future even more certain. Thus, we are now the people of the low time preference.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:1–5 ESV
So, as Abraham did before Christ, much more do we now see that suffering (the cross) will lead to glory (resurrection). Paul returns again to this point even more vividly in Romans 8. Here’s a small part of the passage:
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us… For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:16–18, 24-25 ESV
Patience & Character
Romans 8 speaks of the resurrection but the faith, according to Romans 5:1-5, also includes a future “character” in this life, which in turn is better able to hope in God’s promises for this life and the next. We wait for it “with patience” write Paul in 8:25. But he uses the same word in Romans 5:3-4. The ESV uses the word “endurance” but if we keep it the same as chapter 8 we get:
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces patience, and patience produces character, and character produces hope…
And here we get to the point. Paul writes more about some of the basics of Christian character (though he doesn’t use that word). In Romans 6:3ff we get a long promise and exhortation to become increasingly obedient. He tells baptized believers to reckon or consider or regard themselves as dead to sin through the crucifixion and burial of Christ and alive to God through his resurrection. The whole passage is essential reading, but I will focus on a couple of verses at the end:
For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
Romans 6:19b–21 ESV
The phrase “slaves to impurity and lawlessness” hearkens back to Romans 2:8 and those who “obey unrighteousness.” “Lawlessness leading to more lawlessness” hearkens back to Romans 1:18ff and the process where idolatry leads to all manner of impurity and lawlessness. That process is now reverse for believers. Slavery to righteousness leads to sanctification just as, in 5:2-5, suffering produces patience, and patience produces character, and character produces hope.
The change that Paul describes taking place in Romans 6:2ff seems instantaneous and complete, but patience is required! The definitive work of Christ that freed us from sin and empowers un to walk in newness of life (Romans 6 again) does not result in immediate moral perfection or immediate mature character any more than it results in immediate resurrection. What is immediate is the new context that now encompasses believers in the resurrection era. But being confident in our post-resurrection identity and acting consistently with it, is a gradual improvement.
How One Acquires Character: Faith & Patience in Well-Doing
So let’s revisit this post on how one becomes a different person, an improved character. If someone asked about being a pastor, and was directed to the list of character qualifications in First Timothy 3:1-7, he would not be taken seriously if he came back the next day and claimed, having read the moral description on an potential pastor, he had decided to act that was and was, thus, now qualified. That is not how this works, any more than one can claim to be a pianist because one had read a book on music theory.
Character takes time, not just to prove itself, but to really be formed. One has to practice, and practice, and then practices some more. Claiming to have “made it” overnight shows impatience rather than piety. They want to believe in a short cut.
There is no short cut, but the eventual character that is produced by faith and patience isn’t doubtful. That glory will be bestowed on believers by God and everyone who receives it will agree that it was worth the wait.
The mindset of faith is confident that God will grant us character and that no effort toward that goal will ever be in vain.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Romans 12:12 ESV
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through patience and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of patience and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:4-6 ESV