Augustine
by Colton White
I began a new series with the youth last week and I am finding myself so encouraged that I cannot help but share what the Lord is doing. The series is over people in Church history who have changed the way that we think as Christians today. You may think, really? Are you really teaching students about church history?
Yes, here’s why:
As I began to read about the early church leaders I began to see that they look a lot like us. They were ordinary people just like us, but God used them to literally change history. The church today has been shaped by these theological thinkers, and it has influenced the way we think today. We tend to think of them as these theological giants, but when you begin to see them simple as a mere human being that God displayed his power through, then you will begin to see the true glory of our God.
We started with Augustine last week, Martin Luther this week, and finishing with Jonathan Edwards next week. So I just wanted to take a second and share with you a few quotes from Augustine that I shared with the student’s last week.
1. Augustine’s biggest struggle was with lust, and if you have read “Confessions” then you know that his struggles between his desire for sex and this new idea of finding satisfaction came to a head in what we know now as, “the Garden Episode”. By God’s revelation in Romans 13:13. Augustine found a new hope in Christ, and was forever changed by the grace of God. This is what Augustine said as he looked back at the moment:
““How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys that I had once feared to lose, you drove them from me, you who are the true sovereign joy. You drove them form and you took their place, you who are sweeter than all pleasure, o lord my god, my light, my wealth and my salvation”.
So powerful and so full of truth. “Fruitless joys”. “You who are sweeter than all pleasure”. Augustine saw the Christian life as a radical change of affections for a holy and merciful God. He is our pleasure and our satisfaction, he sustains, and he fulfills us.
2. A question I get from student’s all the time is, “Colton, how do I know if I’m a Christian?”
Augustine said it this way, “the whole of a Christian life is a holy longing”.
We began to talk about how sometimes we may not feel like we love God, and feel like he doesn’t love us. it’s hard we are full of sin, and the presence of that sin distances us from God. However, as Augustine said, it’s about a longing, a pursuing of holiness. Sometimes we may not “feel” his presence, but if we want that, if we seek that, then that’s a good sign your His child. I love that picture of desire and pursuit to just want to be in his presence.
3. It is difficult to just love God sometimes with all of our heart, soul, and mind. It’s even more difficult to love “that” person that you just don’t click with. So how do we do it?
Augustine said, “Lord command me and then give me what you command”
So essentially, God you command me to love, so through your holy spirit (he pointed to Romans 5:5) give me that love. You command me to be joyful then give me that joy. We talked about the reason we don’t feel like we love God or rather we don’t feel like we our loved, is because we are simply, not looking in the right place. Love, joy, peace, all of these are fruits of the spirit, and that is the only place where we will find them. I can’t grow an apple off of my arm, I have to go to an apple tree or to the store. If we want love, joy, peace, than the only place we go to get those things is the Lord.
Hope your as encouraged by Augustine as myself, and the students of FBC Holland have been. Maybe next week I’ll share what Martin Luther has taught us.
Good stuff Colt. Really encouraging and challenging, thanks.