The Bruised Reed - Chapter 3

A couple quick thoughts and quotes from the three pages of Chapter 3 of The Bruised Reed.

Chapter 3 - The Smoking Flax

When Sibbes speaks of the smoking flax, he speaks of the evidence of Christ's grace in our lives and the ongoing work of sanctification. Often our growth seems weak at first and the steps we take seem so small, but Sibbes encourages us:

"Let us not therefore be discouraged at the small beginnings of grace, but look on ourselves as elected to be 'holy and without blame' (Eph. 1:4). Let us look on our imperfect beginning only to enforce further striving to perfection, and to keep us in a low opinion of ourselves. Otherwise, in case of discouragement, we must consider ourselves as Christ does, who looks on us as those he intends to fit for himself. Christ values us by what we shall be, and by what we are elected unto. We call a little plant a tree, because it is growing up to be so. 'Who has despised the day of small things?' (Zec. 4:10). Christ would not have us despise little things." (p. 17)

Even when it seems that our growth is slow, we can ultimately rest in God's promise to bring his work in us to completion. And yet, despite this growing amount of grace, there is corruption still present in some sense. Sibbes describes the smoking flax as the spark and light that represent the hope and grace within us and the smoke from the fire that represents the sin which still remains.

"But grace is not only little, but mingled with corruption; therefore a Christian is said to be smoking flax. So we see that grace does not do away with corruption all at once, but some is left for believers to fight with." (p. 18)

Why is there this mixture of the smoke of corruption and the light of Christ?

"The end of it is especially to preserve us from those two dangerous rocks which our natures are prone to dash upon, security and pride, and force us to pitch our rest on justification, not sanctification, which, besides imperfection, has some stains." (p. 19)

A strong reminder to consider both of these "dangerous rocks".

First, security. Where am I deriving my assurance? Is it based upon my works and growth? The gradual process of sanctification and the corruption that remains show us that our ultimate assurance cannot come from how we have grown and what we have done, but in what Christ has already done on the cross in securing our justification.

Second, pride. The fact that sanctification continues at the pace that God determines helps us to keep our pride in check. Even when we are doing all the right things growth can be slow because God is the one who gives the increase and he does so his timing and wisdom. And sometimes, as I have seen in my life, that can be because I start to claim areas where I see growth as a result of me rather than God. Growth is often at a pace that causes us to depend fully on God and contemplating the remaining corruption in our lives helps to sever pride that begin to spring up.

Are you resting in confidence in God's promise to finish the good work he has started in you? Do you see areas of your life where you can be tempted to crash into the dangerous rocks of pride and security?