“What if…”  (Part of Romans 9:22)

“…[T]he renewing of your mind…  (Part of Romans 12:2)

“…[I]f God peradventure…”  (Part of 2 Timothy 2:25)

 

Readers,
If you are one that knows me or have read many of our articles you should know that i’m firm on soundness and sound theology.  In fact, it is far more important to this writer to be sound and faithful to God and His Word than to make persons happy or to get along with others.  I don’t want that to sound like…well, you have heard persons use the tired cliche, “I didn’t come here to make friends,”  which is so boring and over-used and like nails on a chalk board (that cliche never gets tired), any way I don’t want my comment about my concern with faithfulness being greater than my concern for one’s happiness or getting along to be taken as a bad attitude kind of statement….you understand.

When I said my foremost concern was faithfulness to God’s Word and the God of that Word, I was simply making a statement of fact and nothing else.  With the bent of my mind, if a minister does not have the Lord’s Glory, foremost in His thinking and intentions and motivations and a mind for truth and soundness, he is no minister of the true and Living God, Who is faithful even when others are not.

All ministers should be prepared to be like Athanasius when he was told, “Athanasius, do you not know that the whole world is against you?”  Athanasius then said, “Then I am against the whole world.”  Certainly we do not want to be against everyone, for God loves when brethren dwell together in unity and (1) one of the (7) seven things He hates is a person who sows discord between brethen.  However, God also wants the faithful to depart from any and all darkness and to have no associations with anything that appears evil. Having made my point on soundness and truth and faithfulness to both, allow me to share with you what is called the sanctified imagination.

The word or concept of the sanctified imagination, is not original with me, I heard it from Michael Stone, the former Pastor of Freedom Baptist Church, now LightHouse Church in Plainfield and pastored by Ronald Ruben. The sanctified imagination or s.i. is used when we say, “What if…”  or “Do you think?”
A sister in Christ, LeeAnn on FB recently asked, “I wonder if Jesus got the flu…”  This is something we simply do not know. Two (2) women made the arguement that He did because He was fully human and that makes sense. However, One could argue that sickness is the due to sin and since He was sinless, He might not have suffered illness.  One does not know because the Scriptures are silent. One cannot be dogmatic on such subjects and that’s where the s.i. comes in.

What does it say about a person that uses the s.i.?  Before i answer that let me ask a ?. Have you ever been introduced to something brand new or foreign to you and then asked if you had any questions?  You probably didn’t because you weren’t familar enough with the new something to ask any ?s.  So when a person uses the s.i. that person is familiar …very familiar with the Word.  This person has probably learned much of the doctrinal, the historical events, and the applications, etc. and now they are looking at the Word and asking, “What if?” or  “Could he have…” or  “Does He, in fact…”  This is the s.i. at work.

I will share with you some of my s.i. But, let me be clear… nothing I share can be proven and therefore cannot be made into doctrine or dogma.  There is no theology at stake in the s.i. and no theological stances should be made on the s.i.  Also there is no point to debate the s.i. or to be contentious over the s.i.

Things I have pondered with my sanctified imagination…
1. In the Gospel of Mark 14:51,52 We learn about a “certain young man” that followed the Lord as He was being taken to His trials.  The identity of this “certain young man” has not been revealed to us. This unidentified mystery man was discovered by the soldiers and was grabbed, the mystery man, fled away naked as he left his linen cloth, in the hands of the soldiers. “Who was that ‘[un]masked’ man?”
In Matthew 19:22, we read of a wealthy “young man” who came seeking the Lord’s answer to the question of salvation.  Our Master told him to obey all the law of God. The young man, proudly and naively, retorted that he had, in deed and in fact, kept all the law of God from his youth. Lord Jesus responded by telling him to go and sell everything he has and give the proceeds to the poor. We are told this young man went away sad.  HOWEVER, we read that Christ “loved” this young man.  Does this not then imply that the young man was among the secret elect of God?  Therefore, the “certain young man” that followed the Lord, as he was being led to the high priest, and was left naked without his linen cloth could be the rich young ruler who went and sold everything. Dun Dun

2. In Matthew 24:15, there is an interesting parenthetical. “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains…”
The parenthetical that is in bold type are not words our Lord spoke to His disciples. He would not be telling them about the abomination of desolation and then all of a sudden say, ” whoso readeth, let him understand…” would He?  So the question is what is that parenthetical statement? Some quickly say it is Matthew writing this parenthetical statement. If that is so Matthew is the only person to add commentary to a Gospel. Another possibility… and this is wild… Ready?…Did our Lord “break the (4th) fourth wall” and speak directly to us?  What is a (4th) fourth wall you might ask.
When you watch a play or you watch a television show, the actors do not acknowledge you or see you. When/if you read a comic book the character is not “aware” that he is a comic book character. Sometimes however a character will surprise the audience and address them directly, this is the (4th) wall. Some examples are, “The Truman Show” and the comic and movie, “Deadpool” (Not recommended). Therefore, with my s.i. I wonder if my Lord did not break the (4th) wall and speak directly to you and me.

3. Daniel, at the time of the statue worship of Nebuchadnezzar, is no where to be found?  The edict or decree made by the king was death to anyone who did not bow down before the statue at the time the musical instrument sounded. Daniel’s (3) three friends didn’t bow and they were, as you know, put into a “burning fiery furnace,” where they were kept safe by the Christophany.  Where was Daniel? Scripture does not tell us. The sanctified imagination wonders however about Daniel’s whereabouts. Did Daniel bow, knowing God looks upon the heart? Did God allow him to bow so that he would remain an agent of God on the inside? God allowed Samson to be unequally yoked with Delilah so that He might have an opportunity or an occasion to kill the Philistines. [Sidenote: Would this give warrant to a man of God to receive the mark of the beast just to be an agent on the inside because God knows the heart?] Was Daniel on a political trip representing the king? Did Daniel play ill to avoid the statue worship?  David played a mad man once. Was Daniel so valuable to the king that the king allowed Daniel to skip the idolatry?

The sanctified imagination is a good and entertaining way to spend one’s thinking upon.  It’s better than the things the world, the flesh, and the devil try to inculcate us with. Again…I can’t stress it enough…the sanctified imagination is not doctrine, it is not dogma, it can’t be proven; it’s ponderings…it is simply a good way to practice God’s Presence in your life. How would you feel if you had written a book and everyone was thinking about it? Methinks God is pleased with a sanctified imagination.

On the time setters or those who predict or attempt to predict the Lord’s return. The time setters are using their minds to try and pin point our Lord’s arrival.  The Scriptures are very clear on the secrecy of Christ’s return. Christ, standing in the office of man, said He, Himself, did not know the time of His return as that is in the Hand of God the Father. The time setters are, inspite of that, attempting the impossible anyway. It is true that they can be dangerous as their followers may do things, as they are depending upon or are in the hope of the Lord’s return that will be troublesome when He returns not at the time the setter said.
In an attempt to advocate for these persons let me say this, They are doing wrong, yet we could all adopt their kind of fervent desire for the Lord’s return. The Lord’s return is on their mind and in their heart, which is a good thing…..Right?….Right.

In summary, Those who use their sanctified imagination and those that attempt to set a time for our Lord’s return are God-struck. These persons are consumed with thoughts of God and all the possibilities there are in Christ. After all, did not our Lord tell us to love Him with all our mind?

Godspeed.