Fondant

Ever seen someone work with fondant? The amount of kneading, rolling and shaping that goes on is quite surprising! The perfection that is usually achieved in the end is the master piece that is admired and cherished. Yet – there was a whole load of work that went into getting the fondant to that level of beauty. This makes me think a little of how the God of the Bible does His work in our lives. It makes me wonder if I’ve been as pliable as fondant when it comes to letting myself be shaped by the Spirit.

According to the Bible, God’s primary work is the redemption of mankind. He is a saving God. He saved us through a most painful death on a cruel cross. In that instance in history, the perfect God took on the sin of humanity, sin that was solely and distinctly against Him, in order that we, the rebel, enemy combatants could be reconciled to Him as children. It does at some level seem rather incredible and almost hard to believe. The God of the universe who is completely omnipotent and all powerful died for us to forgive our sin against Him. The mercy and grace shown towards us is staggering indeed.

Why was it even necessary for Him to die, we ask? I mean, if He were all powerful, couldn’t He just overlook everything and press some sort of reset button so that none of that malarkey that He found so offensive remained. Well –overlooking something isn’t exactly the most just way to do things. It is counter-intuitive to God. Go back to that fondant. When there’s a flaw, the artist working with it doesn’t just chuck it aside and start with a new batch. They go back to it, knead it and roll it out all over again. They are faithful to their mastery over the fondant. God is faithful His mastery over His creation.

For me, the most difficult part of being a Christian is adopting the pliable form of the illustrative fondant. It is pliable…moldable. It is in a way, teachable – more so that I am at most times. The cake artist works with a fondant roller and various other tools like smoothers to ensure that there is smoothness or evenness, no air bubbles or cracks and whatever else that there is that contributes to the flaw in the fondant. Likewise, God uses His Word to shape us.

Wait a minute? God uses His Word? He uses His Word, as in the Bible? Yes! That’s just it! It’s the tool that He uses to shape you and me. It’s the tool of the Spirit. The way in which His Word is brought to us could vary from the literature that we read or what we heard in a sermon or talk. It could be delivered to us through the most unassuming messenger possible! Remember – this is the God who didn’t go according to convention: at a time when women were not seen as credible witnesses, He appeared to them so that they formed part of the list of witnesses who had seen the risen Jesus. So how does this apply to me? I need to be vigilant that I’m not hardening my heart against the tools of the Spirit to teach me …to grow me. Maybe my knowledge of the Bible is sound – but does that really guarantee change? I keep thinking of Nicodemus’ conversation with Jesus. Yes – the famous ‘born again’ conversation. At this point, Nicodemus would probably have heard about the miracle of the water being turned into wine – he would have heard about the sign and this probably accounts for the respect he accords Jesus. Still, seeing the signs or the miracles are not the same as seeing the glory of the Kingdom of God. And Jesus makes this clear – one must be born again. There are so many accounts of what it means to be born again – all sorts of experiences are demanded and some of them would to my mind, make rather good material for a horror flick of some sort. Jesus was reminding Nicodemus that change would only come by water and the Spirit. Jesus was reminding him of the promise in Ezekiel 36: 25-26 where God would sprinkle water and cleanse the hearts of His people and put His Spirit in them. God’s people were not only being cleaned but were being empowered by the Spirit to live for God.

The question I must then ask myself is if there are the effects of this empowerment in my life. What are the effects? Is there a change in my vocabulary, my priorities and goals? Is there a change in my interests and my pursuits? Is there something that I am refusing to change?  I must remind myself not to fight this change – not to be defensive and childish about it. Am I that arrogant to I think I am beyond change? Why am I so afraid of admitting my wrong? I am justified by the blood of Christ. But doesn’t this justification bring about a regeneration of some sort? Shouldn’t there be a transformation? What is the evidence? Don Carson in one of my favourite sermons of his on this issue makes the point that there needs to be more than just head knowledge here. I think most of us who have been Christians for a long time, or those who are in leadership positions have to be even more careful here: the new birth starts taking place here. It is not just head knowledge we’re talking about – not some great ability to put forward a great defense of the gospel. Don Carson said in this sermon – even the devil has head knowledge (he quoted Scripture!)–only he doesn’t believe.

So just what is that I believe in? I am trusting in Jesus, the Son of Man who was lifted up on that cross. I need the Spirit to wash me and cleanse me and to convict me of my sin. This is beyond my own powers. But this one thing remains my responsibility – I need to recognize my fallibility. I am sin. Yet I must remember – I am forgiven. Remembering that means I don’t have to worry about being pliable like fondant.

Imagine the fondant all frozen and hard. It remains completely in pliable and cannot be transformed into that thing of beauty. What a shame then. It then is only worthy to be chucked out – it will never be glorified as the work of art it was meant to be because it refused to be pliable. So I say this again as a reminder to myself and to my brothers and sisters in Christ: O Christian – remain teachable! Let not yourself be so sure of your theology that you’re no longer teachable for we must ensure that our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees who were very certain in their theology. We must remain teachable for then we know the Spirit is working in us.