Spiritual Covering from 10.2.17
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Personal Matters
There are two sorts of spiritual “babes”; one is “fleshly” Christians embedded in worldly wisdom and the other is those who know the Father through the Son (Matt 11:25-27; 1 Cor 3:3). The difference between the two is not due to denomination, age, race, gender or education. The key factor contributing to holy babyhood is the provision of spiritual covering fathers in faith provide. Since such fathers are rare the function of spiritual covering is poorly grasped (1 Cor 4:15). Only a fresh revelation of the deep biblical truths of covering can bring the Church “to…mature manhood…so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves…” (Eph 4:13-14). The father-hunger for a loving wise authority figure in our lives is universal, and generally unsatisfied. Many Church members today are like the relationally starved orphan child who clings to his/her sponsor parent; the “allegiance” such folk pledge to their leaders is not one of mature love but a sign of spiritual deprivation. Only a radical revelation of the true character of F/fatherhood can heal such dysfunctional infancy.
Atonement
Humanity’s desperate need for spiritual covering began with Adam and Eve’s pathetic attempt to cover over their sense of shame with fig leaves (Gen 3:7). In his tender fatherly love the LORD in turn covered their spiritual nakedness with an animal skin. (Yet the presence of such physical garments must have been a constant reminder of their lost relationship (Gen 3:21)). The centrality of covering in reconciliation is reflected in the fact that the basic Hebrew word for atonement, kaphar, simply means “to cover”. Where sin is “covered” divine wrath is turned away. The ultimate Old Testament act of covering took place on the Day of Atonement when sacrificial blood was sprinkled on the “kapporeth/cover/mercy seat” as a place of covering for guilt (Lev 16:14-15). In the New Testament equivalent Greek terms are used to describe the blood of the cross as the place where atonement is made (Rom 3:25; Heb 9:5). Christ alone covers the consequences of our sin; but he does this as the provision of the Father (John 3:16; Rom 3:25). The revelation we receive of God as Father, including in his giving us spiritual fathers, comes from seeing Christ as our sole covering from divine wrath. Where a worldly Church looks to money, possessions, appearance, social recognition, leadership, gifting etc. to cover shame and guilt these inner plagues only grow in power. Any true covering that comes via another human being flows from an understanding of the place of divine judgement in God’s plan.
Worthy of Death
The emphatic divine declaration in Eden, ““you shall surely die””, is a two-edged sword (Gen 2:17). On the one side it places God’s own honour and glory above all else, and on the other side it solemnly declares that children created in his image are the unique objects of his direct attention (Gen 1:26-28; Luke 3:38). The seriousness of death as the prescribed penalty for sin is a testimony to our worth to God. James highlights this truth by saying, ““(God) yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”” (4:5). The foundation of Satan’s lie to Eve, “You will not surely die”, is a denial that she is of sufficient worth to her Creator for him to put her to death (Gen 3:4). When Eve placed her earthly life above the worth of her Lord when Satan spoke her mind was crowded with thoughts of worldly delights; good food, pleasant images and self-intoxicating pleasure (Gen 3:6; 1 John 2:16). Humanity’s collapse into sin has left us with an acute sense of fleshly enjoyments but unable to see that death as a divine punishment is a sign of our worth before God (Eph 2:1ff.). Those with fleshly minds cannot receive such revelation of God (Rom 1:21ff.). Praise God, Jesus reverses all this.
True Covering
Christ’s own covering was “the Spirit of glory and of God” that “rested” on him (John 1:33; 1 Pet 4:14). This spiritual mantle covered his life from childhood because he was obedient to come as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Luke 2:41, 49; John 1:29 cf. Rev 13:8). The things of this world were ultimately undesirable to Jesus because the Spirit testified to him constantly of the love of the Father (Matt 4:8-11). Jesus always knew that if he merely died as all humans do in a fallen world this could never atone for i.e. cover the infinite guilt of sin. Only a final (eschatological) killing could cleanse us from the wrath we all deserve. God honours his image in humanity by having Jesus killed in our place in a unique way. The fleshly minded people around the cross, from High Priests to robbers, could see that the manifest glory of God had been withdrawn from Jesus; he in no way looked like the Son of God (Matt 27:39-44). The terrible cost of the cross as the second/eternal death which covers our sin is revealed in the cry, ““My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”” (Mark 15:34; Rev 21:18). In bearing our sin Jesus loses all revelation of the purpose of God’s “eternal power and divine nature” in pouring out his wrath and putting humanity to death (Rom 1:18ff.). The torment of the cross is that Jesus is left to see only worldy persons and things in their ultimate worthlessness. Unable to see the desires of the Father he is totally uncovered by God and sees and experiences hell. Praise God however in love the Spirit of the Father re-covered Jesus in his resurrection (Rom 1:4; 6:4).
Impartation
In like manner the Spirit in true spiritual fathers imparts a knowledge of the love of the Father to God’s children. This however takes place in an invariable order; one laid out in Paul the spiritual father of us Gentiles. Ananias must tell Paul ““how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.””, and then he lay hands on him ““to be filled with the Holy Spirit”” (Acts 9:16-17). This was the shape of Paul’s life and ministry; personal suffering for the Church clothed him with the Spirit through which others received a covering (Eph 3:13). The fathering/mothering that spiritually covers others imparts a revelation that God ordained afflictions and punishment (Heb 12:6)arenot signs of wrath/anandonment but of our worth to him as children in his image. Suffering at the hands of the Lord is not to be ignored, despised or resigned to, but received with thanks for he is honouring us in the likeness of Christ (Phil 1:29). An enhanced ability to trust the Father in this way is the covering spiritual fatherhood brings.
Conclusion
Today we have thousands of teachers but few fathers (1 Cor 4:15). Few men and women with the courage to live as co-suffers with Christ (Col 1:24) and teach others to do likewise. The rarity of deep covering explains why most church-goers live worldy lifestyles as if they were still under God’s judgement and need to cover themselves (1 Cor 15:32). Through true spiritual fathers/mothers this fear of divine wrath is dissipated. The covering these mature men and women of God bring is in direct proportion to their suffering love for their spiritual sons and daughters. The ways of such spiritual covering are not intellectually obscure, but they are painfully difficult to live. For the sake of his love for the Church may God grant us the courage to take this painful pathway to produce a shift in babyhood, from one of fleshly spiritual uselessness (John 6:63) to one of a rich revelation of the Father’s love for the Son (Matt 11:25-27). What an enormous and wonderful challenge this is to us all.