Theology Friday - Taste

I spent some time this morning reading through a sermon that an old Puritan guy named Thomas Chalmers wrote. It’s called The Expulsive Power of a New Affection and the basic argument is that you won’t abandon an immoral love (or “taste” as he calls it) if you don’t have a greater love to replace it. So, for example, if money is what you think will bring you joy, meaning, and purpose in life, you will do whatever it takes to get your hands on it. It will become your functional god. According to Chalmers, the only way you will be able to turn away from the love of money is to have another, greater love. You need a new affection that will be able to displace the old one.

So, this is important for people like me who want to follow Jesus but who struggle being idolaters (i.e. looking to something other than God to provide joy, purpose, and meaning to their lives). If Chalmers is right, then it is only by constantly reminding myself of who Jesus is and what he has done for me that I will be able to turn away from my idols. He must become my newer, greater affection. Also, if I preach to people and only speak to them about “doing better”, but don’t give them a picture of Jesus that draws their love away from their idols and toward him, then I really haven’t helped them much. They might be able to obey Christ for a bit, but in the end they will simply be drawn back to the same old sin. Jesus must become the overwhelming positive passion for them so that they don’t serve other loves.

In th end, here is the question that you might want to ponder… Do I relish in the Gospel enough to see Jesus as irresistibly beautiful so that I won’t settle for anything less than him?