Here is another passage quoted in Macarthur New Testament Commentary (8-15).
When the great Chrysostom was arrested by the Roman Emperor, the latter sought to make the Greek Christian recant, but without success. So the Emperor discussed with his advisors what could he done to the prisoner, “Shall I put him in a dungeon?” the Emperor asked.
“No,” one of his counsellors replied, “for he will be glad to go. He longs for the quietness wherein he can delight in the mercies of his God.”
“Then he shall be executed!” said the Emperor.
“No,” was the answer; “For he will also be glad to die. He declares that in the event of death he will be in the presence of his God.”
“What shall we do then?” the ruler asked.
“There is only one thing that will give Chrysostom pain,” the counsellor said. “To cause him to suffer, make him sin. He is afraid of nothing except sin.”
I find this vignette convicting because it should describe every follower of Christ, but I find that it does not describe me at all.
God, change my heart so that I fear nothing but that I would sin.
Wow, powerful Eric! The question is how to we get to that point? I think it is through knowing Him in such a way that He becomes all that matters-through developing a way of thinking of God, based upon our study of and meditation on God’s Word, that we see Him as immanent and constantly revel in the fact that we have tasted and seen Him and that He is good. As His magnitude grows in our mindview, our desire to make Him more famous will grow and our selfish ambitions will diminish.
I too ask God that He will grant me such a glorious veiw of Him.
Wow, the perspective of Chrysostom is like coming in contact with a spiritual lightning bolt! How easily I flirt with sin in my life and cozy next to it because I think it will warm me when in reality it drains the life from me. Thanks for the soul-check Eric.
In reflecting on this…I too, know that my view of sin is grieviously in error..When I am literally “Slammed” by the reality of sin and its cost, my mind reflects on the Passon of Christ. The image of the beatings and the blood Christ shed for my sin….what He suffered…for me…haunts me… and I have a much more sober view of what my sin cost my Lord. Thanks be to God for the precious gift of His Son…