"Pleasure and Boredom"
PLEASURE
Second, the beauty of God fills and fulfills our desire for pleasure and beauty that is inherent within us. We (every single one of us) WILL seek happiness, pleasure, love, adventure, and such. Ortlund says, “I have a beauty-thirst that must be quenched no matter what.” We all do. It is such a calamity that so many people search for fulfillment in self-centered indulgences and destructive habits. Ortlund continues with a powerful truth, “I need a higher loveliness, a more compelling beauty.”
That is exactly what I needed in my life. When I was “saved” it was due to the fact that I discovered something (or Someone) of unmatched joy, peace, adventure, mystery, and splendor that far outpaced anything my world had to offer. I found the hidden treasure in the field, and all of life’s treasures combined could not compare. I found something that captured my attention, my energy, my desires, my thoughts, and my heart. In essence, I love something or Someone far more than anything else in my world. That is what captivated me. I willingly, joyfully surrendered so many other “things” in the world that prevented me from fully receiving this matchless and priceless Treasure.
This is what we all need. The reason so many souls today are turning their backs upon the church is because the only thing we offer them is a “religion” based upon teaching, discipline, and tradition rather than a personal, dynamic, fulfilling, joyful, life-giving relationship with the Almighty God through His Son Jesus Christ. We offer them “an organization” and expect them to be 100% loyal rather than presenting to them the Spiritual Kingdom of God with its unequaled privileges for His children.
For many younger generations, “church” is synonymous with boredom. Church exists to take the “fun” out of life. Church is control. We need to change people’s view of church by changing our view of church by changing our own view of the Christian faith.
BOREDOM
This leads to point number three, the beauty of God is a prescription for boredom. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said “Sin is always, in some sense, a life of boredom.” We seldom, if ever, perceive “sin” in such terms, but it is true.
“That’s where sin takes us,” Dane explained. “Among other reasons, hell is hell because it’s so boring. Yes, boring, because hell is being stuck eternally in self-centeredness that is blind to all external beauty, unsatisfied within and unhappy without.”
Sin entices us. Sin deceives us. Sin is a carrot dangling in front of a mule. Sin swindles us into thinking it alone holds the keys to pleasure and fun and fulfillment. At the same time it likewise blinds us to the immense satisfaction and outright pleasure inherent in the beauty of the Lord.
“Holiness is fun,” Dane says, somewhat cautiously. “Can I say that? Holiness is playful. It’s clean. It’s bright — not dark — because we have been swept up into the love of the Trinity. We have been justified and ratified. We have become human again.”
You want to have a good time…a real-l-l-l-ly good time? God will show you one…guaranteed!
Jonathan Edwards says, “Holiness is a most beautiful, lovely thing. Men are apt to drink in strange notions of holiness from their childhood as if it were a melancholy, morose, sour thing.” Edwards continually described God’s holiness or splendor as a sweet, delightful, soothing, lovely, thrilling concept.
You think drugs and alcohol give you a high? You think an affair is somehow mysterious and intriguing? You think sky-diving or bungee jumping is a thrill? You think you know how to party? God gently laughs and says, “Come on. Have a taste of my world (my Kingdom). I will show you a high without a headache, a mystery that is not morose, intrigue without fatigue, and adventure that is not a life quencher.”