Converted by Grace

This journey of faith with my Lord began in January, 1968. Shortly thereafter I began reading, as for the first time, the Gospels. I immediately felt great affection and affinity for the Roman Centurion immortalized in Matthew 8:5–13. You see, I was converted as a 20-year-old during my second class (junior) year at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. The marvels of science and engineering had handily crippled whatever feeble faith I carried to college from my liberal church in Providence, Rhode Island. For safety’s sake I had philosophically maintained a lightening rod of religious belief in God, quite agnostic (“God’s a hard Guy to know!”) but not quite atheistic (“God does not exist”). My real religion was a sort of All-American Civil Religion practiced in the macho militaristic fashion that Academy life made comfortable and convenient. How proud I’d felt as we marched to mandatory chapel and tourists watched in admiration and awe. But God in His Sovereign Grace, through the testimonies of several evangelical Christian “friends” had warmed my heart on that cold January night so much that the Holy Spirit created a passionate love for the Lord Jesus Christ. I was saved.

Christian in the Military

Shortly thereafter, this fellow, called simply “a centurion,” did two things for me: he helped me settle the “Christian in the military” dilemma (another topic for discussion altogether) and he showed me the relation of saving faith and God’s authority. I discovered I must become “A Man Under Authority!” The military life style proved exceptionally useful for training me in the principles and practices of true discipleship, though I’m much better at explaining the former than exhibiting the latter. (For this reason, for those physically, mentally, and principally able, I strongly urge Christians to experience a tour of military duty.)

Military Authority

It took another year, but I also learned there is a unique compatibility of Reformed theology with the military model of authority and discipleship. It saddens me that so many Reformed Christians have strayed from our roots into either the chill of satanic fatalism, devoid of all love, or into the superficial warm glow of American fundamentalism. I pray this article can help restore a renewed appreciation of Calvinism as we are awed by what astonished our Lord. All the crowds of that day, and this, recognize Jesus’ abilities. Only a Roman army officer seems to have seen His authority.

The nature of that authority is well illustrated by the military analogy. “For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (Matt. 8:9, RSV). This man is an expert on authority! “I know how to obey and command, to exercise authority and to submit to it. These others may need visual and physical evidence, but not me!” This is the great benefit of military experience for Christians. Even this centurion’s severely limited and uninformed faith sees what these well–catechized Jews couldn’t. They demand extensive signs for proof, including the overthrow of this centurion’s political superiors and the defeat of his military subordinates. He, on the other hand, begs only Christ’s momentary attention. “Just a kind word of healing, Sir. Just say the word and I’m sure it will happen. That’s how it is with me and my soldiers. I know the nature of authority, Jesus, and I see YOU are THE Authority!”

How sad it is that we reverse and confuse things today. With distrust of God’s sovereign will we regress into fatalism and are afraid to ask of God. Or with aversion to offending lost listeners we plead with people to see and accept Gentle Jesus as Savior, and only afterwards point to the fine print of the covenant of grace—“by the way, He’d also like to be your Lord, if you’ll let Him.” But our friend centurion, understanding Reformed theology as we can only envy, submits t o Jesus Christ as Lord FIRST. Now all things are possible, even his salvation, once he’s discovered the extent of Jesus‘ authority.

Understanding Christ’s Authority

With his military mentality he understands the scope of Christ’s authority: “. . . but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” No military commander’s authority is total. As a naval officer aboard ship I could command my men even to die, as could this centurion. But neither of us could control men’s minds nor regulate their health. This is what the centurion begins to understand. He does not impudently liken his authority to Christ’s, but simply confesses to understand it by analogy, much as we understand the Fatherhood of our God by likening it to the human relationship. “I can command my men to their deaths yet I see somehow You have power OVER death.” This is the insight that made Jesus marvel. I doubt Jesus is so much surprised as awed by God’s working in a centurion, causing the proper response to Christ to which the Jews were blind.

A Humble Faith

The centurion’s response to Christ is instructive: humility before Christ’s authority and faith in Christ’s ability. He engages in no false modesty, no self put–down. He comes to Christ humbly but not crawling. He confesses no sinfulness in morbid and morose terms as though he could earn Jesus’ attention thereby. Confession is certainly good and proper, but it can never earn Christ’s favor. True humility is, rather, an overall attitude of life before God. The amazing aspect of this centurion’s attitude is that the conquering army officer puts the conquered rabbi first. “I don’t deserve your attention,” he says, through some Jewish elders (Luke tells us). This is the confession of a man who sees his Savior and is struck by the Divine Presence.

A Needed Lesson

Have we such humility? Do we approach our dear Lord sensing both our unworthiness in our unholiness as well as Christ’s gracious consent to give us His undivided though undeserved attention? If so, in all humility we must give Christ our undivided and perfectly deserved attention. This should be a precious daily ritual, not with conceited self-compliments for our brief, halfhearted “devotions” (how we abuse the term!) but with great humility asking only His promised attention to all the details, great and small, of our lives, because He too is a man.

Then, in humility, there is faith in Christ’s ability. We note with wonder ourselves the lack of “could’s” and “would’s” in the centurion’s petition. His soldiers undoubtedly often doubted his abilities, but he has no doubts about Christ’s ability. Now, to be sure, we overly press our point if we simplistically state the centurion here displays “saving faith.” Jesus has yet to die, be resurrected, reveal the meaning of God’s work in the Son and provide the rest of revelation. Yet Christ’s wonder shows God’s saving work has begun in this man.

It is sad if we miss the great lesson here while debating whether the man is “saved.” We proudly entrust our souls to Christ Jesus for salvation. What other choice have we? But as true “do-it–yourselfers” we daily deny Christ’s authority over life. We distrust Him to redeem our lives and in pride try to work things out ourselves. How pitiful we are in our pride! Ignoring or spurning His Lordship at the shop or office, within our marriages and families, we self-righteously hold onto the lordship of our own lives, thank you. Well, here is an “outsider” with an important lesson. By humbly confessing Christ’s divine ability and submitting to His absolute authority he is about to reap the harvest of faith. Will we learn the lesson?

A Way of Life

There are promises in Christ’s authority. For those who submit, the reward of believers—salvation. Not only the Bridge at the brink at the end of life’s road, delivering us safely across the bottomless pit to the blissful eternity of heaven. Christ’s Lordship promises deliverance of this life from deadly self–control with its totally untrustworthy lord to the glories of “heaven on earth” through His two great commandments, as His inexhaustible power supplies all the energy we need to fulfill them. Jesus Christ will deliver our lives from the mundane and boring and depressing sameness to the high adventure of committed discipleship, though surely not without its suffering and hardship.

The Alternatives

For those who reject Him, the ‘reward’ is terribly different and frightening. They will be cast out into the darkness beyond God’s blessed light, to spend eternity anguishing with their hateful selves in unfulfilled passions. I fear that in the Church today are many “Judaizers” who lay claim to salvation with a yawn as the Gospel is once again heard but are incredibly bored.

Wake up and see this centurion! This hated “outsider” is becoming an “insider” while insiders scoff and scorn and stand liable to banishment. We Reformed believers claim “Jesus is Lord” as our highest doctrine. Yet many seem to have lost all appreciation for its meaning and implications. I plead for revival, not of fear of hell, but of zeal for the Lordship of our Blessed Savior and Sovereign Lord Jesus. He is in charge, the ultimate Authority. Is He in charge of your life?

Norman F. Brown is the pastor of the Pine Creek Christian Reformed Church at Holland, Michigan.