Emerson Soares
07/12/2024
Carl Trueman. An Unmessianicc Sense of Nondestiny
Pages Read: 8
"I would summarize the author's argument with a phrase my father often repeats: 'You're not the
last Coca-Cola in the desert!' The author presents a sharp reading of our natural tendency toward
transcendence and distinction. As he aptly points out, even in our prayers, we find delusions of
grandeur. This must be addressed with 'An Unmessianic sense of Nondestiny'.
In the age of the internet, YouTube videos, and widespread identity confusion, the author shines
a light on those who typically align themselves with the enlightened, pointing out the error of a
world drowning in toxic waters of narcissism. We are skilled at seeing the speck in others' eyes
but slow to see the plank in our own. How tempting it is to seek applause, to be exalted, to seek
what Adam and Eve sought in the forbidden fruit.
Personally, since the desire to be part of this internship began to materialize, my prayer has
intensified in my heart: 'Lord, deliver me from my delusions of grandeur, free me from wanting
to take the place that belongs only to you'... I have seen men I admired slip down this slope. God
save me from myself, from the devil, and from the world.
What the author says here reminds me of the sweet rebuke Jesus gave his disciples in Luke
17:10: 'So you also, when you have done everything, you were told to do, should say, 'We are
unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.''
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Whenever I think of this passage, I try to remember my father's admonition, 'You're not the last
Coca-Cola in the desert.'
I appreciate the opportunity to spend months surrounded by people who are highly gifted by the
Lord. Intelligent men, full of talents and experience, who dedicate themselves to the work of
being 'nobody' so that Christ may be the center and his church may be built up. Trying to plant a
healthy church in post-postmodern Europe is a great challenge, especially when trying to guide
people not to live self-centered lives. Individualism is often excused as 'respecting privacy,'
selfishness as 'taking care of family first,' and lying and hiding as 'everyone is different; not
everyone needs to share their life with others to feel good.' It's interesting how people squirm
when the real meaning of taking the Lord's Supper unworthily is explained. We grow and drink
from this narcissistic and hedonistic ocean that places the individual at the center and everything
else as a means to achieve greater self-praise.
“Every person is either a means or an impediment”, ' this mentality eats away at the Church of
Christ. I notice it in my work, in my family, in my church, and even in myself when I preach or
do anything else. Part of a true revival would involve tearing down these walls that Christ has
already demolished, unifying the Church of Christ represented in local churches as one body, not
just confessionally (which is very easy), but miraculously functioning as one body. That's where
true supernatural unity lies.
This year I turn 37, getting closer to 40. On one hand, I lament the life filled with problems that
prevented me from achieving the greatness I always dreamed of. On the other hand, I rejoice in
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God for freeing me from my delusions of grandeur. I am happy and satisfied because God has
allowed me to enjoy Him despite not achieving everything they and I dreamed for my life. Yet I
must acknowledge that my heart still trembles with enthusiastic ambition when the faintest
glimmer of 'ego-centric glory' seems within reach.
One of the most influential people in my life, arguably the most influential person, has won me
over primarily in two ways: first, by being radically transparent and vulnerable about his own
sins; second, by being surgically direct in his loving criticism when he detects my tendency to
live 'navel-gazing' lives. From him, I have adopted the phrase that serves as a kind of ministerial
motto for me: 'My goal is to know and enjoy Christ, and to help others know and enjoy Him.'
Understanding that Christ is the center, experiencing His glory, contemplating His holiness, frees
us from our delusions of grandeur. This should be one of our primary ministerial ambitions:
helping the Church to live not fixated on earthly matters but on heavenly ones. To journey
together seeking what is best for others, living not centered on ourselves but on Christ, His glory,
His gospel, and His Bride, the Church.
It has been a short but very constructive read. May the Lord powerfully work in me so that I may
live in the freedom found in embracing An Unmessianic Sense Of Nondestiny."
