Pic from Doctor Who tumblr.
Sorry for the spoiler.
As far as quotable episodes go, A Town Called Mercy is the clear winner from series 7, so far. The above statement, delivered by the Marshall, made a particular impact on me, especially in light of the conversations we've been having in class regarding the Christian's salvation from the tyranny of sin. This post will take a look at two quotes that refer to the Doctor and how they fit with the concepts Paul talks about in Romans.
"You're both good men. You just forget it sometimes."
I won't discuss the context of this quote. If you want it, watch the episode. However, from what we've seen of the Doctor (particularly when he gets a little dark as the Oncoming Storm or the Time Lord Victorious), we can all recall scenarios in which he forgot himself and made decisions that were contrary to his staunchly good and peace-loving nature. (One that immediately comes to mind is his treatment of the Racnoss in The Runaway Bride.) In those instances, he often has his companions to remind him of who he really is and how he should be acting. He's capable of being so much more than vindictive and even a little terrible, and his personality and character lends itself to typical good guy actions, making moments of darkness almost frighteningly out of place.
We all know that the Doctor is supposed to be a godlike figure, and the show even acknowledges the parallel with epithets like "the lonely god." Watching the "ageless god who insists on the face of a 12-year-old" make some pretty harsh and, frankly, wrong decisions causes consternation for us viewers. The Doctor always has the answers. He's always fighting for humanity and he's the one everyone looks to for salvation. When he stops being that paragon of goodness, we're disappointed and saddened to watch the results. Why?Because we're totally obsessed with a fictional character we'd love to be real. Because it's not necessarily the fall that pains us, but the distance traveled.
Watching messed up people make messes is unfortunate, but something we seem to be able to accept. When our heroes make mistakes, however, our bubbles burst as we realize the only reason they stood above the shrapnel was thanks to the pedestal we put them on. We want to believe that people can be better than the rest of us are, and stay innocent of the worst that humanity can produce. We even manage to convince ourselves of this. Then we watch them act just like we do and are saddened as they fall down to our level. The truth is, everyone is on the same level. We're all broken and messed up people. (Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.") The good news is, there's hope.
Romans 10:9 says if you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe he was resurrected, you'll be saved from the consequences of your sins. Earlier in the passage (verse 4), Paul talks about how there is righteousness (purity, perfection) for those who believe because of Christ. In the eyes of God, you are clean because when he looks at you, all he sees is what his son did on the cross. A big fancy word seminarians like to use to describe this is "justification." You might have heard the concise ditty that explains justification this way: "It's just as if I'd never sinned." That's nice, but wrong. Justification doesn't mean your sins are ignored; it means the price was paid by someone else. Accepting Christ brings freedom from having sin dictate your actions - it doesn't stop you from sinning, though. A problem Paul likes to call "the flesh" nudges us to keep making choices contrary to God's word. (I'll explain the flesh in a minute.) However, becoming a follower of God makes us subject to God rather than sin, which means God's our boss, not sin. Which means we have the ability, by the grace of God through Holy Spirit, to say no to sin. Which means we can choose to be good men.
As followers of Christ, our identity is in Jesus - he tells us who we are and is the example we model our lives after. Although it's hard, we have the strength to say no to sin and live like Jesus did. This isn't something God hopes we do; it's commanded. It's expected. Since God's our boss, we need to obey. Thus, when we fall off the wagon due to selfishness or deference to temptation, we have indeed forgotten the good (aka righteous) people we can and should be.
We all know that the Doctor is supposed to be a godlike figure, and the show even acknowledges the parallel with epithets like "the lonely god." Watching the "ageless god who insists on the face of a 12-year-old" make some pretty harsh and, frankly, wrong decisions causes consternation for us viewers. The Doctor always has the answers. He's always fighting for humanity and he's the one everyone looks to for salvation. When he stops being that paragon of goodness, we're disappointed and saddened to watch the results. Why?
Watching messed up people make messes is unfortunate, but something we seem to be able to accept. When our heroes make mistakes, however, our bubbles burst as we realize the only reason they stood above the shrapnel was thanks to the pedestal we put them on. We want to believe that people can be better than the rest of us are, and stay innocent of the worst that humanity can produce. We even manage to convince ourselves of this. Then we watch them act just like we do and are saddened as they fall down to our level. The truth is, everyone is on the same level. We're all broken and messed up people. (Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.") The good news is, there's hope.
Romans 10:9 says if you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe he was resurrected, you'll be saved from the consequences of your sins. Earlier in the passage (verse 4), Paul talks about how there is righteousness (purity, perfection) for those who believe because of Christ. In the eyes of God, you are clean because when he looks at you, all he sees is what his son did on the cross. A big fancy word seminarians like to use to describe this is "justification." You might have heard the concise ditty that explains justification this way: "It's just as if I'd never sinned." That's nice, but wrong. Justification doesn't mean your sins are ignored; it means the price was paid by someone else. Accepting Christ brings freedom from having sin dictate your actions - it doesn't stop you from sinning, though. A problem Paul likes to call "the flesh" nudges us to keep making choices contrary to God's word. (I'll explain the flesh in a minute.) However, becoming a follower of God makes us subject to God rather than sin, which means God's our boss, not sin. Which means we have the ability, by the grace of God through Holy Spirit, to say no to sin. Which means we can choose to be good men.
As followers of Christ, our identity is in Jesus - he tells us who we are and is the example we model our lives after. Although it's hard, we have the strength to say no to sin and live like Jesus did. This isn't something God hopes we do; it's commanded. It's expected. Since God's our boss, we need to obey. Thus, when we fall off the wagon due to selfishness or deference to temptation, we have indeed forgotten the good (aka righteous) people we can and should be.
"Demons run when a good man goes to war."
The moment you accepted Christ, God gave you all the tools you need to "just say no" to sin when it tempts you as a Christian. We often think that we need the Holy Spirit's help to remove temptations from our lives or free us from sinful patterns. The problem isn't sin itself, since it has nothing to do with you anymore - it can't boss you around because Christ replaced its role in your life. The problem is the flesh. What is the flesh? Basically, it's your self-awareness, your free will and your desire to get what you want. It's what makes you human and not a robot - your independent thought. It's a part of you and your body that doesn't go away until you die. It's what you metaphorically have to kill every day as you strive to follow Christ.
The life of a Christian isn't peaceful. If you bought into that, you've clearly never read the bit about the armor of God in Ephesians 6. Placing Christ at the center of your life will draw fire from every angle because not only is it counter-cultural, but it is also counter to your instincts. You want to serve yourself and keep yourself happy. The Bible says your purpose in life is to serve God and make him happy. The flesh in you rebels against that because it wants to be independent, and you're left fighting a war with yourself and your demons in order to do what is right and pleasing to God.
If we submit to our flesh's desires, we inevitably do wrong and fall back into sinful patterns. We forget that we're now good men, bought at a terrible blood-price and set apart (holy). But when we fight back, when that good man or woman goes to war with him/herself every day and chooses to stop trying to control a life that isn't theirs (it was gift and bought by Christ), then sin and demons have to run. Why? Because of the name of the one that claimed you as his own. Christian, you are not only an ambassador for Jesus in a world that doesn't yet know him, but you are indelibly and inextricably tied with Christ - his life, death and resurrection. (Romans 6:4-10) You are in him, he is in you and he pounded the power of sin and death to a pulp on the cross. So if you fight, you have victory, because Christ had victory.
Demons run because the only truly good man who ever lived went to war on behalf of us who could not fight for ourselves.
Go to war. Because that Son of Man has made you good, even though you forget it, sometimes.
Until next time! May you never, ever blink.
Katya
The life of a Christian isn't peaceful. If you bought into that, you've clearly never read the bit about the armor of God in Ephesians 6. Placing Christ at the center of your life will draw fire from every angle because not only is it counter-cultural, but it is also counter to your instincts. You want to serve yourself and keep yourself happy. The Bible says your purpose in life is to serve God and make him happy. The flesh in you rebels against that because it wants to be independent, and you're left fighting a war with yourself and your demons in order to do what is right and pleasing to God.
If we submit to our flesh's desires, we inevitably do wrong and fall back into sinful patterns. We forget that we're now good men, bought at a terrible blood-price and set apart (holy). But when we fight back, when that good man or woman goes to war with him/herself every day and chooses to stop trying to control a life that isn't theirs (it was gift and bought by Christ), then sin and demons have to run. Why? Because of the name of the one that claimed you as his own. Christian, you are not only an ambassador for Jesus in a world that doesn't yet know him, but you are indelibly and inextricably tied with Christ - his life, death and resurrection. (Romans 6:4-10) You are in him, he is in you and he pounded the power of sin and death to a pulp on the cross. So if you fight, you have victory, because Christ had victory.
Demons run because the only truly good man who ever lived went to war on behalf of us who could not fight for ourselves.
Go to war. Because that Son of Man has made you good, even though you forget it, sometimes.
Until next time! May you never, ever blink.
Katya
