Gaining wisdom is not a passive thing. On the contrary, the attainment and accruement of wisdom is a very active endeavor. Those who wish to be filled with wisdom need to seek and search after it with fervor. In many ways wisdom needs to be longed after and earned, while in another sense, wisdom is a divine gift from the Lord.
Proverbs is an entire book on wisdom. In chapter 2, Solomon exhorts believers to seek after wisdom as silver and gold for it is more precious than either (Pro. 2:4; 16:16). God is the source of all wisdom so in the search for wisdom, we are searching for the Lord. The wisdom that is longed for is true wisdom that is indicative of the source of wisdom. Therefore, when we have found wisdom in its purest form, we have found the Lord.
Moreover, we are to treasure wisdom and long for it because there is immense worth and value in the attainment of wisdom. In fact, wisdom is "sweet to your soul," and "if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off (Pro. 24:14)." This is inline with the idea that the search for wisdom is the search for God. Because wisdom is found only in the Lord, when we are given wisdom from the Lord, He is increasing in relationship with us.
As James wrote: "The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (Jam. 3:17). Dissecting this verse reveals the intensely godly character of wisdom, evidence that wisdom is from the Lord. If we cannot trace wisdom back to God, its source, it is not wisdom.
The Lord desires to bless and bestow His perfect wisdom upon His children. Wisdom could simply be defined as the ability to live right and make right decisions over time. Many times, God uses the soil of our lives as the breeding ground for His wisdom. When we think back on our lives with an eye to the Lord, He teaches us what wisdom is and how it applies to our future decisions. So let us harvest the ripe fields of our past experiences and pray to the Lord that He would illuminate our lives with wisdom to live!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Spiritual Maturity
Maturity in Christ takes time. For some, it can be quicker than for others but for everyone maturity is a process of continual repentance, prayer, study, fellowship, worship, and service guided by the Holy Spirit. Everyone who claims Christ is on an intensely personal, albeit communally accountable, lifelong journey of sanctification.
This enduring process of sanctification is akin to the phases of growth in human beings. There are infants, toddlers, adolescents, teenagers, young adults, adults, and elders in the faith. At the onset it needs to be stated that the level of spiritual maturity is not dependent on biological age in the slightest. In contrast, spiritual maturity is dependent on consistent, disciplined faith.
The non-biological determination of spiritual maturity can seem striking but obvious. There are many older Christians who have teenager faith: always grumbling and gossiping, in-deferent towards authority, lazy in devotion, and averse to service. This is both appalling and tremendously sad. God wants so much more from each of us personally.
Paul, Peter, and James understood the value and necessity of spiritual maturity. Paul spends much of his first letter to the Corinthian church and the entire third chapter of Colossians dedicated to the subject of spiritual maturation. For Paul, belief is sufficient for salvation but the freedom that is found in Christ requires more than simple faith, it requires full-on devotion. It is this disciplined devotion that is the impetus and fuel for all spiritual maturity.
Peter, in his first epistle, indicates that we should strive for the pure spiritual milk so that we may grow to maturity (1 Pet. 2:1-3). Peter is clear that God desires active disciples who seek and yearn after Him, not passive believers who are lazy in their devotion. Jesus gave up His life upon the cross so that we may enter into relationship with the heavenly Father. When we are not continually seeking after Him in earnest, we are not taking part in the intended intimate relationship; we are just acquaintances.
The First chapter of James also deals with the challenge of spiritual maturity. For James, the determining factor for spiritual maturity is two-fold: faith amidst trials and acts of service. If we are not drawing closer to the Lord under trial, we are hindering our own spiritual maturity. Similarly, if we are not engaged and seeking opportunities to serve, we are also hindering spiritual maturity.
The through-line point here is simple: we can be either a hinderance to or a benefit to our own level of spiritual maturity. If we are passive and uninvolved in pursuing the Lord in all faithfulness, then we are the very thing that is hindering our own growth. In contrast, if we are active in prayer, regular Bible study, consistent fellowship, and service, we will mature into the people that God has created us to be. Let us strive to become a people of God who seek after Him and strive for spiritual maturity in the Lord!
This enduring process of sanctification is akin to the phases of growth in human beings. There are infants, toddlers, adolescents, teenagers, young adults, adults, and elders in the faith. At the onset it needs to be stated that the level of spiritual maturity is not dependent on biological age in the slightest. In contrast, spiritual maturity is dependent on consistent, disciplined faith.
The non-biological determination of spiritual maturity can seem striking but obvious. There are many older Christians who have teenager faith: always grumbling and gossiping, in-deferent towards authority, lazy in devotion, and averse to service. This is both appalling and tremendously sad. God wants so much more from each of us personally.
Paul, Peter, and James understood the value and necessity of spiritual maturity. Paul spends much of his first letter to the Corinthian church and the entire third chapter of Colossians dedicated to the subject of spiritual maturation. For Paul, belief is sufficient for salvation but the freedom that is found in Christ requires more than simple faith, it requires full-on devotion. It is this disciplined devotion that is the impetus and fuel for all spiritual maturity.
Peter, in his first epistle, indicates that we should strive for the pure spiritual milk so that we may grow to maturity (1 Pet. 2:1-3). Peter is clear that God desires active disciples who seek and yearn after Him, not passive believers who are lazy in their devotion. Jesus gave up His life upon the cross so that we may enter into relationship with the heavenly Father. When we are not continually seeking after Him in earnest, we are not taking part in the intended intimate relationship; we are just acquaintances.
The First chapter of James also deals with the challenge of spiritual maturity. For James, the determining factor for spiritual maturity is two-fold: faith amidst trials and acts of service. If we are not drawing closer to the Lord under trial, we are hindering our own spiritual maturity. Similarly, if we are not engaged and seeking opportunities to serve, we are also hindering spiritual maturity.
The through-line point here is simple: we can be either a hinderance to or a benefit to our own level of spiritual maturity. If we are passive and uninvolved in pursuing the Lord in all faithfulness, then we are the very thing that is hindering our own growth. In contrast, if we are active in prayer, regular Bible study, consistent fellowship, and service, we will mature into the people that God has created us to be. Let us strive to become a people of God who seek after Him and strive for spiritual maturity in the Lord!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Fatal Flaws of Conversion Experiences
Conversion experiences are both powerful and dramatic. They can propel people from a depraved and desolate life of sin to a forgiven life of freedom, salvation, love, and grace. Unfortunately, many people who have had passionate conversions never live lives of freedom from sin and they never experience the joy and grace of a right relationship with the Lord.
Not to downplay the countless number of conversions that stick through to a life of obedience and faithfulness to Christ. However, many times the extraordinary emotional highs that accompany powerful conversion experiences become the very thing that causes people to regress from faith back into to the life they lived before their conversion.
When people's faith that was tied into their emotional state goes up and down like a roller coaster, they tend to question the Lord instead of drawing closer to Him. In reality, people who have emotional conversions will sputter out if that experience is not met with the disciplined faith that God requires. This is an immense tragedy that grieves the Holy Spirit and the body of Christ, which is the Church.
Although emotional conversion experiences may be powerful and can serve as the starting point for sincere Christian life, emotions alone are not a good and reliable litmus for faith. Emotions are not trustworthy. Our emotions can lie and conceal the real state of our hearts. If our faith is dependent on emotional highs for its realization, we will continually be let down by the volatile nature of emotions.
Faith needs to be grounded. If faith is not firmly established in the Holy Spirit guiding sound biblical doctrine, prayerful discipleship, and regular fellowship, it will fall prey to whimsy and the tumultuous pull of the world. The faith that Jesus requires demands the engagement of the whole of a person: body, mind, and soul. If we are dependent on our emotional self for the confirmation of our faith, we will inevitably be dissatisfied.
If we desire to live out the greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37), every aspect of our life needs be used to worship and love the Lord. When we gauge devotion and love on the foibles of our emotions, we are limiting our ability to fulfill the will of God. Conversion can flood us with emotional highs that are unsustainable over a lifetime. God has blessed us with the ability to feel and emote, but our faith is not to be based on this gift. There is a time for the highs but it is coupled with time for the lows. We need to have a faith that is strong and sufficient in the Lord who will keep us secure in both. Praise be to God that He would desire to have relationships with us that go beyond our unstable emotions!
Not to downplay the countless number of conversions that stick through to a life of obedience and faithfulness to Christ. However, many times the extraordinary emotional highs that accompany powerful conversion experiences become the very thing that causes people to regress from faith back into to the life they lived before their conversion.
When people's faith that was tied into their emotional state goes up and down like a roller coaster, they tend to question the Lord instead of drawing closer to Him. In reality, people who have emotional conversions will sputter out if that experience is not met with the disciplined faith that God requires. This is an immense tragedy that grieves the Holy Spirit and the body of Christ, which is the Church.
Although emotional conversion experiences may be powerful and can serve as the starting point for sincere Christian life, emotions alone are not a good and reliable litmus for faith. Emotions are not trustworthy. Our emotions can lie and conceal the real state of our hearts. If our faith is dependent on emotional highs for its realization, we will continually be let down by the volatile nature of emotions.
Faith needs to be grounded. If faith is not firmly established in the Holy Spirit guiding sound biblical doctrine, prayerful discipleship, and regular fellowship, it will fall prey to whimsy and the tumultuous pull of the world. The faith that Jesus requires demands the engagement of the whole of a person: body, mind, and soul. If we are dependent on our emotional self for the confirmation of our faith, we will inevitably be dissatisfied.
If we desire to live out the greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37), every aspect of our life needs be used to worship and love the Lord. When we gauge devotion and love on the foibles of our emotions, we are limiting our ability to fulfill the will of God. Conversion can flood us with emotional highs that are unsustainable over a lifetime. God has blessed us with the ability to feel and emote, but our faith is not to be based on this gift. There is a time for the highs but it is coupled with time for the lows. We need to have a faith that is strong and sufficient in the Lord who will keep us secure in both. Praise be to God that He would desire to have relationships with us that go beyond our unstable emotions!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Friends: Gift of God
Friends are a great resource. They are helpers and supporters who walk beside us, who lift us up when we are down, and who can call us back on track when we have gone wayward. True friendship requires accountability, trust, and reciprocity. In reality, friendship is a two-way street that obligates both parties to each other in love.
Scripture refers to this friendship as brotherly love and affection, not brotherly in a biological sense, but in a spiritual sense. Jesus identifies sacrifice as the requisite for this, the highest degree of friendship (John 15:13). The greatest gift of friendship is sacrifice. Sacrifice is not limited in scope to martyrdom but encompasses a much broader reality. The essence of this can be seen in people who give themselves to their friends.
This "giving of self" can be as simple as forfeiting a weekend to help move, as inexpensive as paying for dinner, or as challenging as calling someone out when they're making a mistake. Brotherly love requires that we would care for one another with a deep affection and consideration that is most concerned with serving the other at the denial of self.
In truth, the joy and worth of friendship is that friends are born for and through adversity (Pro. 17:17), meaning that friends are the human agents God uses to express His love and care for us. Moreover, friends fulfill the divine purposes of picking each other up and dusting off shoulders when we fall down (Ecc. 4:9-10). This means that true friends will be there through the thick and thin.
Additionally, our choice of friends, the very people we walk through life with, affects us. We take on the traits of our friends, good and bad. This has long-lasting ramifications in our lives. If we walk in the company of the wise and upright of heart we prove ourselves to be wise and upright too as the converse proves the oposite (Pro. 13:20). As iron sharpens iron, this works itself out practically in the process of accountability, service, and regular Bible study (Pro. 27:17).
The Lord has given friends for a number of valuable reasons: for encouragement, for reproof, for care, for admonishment, and for accountability, et al. God wants us to grow into the men and women that He has designed us to be. He has divinely placed the perfect people in our lives in order to accomplish this purpose. Take heart at the love that God has lavished upon us in the gift of friendship!
Scripture refers to this friendship as brotherly love and affection, not brotherly in a biological sense, but in a spiritual sense. Jesus identifies sacrifice as the requisite for this, the highest degree of friendship (John 15:13). The greatest gift of friendship is sacrifice. Sacrifice is not limited in scope to martyrdom but encompasses a much broader reality. The essence of this can be seen in people who give themselves to their friends.
This "giving of self" can be as simple as forfeiting a weekend to help move, as inexpensive as paying for dinner, or as challenging as calling someone out when they're making a mistake. Brotherly love requires that we would care for one another with a deep affection and consideration that is most concerned with serving the other at the denial of self.
In truth, the joy and worth of friendship is that friends are born for and through adversity (Pro. 17:17), meaning that friends are the human agents God uses to express His love and care for us. Moreover, friends fulfill the divine purposes of picking each other up and dusting off shoulders when we fall down (Ecc. 4:9-10). This means that true friends will be there through the thick and thin.
Additionally, our choice of friends, the very people we walk through life with, affects us. We take on the traits of our friends, good and bad. This has long-lasting ramifications in our lives. If we walk in the company of the wise and upright of heart we prove ourselves to be wise and upright too as the converse proves the oposite (Pro. 13:20). As iron sharpens iron, this works itself out practically in the process of accountability, service, and regular Bible study (Pro. 27:17).
The Lord has given friends for a number of valuable reasons: for encouragement, for reproof, for care, for admonishment, and for accountability, et al. God wants us to grow into the men and women that He has designed us to be. He has divinely placed the perfect people in our lives in order to accomplish this purpose. Take heart at the love that God has lavished upon us in the gift of friendship!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Freedom in Forgiveness
Because of our fallen and depraved fleshly nature, everyone makes mistakes. These mistakes, some large some minute, affect relationships and prevent us from love. Moreover, this relational discord hinders our ability to claim our promised freedom in Christ. Jesus has promised relief and freedom from a life of guilt over past sin. Unfortunately, sometimes we are trapped by our own guilt over previous mistakes.
When we continually dredge up the sins of our past we are not claiming the forgiveness and freedom that God has already given us in Christ. The Lord desires for us to live fully free lives. Regrettably, many believers live lives as if God only forgives future sins or sin that is in recent memory. The reality is that God forgives all of our sin, including all of our previous sin.
All this being true, our memories of mistakes gone by still remain. Because of this truth we have the ability to replay previous scenes and situations in our minds again and again. This can weigh us down with guilt and remorse. Basically there are two ways to deal with previous sin that continues to haunts us with guilt: we can either confront or conceal.
If we attempt to conceal our previous sin, we ignore it in hopes that the regret or guilt will lessen with time. Concealing sin so that we don't ever deal with it prevents us from applying the fullness of Christ's forgiveness personally. We end up with piles of pain and regret. Hiding our regret and our previous mistakes so that we never have to deal with them means that we continually relive the pain and regret associated thereof.
Instead we should confront previous sin head-on. We should not shy away from encountering the pain and guilt of previous sin but when it comes up, we really address it. When we choose to confront our previous sin we begin to live lives in the freedom from sin that God has promised. Remember, Satan is the accuser of the brethren so when we feel under indictment for our previous sin, it is not God, it is Satan who is accusing us.
Additionally, when we confront previous sin directly, we will seek and offer overdue forgiveness. Sometimes this means we forgive others. Sometimes we ask for forgiveness from others. And other times we simply need to forgive ourselves. Through all this, it is the Lord who ultimately supplies the forgiveness that is given through human agents. Therefore, when we seek to live in the forgiveness and freedom that God has promised to bestow through the work of His son, Jesus, we will confront our previous sin with an attitude of restoration and reconciliation. Let us press on to live in the freedom and forgiveness of Jesus!
When we continually dredge up the sins of our past we are not claiming the forgiveness and freedom that God has already given us in Christ. The Lord desires for us to live fully free lives. Regrettably, many believers live lives as if God only forgives future sins or sin that is in recent memory. The reality is that God forgives all of our sin, including all of our previous sin.
All this being true, our memories of mistakes gone by still remain. Because of this truth we have the ability to replay previous scenes and situations in our minds again and again. This can weigh us down with guilt and remorse. Basically there are two ways to deal with previous sin that continues to haunts us with guilt: we can either confront or conceal.
If we attempt to conceal our previous sin, we ignore it in hopes that the regret or guilt will lessen with time. Concealing sin so that we don't ever deal with it prevents us from applying the fullness of Christ's forgiveness personally. We end up with piles of pain and regret. Hiding our regret and our previous mistakes so that we never have to deal with them means that we continually relive the pain and regret associated thereof.
Instead we should confront previous sin head-on. We should not shy away from encountering the pain and guilt of previous sin but when it comes up, we really address it. When we choose to confront our previous sin we begin to live lives in the freedom from sin that God has promised. Remember, Satan is the accuser of the brethren so when we feel under indictment for our previous sin, it is not God, it is Satan who is accusing us.
Additionally, when we confront previous sin directly, we will seek and offer overdue forgiveness. Sometimes this means we forgive others. Sometimes we ask for forgiveness from others. And other times we simply need to forgive ourselves. Through all this, it is the Lord who ultimately supplies the forgiveness that is given through human agents. Therefore, when we seek to live in the forgiveness and freedom that God has promised to bestow through the work of His son, Jesus, we will confront our previous sin with an attitude of restoration and reconciliation. Let us press on to live in the freedom and forgiveness of Jesus!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
God's Rhythmic Creation
God, in His infinite wisdom and perfect creativity, designed all of creation with built-in cycles. There are years, seasons, weeks, days, and a number of other measurements of time and change. God is a God of rhythm and restoration. Even in the original seven-day week instituted at creation, each day served its own purpose and function. Unfortunately, as a result of sin, all of creation is less than its original perfection and the intended rhythm of life has become fragmented.
The resulting symptoms of the fragmentation of life from its intended solidarity are plenty but probably the most devastating is the apparent separation between a splintered humanity and an infinitely whole God. Humanity is rife with compartmentalization that prevents our whole selves from connecting to the Lord in true relationship.
We can become easily overwhelmed in the fragmentation of the world. The result is that we are constantly uneasy and lacking the peace that we have been given in Christ. This is evidence of a disconnect between what we believe and what we experience. Part of this disconnect is that we have lost touch with God's intended cycle of life, instituted at the dawn of creation.
The writer of Ecclesiastes paints a picture of ideal life under heaven, a life where there is a season and time for everything (Ecc. 3:1-8). The writer, most likely Solomon, is defining what could best be described as the ideal life under the sun. Simply stated, the ideal life is making the most of every moment with all wisdom so that the time we have is used for what is supposed to be used for.
Today is the day, the only day that we have to live. This is why we are to be present today in worship and in praise (Psa. 118:24). Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, but today is a gift; that's why we call it the present (thank you, Kung Fu Panda). The point is simple: not to live in the past or spend too much time thinking about tomorrow. Today is the day.
God created the whole of the universe with cycles and seasons. When we align ourselves with God's seasons and His cycles, we position ourselves for right relationship with Him. There is a rhythm to this world. A rhythm of work and rest, of pain and healing. All of creation sings God's glory. The rhythm of life is both biblical and desirable. Let us press on to fall into the rhythm of God's creation for the purpose of right relationship with the Lord Almighty!
The resulting symptoms of the fragmentation of life from its intended solidarity are plenty but probably the most devastating is the apparent separation between a splintered humanity and an infinitely whole God. Humanity is rife with compartmentalization that prevents our whole selves from connecting to the Lord in true relationship.
We can become easily overwhelmed in the fragmentation of the world. The result is that we are constantly uneasy and lacking the peace that we have been given in Christ. This is evidence of a disconnect between what we believe and what we experience. Part of this disconnect is that we have lost touch with God's intended cycle of life, instituted at the dawn of creation.
The writer of Ecclesiastes paints a picture of ideal life under heaven, a life where there is a season and time for everything (Ecc. 3:1-8). The writer, most likely Solomon, is defining what could best be described as the ideal life under the sun. Simply stated, the ideal life is making the most of every moment with all wisdom so that the time we have is used for what is supposed to be used for.
Today is the day, the only day that we have to live. This is why we are to be present today in worship and in praise (Psa. 118:24). Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, but today is a gift; that's why we call it the present (thank you, Kung Fu Panda). The point is simple: not to live in the past or spend too much time thinking about tomorrow. Today is the day.
God created the whole of the universe with cycles and seasons. When we align ourselves with God's seasons and His cycles, we position ourselves for right relationship with Him. There is a rhythm to this world. A rhythm of work and rest, of pain and healing. All of creation sings God's glory. The rhythm of life is both biblical and desirable. Let us press on to fall into the rhythm of God's creation for the purpose of right relationship with the Lord Almighty!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
No Worth to Worry
Anxiety is a killer. It, like a snake, slithers into the back of our minds wearing the mask of preparation and security, settles into our hearts under the guise of concern, and ultimately fixes itself in our souls as doubt in God's provision and providence. Worry destroys our ability to have faith because when we worry we are not relying on the Lord.
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), uses a vivid word picture to describe the uselessness of anxiety and worry. Jesus points to the lilies of the field that neither labor nor spin but are clothed in more splendor than Solomon ever was. Or the birds of the field, they neither reap nor sow nor store in barns yet the Father in heaven feeds them.
Jesus' point is summed up in two verses: "who by worrying can add a single hour to his life (Matt. 6:27)"; and, "do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Every day has its own troubles (Matt. 6:34)." Jesus wants to make it clear that worrying serves no Kingdom purpose but is a distraction from Kingdom work.
Worry and anxiety are real. Our world is inundated with prescriptions, procedures, and methods for dealing with the unsettling panic of worry. These will inevitably fail because we are trying to treat symptoms and not the deeper issue, which is doubt. Doubt. God is the provider of our every deepest desire. He wants to do this, He longs to provide for us.
When we find ourselves worrying or anxious, these are symptoms of a much deeper longing for God's provision and security in our lives. He is to be our provider as we are faithful and steadfast to rely on Him to provide. Therefore, worry is a sign that we are not secure in our faithfulness but we are shaky and doubtful that God holds all things in His mighty hands.
Both Paul and Peter are clear that Christians should not worry but in prayer and devotion cast their anxieties on the Lord who is sure to provide and secure His children (Phil. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:7). The Lord is the source of our comfort and security. Ultimately, we should rely on God to provide. He is the one who is to get the glory for our lives. Let us then not worry about how things will come about but let us trust that the Lord who loves us perfectly will care for us, our deepest needs and desires!
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), uses a vivid word picture to describe the uselessness of anxiety and worry. Jesus points to the lilies of the field that neither labor nor spin but are clothed in more splendor than Solomon ever was. Or the birds of the field, they neither reap nor sow nor store in barns yet the Father in heaven feeds them.
Jesus' point is summed up in two verses: "who by worrying can add a single hour to his life (Matt. 6:27)"; and, "do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Every day has its own troubles (Matt. 6:34)." Jesus wants to make it clear that worrying serves no Kingdom purpose but is a distraction from Kingdom work.
Worry and anxiety are real. Our world is inundated with prescriptions, procedures, and methods for dealing with the unsettling panic of worry. These will inevitably fail because we are trying to treat symptoms and not the deeper issue, which is doubt. Doubt. God is the provider of our every deepest desire. He wants to do this, He longs to provide for us.
When we find ourselves worrying or anxious, these are symptoms of a much deeper longing for God's provision and security in our lives. He is to be our provider as we are faithful and steadfast to rely on Him to provide. Therefore, worry is a sign that we are not secure in our faithfulness but we are shaky and doubtful that God holds all things in His mighty hands.
Both Paul and Peter are clear that Christians should not worry but in prayer and devotion cast their anxieties on the Lord who is sure to provide and secure His children (Phil. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:7). The Lord is the source of our comfort and security. Ultimately, we should rely on God to provide. He is the one who is to get the glory for our lives. Let us then not worry about how things will come about but let us trust that the Lord who loves us perfectly will care for us, our deepest needs and desires!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Victory in Jesus
There is a fairly well-known hymn by Eugene Bartlett that goes: "Victory in Jesus, my savior forever. He sought me and bought me with His redeeming love. He loved 'ere (before) I knew him, and all my love is due Him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood."
Christians use the term "victory in Jesus" as a call to arms and to comfort. When we think of victory, we are asserting that we are in some sort of competition, a deadly battle for the state of mankind's souls. Additionally, when we assert that our victory is in Jesus, we are defining the terms of victory as a measure of obedience aligning with the Lord.
The major victory that believers have in Jesus is the victory over death, which is a result of sin. Paul, in 1 Corinthians, indicates clearly that believers have been given victory over the sting and defeat of death and sin (1 Cor. 15:54-57). It is a remarkable thing for Christians to claim victory and strive to live perfect, sinless lives. Because we have this victory, we are no longer encumbered and enslaved to sin but are now slaves to righteousness, able to live life to its fullest because of the work of Christ.
Additionally, believers in Jesus are to take heart in that we have overcome the world and its snares. John, in his Gospel as well as his epistle, indicates that believers can feel secure because in siding with Jesus, they are siding with the ultimate victor (John 16:33; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:4-5). In many ways, this is also the focus of Revelation: that those who bet on Jesus have chosen the right horse and will win the race.
The source of our victory is Jesus, the great lover of our souls. We are more than conquerors through the Lord Jesus (Rom. 8:37). Even as nice and as widely-memorized as this verse is, living it out is something entirely different. When we assert that we have been given victory in Jesus, two things should happen: (1) we accept that the battle(s) we fight have already been won for us, and (2) we will claim that victory and live lives of victory.
Living a life that is set on an attitude of obedience to the victory that Jesus provides is not easy, to be sure. Lives of victory will be pursuing holiness and will seek earnestly to be obedient to the Lord. The beauty of claiming Jesus' victory in a personal way means that we will strive to live crucified lives that put our deepest sin natures to death so that we will live lives wholly realized in the Lord. Let us press on to claim our victory in Jesus!
Christians use the term "victory in Jesus" as a call to arms and to comfort. When we think of victory, we are asserting that we are in some sort of competition, a deadly battle for the state of mankind's souls. Additionally, when we assert that our victory is in Jesus, we are defining the terms of victory as a measure of obedience aligning with the Lord.
The major victory that believers have in Jesus is the victory over death, which is a result of sin. Paul, in 1 Corinthians, indicates clearly that believers have been given victory over the sting and defeat of death and sin (1 Cor. 15:54-57). It is a remarkable thing for Christians to claim victory and strive to live perfect, sinless lives. Because we have this victory, we are no longer encumbered and enslaved to sin but are now slaves to righteousness, able to live life to its fullest because of the work of Christ.
Additionally, believers in Jesus are to take heart in that we have overcome the world and its snares. John, in his Gospel as well as his epistle, indicates that believers can feel secure because in siding with Jesus, they are siding with the ultimate victor (John 16:33; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:4-5). In many ways, this is also the focus of Revelation: that those who bet on Jesus have chosen the right horse and will win the race.
The source of our victory is Jesus, the great lover of our souls. We are more than conquerors through the Lord Jesus (Rom. 8:37). Even as nice and as widely-memorized as this verse is, living it out is something entirely different. When we assert that we have been given victory in Jesus, two things should happen: (1) we accept that the battle(s) we fight have already been won for us, and (2) we will claim that victory and live lives of victory.
Living a life that is set on an attitude of obedience to the victory that Jesus provides is not easy, to be sure. Lives of victory will be pursuing holiness and will seek earnestly to be obedient to the Lord. The beauty of claiming Jesus' victory in a personal way means that we will strive to live crucified lives that put our deepest sin natures to death so that we will live lives wholly realized in the Lord. Let us press on to claim our victory in Jesus!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Stepping out in Faith
Stepping out in faith. In Christian circles, Christian literature, and catchy contemporary Christian songs we hear this term thrown around with little care or concern for its theological importance and weight. Instead, the act of stepping out in faith means more to the Christian life than just a hype word that Christians throw around to sound spiritually devout.
There are a number of significant accounts in Scripture where the theme of stepping out in faith is prominent. Think about Noah. God asks him to build a giant boat in the middle of the desert. When the Lord told Noah his response was probably, "Really, Lord? A Boat? Here?" But Noah was obedient. Talk about stepping out in faith.
Or Abraham, he waited decades for God to fulfill his promise of progeny through Sarah. And then, when she finally does give birth to Isaac, God asks Abraham to lead his son up a mountain and to offer him to the Lord as a sacrifice: stepping out in faith. Abraham could have easily ignored that request but he remained obedient to God's request.
Think of David. He was anointed by Samuel and the Lord as the king of Israel, but was obligated to wait for years before he could become king. Moreover, on two separate occasions he had perfect opportunities to kill Saul and sieze the kingdom that was rightfully his. Instead, David remained faithful to the Lord, trusting that in God's time he would receive the fulness of God's promised blessing if he would remain obedient through the waiting.
Then there's Elijah. He was so appalled by Israel's abominations of sinfulness that he challenged all of the prophets of Baal and Asherah to a showdown on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs. 18:20-40). It was Elijah against some 850 prophets. Elijah believed that God would show up and defend him. If the Lord would not have consumed the altar, Elijah would most certainly have been killed. But Elijah stepped out in faith, believing in obedience that God would save him in his time of need.
There are a number of New Testament accounts that point to stepping out in faith but perhaps none as profound as the story of Paul. Paul was one of Christianity's leading opponents and most vociferous antagonists to the growing movement of Christianity following Jesus' crucifixion. Yet on the road to Damascus, in one of the most famous conversions, Paul was blinded by God so that his eyes could be opened to the Lord Jesus.
Following this momentous experience, Paul became one of the most influential of all the early church leaders. In this, despite the ardent hatred for Christians that had dominated his life before conversion, Paul stepped out in faith that God would guide and use him for kingdom purposes. This is what stepping out in faith is all about: eschewing the fear of the unknown, overlooking doubt, ignoring our concerns, and, in obedience, relying solely on God to provide the perfect outlet for us to be faithful in serving and bring Him glory.
Ultimately, stepping out in faith is much more than a nice Christian tagline; it is a way of life. The focus here is on the faith, stepping out is how that faith is proven by action. If we do not step out of our comfort zones expecting that God would keep us, then are we really living out faith to its fullest requirements? Instead, let us strive together to live with an attitude of radical faith that desires to rely on God.
There are a number of significant accounts in Scripture where the theme of stepping out in faith is prominent. Think about Noah. God asks him to build a giant boat in the middle of the desert. When the Lord told Noah his response was probably, "Really, Lord? A Boat? Here?" But Noah was obedient. Talk about stepping out in faith.
Or Abraham, he waited decades for God to fulfill his promise of progeny through Sarah. And then, when she finally does give birth to Isaac, God asks Abraham to lead his son up a mountain and to offer him to the Lord as a sacrifice: stepping out in faith. Abraham could have easily ignored that request but he remained obedient to God's request.
Think of David. He was anointed by Samuel and the Lord as the king of Israel, but was obligated to wait for years before he could become king. Moreover, on two separate occasions he had perfect opportunities to kill Saul and sieze the kingdom that was rightfully his. Instead, David remained faithful to the Lord, trusting that in God's time he would receive the fulness of God's promised blessing if he would remain obedient through the waiting.
Then there's Elijah. He was so appalled by Israel's abominations of sinfulness that he challenged all of the prophets of Baal and Asherah to a showdown on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs. 18:20-40). It was Elijah against some 850 prophets. Elijah believed that God would show up and defend him. If the Lord would not have consumed the altar, Elijah would most certainly have been killed. But Elijah stepped out in faith, believing in obedience that God would save him in his time of need.
There are a number of New Testament accounts that point to stepping out in faith but perhaps none as profound as the story of Paul. Paul was one of Christianity's leading opponents and most vociferous antagonists to the growing movement of Christianity following Jesus' crucifixion. Yet on the road to Damascus, in one of the most famous conversions, Paul was blinded by God so that his eyes could be opened to the Lord Jesus.
Following this momentous experience, Paul became one of the most influential of all the early church leaders. In this, despite the ardent hatred for Christians that had dominated his life before conversion, Paul stepped out in faith that God would guide and use him for kingdom purposes. This is what stepping out in faith is all about: eschewing the fear of the unknown, overlooking doubt, ignoring our concerns, and, in obedience, relying solely on God to provide the perfect outlet for us to be faithful in serving and bring Him glory.
Ultimately, stepping out in faith is much more than a nice Christian tagline; it is a way of life. The focus here is on the faith, stepping out is how that faith is proven by action. If we do not step out of our comfort zones expecting that God would keep us, then are we really living out faith to its fullest requirements? Instead, let us strive together to live with an attitude of radical faith that desires to rely on God.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Two-Stage Honesty
Honesty is hard. When real honesty occurs, the tough and difficult is dragged up to the forefront and we are forced to deal with things that we would rather not. Honesty can also reveal the hidden things that we may not even be aware of. Honesty basically can be understood in two separate but subsequent and related stages: (1) honesty with others, and (2) honesty with ourselves.
Honesty in regards to others is a necessary and challenging venture. It requires grace, gentleness, and love. If honesty with others is lacking in its delivery, the purpose of being honest will be lost. For instance, if being honest requires to tell a friend or loved one that they are failing in some personal area, and the admonishment is done coldly, with haste, or lacking consideration, then the person may not take the rebuke.
Instead, honesty should be done with intention but kindness. Honesty needs to be direct. If it is not direct, honesty will not be able to obtain its intended effects. There is power to being honest. When we are honest with others we are holding up mirrors to them for the purpose of helping them grow. If we are being honest for our own sake or to be hurtful then we are not being honest, we are just being mean.
As indicated, the purpose of honesty is to propel others to grow closer to God and further in their sanctification. If our honesty is not achieving this basic goal or is not done with this end in mind, then it is worthless and hurtful. In contrast, honesty with others, when delivered with a measure of grace, can cause both us and the other person to exercise the second stage of honesty: honesty with self.
Being honest with ourselves is the sine qua non of sanctification. When we are honest with ourselves, when we look into the mirror with eyes that are illuminated by the Holy Spirit, we are able to see ourselves, warts and all. This is essential. If we do not take time to truthfully look at ourselves in the light of the Lord, we will be unable to change or to sanctify because we will not know what needs to be sanctified.
The truth is that honesty is tough. Both giving it and receiving it require an ear that is willing to hear despite the potential for hurt and pain. A major element to honesty is love, which for honesty plays itself out in trust. When we trust those who offer honesty and when they trust us for the same, then we are actually stepping out in faith and living out the love that Christ asks of us. This is what honesty is all about.
Honesty in regards to others is a necessary and challenging venture. It requires grace, gentleness, and love. If honesty with others is lacking in its delivery, the purpose of being honest will be lost. For instance, if being honest requires to tell a friend or loved one that they are failing in some personal area, and the admonishment is done coldly, with haste, or lacking consideration, then the person may not take the rebuke.
Instead, honesty should be done with intention but kindness. Honesty needs to be direct. If it is not direct, honesty will not be able to obtain its intended effects. There is power to being honest. When we are honest with others we are holding up mirrors to them for the purpose of helping them grow. If we are being honest for our own sake or to be hurtful then we are not being honest, we are just being mean.
As indicated, the purpose of honesty is to propel others to grow closer to God and further in their sanctification. If our honesty is not achieving this basic goal or is not done with this end in mind, then it is worthless and hurtful. In contrast, honesty with others, when delivered with a measure of grace, can cause both us and the other person to exercise the second stage of honesty: honesty with self.
Being honest with ourselves is the sine qua non of sanctification. When we are honest with ourselves, when we look into the mirror with eyes that are illuminated by the Holy Spirit, we are able to see ourselves, warts and all. This is essential. If we do not take time to truthfully look at ourselves in the light of the Lord, we will be unable to change or to sanctify because we will not know what needs to be sanctified.
The truth is that honesty is tough. Both giving it and receiving it require an ear that is willing to hear despite the potential for hurt and pain. A major element to honesty is love, which for honesty plays itself out in trust. When we trust those who offer honesty and when they trust us for the same, then we are actually stepping out in faith and living out the love that Christ asks of us. This is what honesty is all about.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Faithfulness in Crucifying Self
The Word is clear and concise that believers are to be crucified with Christ so as to be made alive in Him (Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:17-21; Gal. 5:24). Although this is hard to understand, applying this somewhat abstract and esoteric concept in practical, personal ways is what matters. Intellectual and emotional ascent to this challenging theological concept is not enough. Practical application is what the crucifixion of self is all about.
Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Mark 8:34-35)." Jesus is indicating that self-denial explained in terms of crucifixion is what obedience to the Lord is all about. For Christ, self-crucifixion is a requisite for faithfulness and belief.
When in deference to the Lord, we aquiesce to an attitude of self-denial and align ourselves to Christ's crucifixion, we put our sin nature to death. As we put our life to death, God is sure to raise a new life in His Son, and we are able to live firmly grounded in Him. This means that we will no longer live in bondage to sin.
Paul confirms that we are to put our old self to death (Col. 3). The point is that we are to die to self in order to be made alive in Christ. When we lay our sin life to rest, we are able to truly rise with Christ in His resurrection. This is the radical nature of belief in Christ: we are new people, are old self is put to death and the new self in Christ takes over.
However difficult this may be to understand, it is incredibly practical. Dying to self means prayer so that our sin nature may be cast aside so as to allow us to live wholly in the Lord and His provision. The purpose of self-denial is so that we are not hindered from serving His will to the fullest extent that we are able. Let us look to Hebrews 12:1-2, to cast aside every weight which may cause us to stumble and prevent us from pursuing Him with fervor.
Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Mark 8:34-35)." Jesus is indicating that self-denial explained in terms of crucifixion is what obedience to the Lord is all about. For Christ, self-crucifixion is a requisite for faithfulness and belief.
When in deference to the Lord, we aquiesce to an attitude of self-denial and align ourselves to Christ's crucifixion, we put our sin nature to death. As we put our life to death, God is sure to raise a new life in His Son, and we are able to live firmly grounded in Him. This means that we will no longer live in bondage to sin.
Paul confirms that we are to put our old self to death (Col. 3). The point is that we are to die to self in order to be made alive in Christ. When we lay our sin life to rest, we are able to truly rise with Christ in His resurrection. This is the radical nature of belief in Christ: we are new people, are old self is put to death and the new self in Christ takes over.
However difficult this may be to understand, it is incredibly practical. Dying to self means prayer so that our sin nature may be cast aside so as to allow us to live wholly in the Lord and His provision. The purpose of self-denial is so that we are not hindered from serving His will to the fullest extent that we are able. Let us look to Hebrews 12:1-2, to cast aside every weight which may cause us to stumble and prevent us from pursuing Him with fervor.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Contentment in Christ
Contentment, the art of being content, refers to an inner state of satisfaction. It should be understood as an attitude of fulfillment, a posture by which we live our lives. Christians, like all the world, have times when our contentment is challenged, when our contentment will be pressed and tested. At these times, when our ability to remain content is tested, how we react can speak volumes of the state and our hearts and the degree of our sanctification.
Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, talks about contentment (Phil. 4:11-13). For Paul, as it should be for all Christians, Jesus is contentment's true source. Because contentment is an inner state of satisfaction, when that satisfaction is found in situation, it will inevitably fail because the contentment is based on the whimsy and tenuousness of circumstance. Simply stated, contentment that is not founded in God will fail because its source is ultimately perishing.
Think of Job. He stayed obedient and faithful in the Lord's holiness and goodness even though everything was working against him. In the end, Job couldn't take it any longer and finally cried out to the Lord for relief and explanation. God replied in force, admonishing Job for His unbelief. The point is clear: God and not circumstance is to be the source of our contentment. When we are dependent on worldly situation and provision to content, we will live life on a roller coaster of contentment that is waxing in waning like the tide.
Instead, the source and confidence of true contentment is fixed firmly in the Lord, in His sovereignty and infinitude. When our contentment is found in God's nature and holy character, we will always be able to be content because we will be secure in He who is always sure and true.
Life is full of tempests that toss and turn with tumultuous circumstance and stressful situations. In these times, we need to remain reliant on the Lord and thus we will be able to be content in every possible dilemma and circumstance. Contentment is to be rooted in the Lord. When it is, we will find ourselves content and satisfied in all situations. This is a beautiful and lovely gift from the Lord. Let us look always to the God of heaven and earth to be the source of our contentment!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Uncomfortability with Purpose
Throughout our lives, we find ourselves in moments and seasons of uncomfortability. From unemployment, financial insecurity, relational strain, physical pain, to emotional stress, life is brimming with uncomfortability and times of uneasiness. This is the norm for the human condition. These moments, however long, propel us in a search for equilibrium, for a returned sense of comfort and relief.
The reality is that moments of uncomfortability can mean something, in fact, they might be some of the most direct messages we can receive from the Lord. If we acknowledge uncomfortability as a sense of uneasiness from the Lord, and we interpret this uneasiness as a prompt, then we will respond to uncomfortability in obedience and patience, understanding that it serves a divine purpose.
Think of David. David spent years in a constant state of relational, political, emotional, and life-threatening upheaval. Because of God's special anointing, Saul was constantly pursuing David and jealous of him. As a result, David spent years living living in caves and on the run. Talk about uneasiness. However, even though David had to live in a perpetual years-long state of uncertainty he was obedient and faithful to the Lord, even composing many Psalms in his time of trouble and stress.
The time that David spent waiting to receive his God-ordained kingdom was the very thing that God used to sanctify and prepare David to become the greatest king in the history of Israel. Although we may not have nearly the future responsibilities that David was to have, we are still being prepared through the times of stress and uncomfortability for what He has in store for us.
Sanctification takes time. More than that, sanctification takes trials, and we should allow those trials to run their intended courses (Rom 5:1-5; James 1:2-4). It is through suffering that we are made more like Christ because it is in times of trial that we are forced to make a conscious decision to rely on God or not. This is the ultimate purpose of uncomfortable moments and seasons: that they would drive us to greater levels of devotion in the Lord.
Moments and seasons of life will be hard and uneasy. However, when we go through these times we should strive to remain obedient and faithful, understanding that God uses the trials of uncomfortability and uneasiness to sanctify us for His purposes . Let us hold steadfast in these times, remaining patient to the Lord and His will. But He is good to keep us and to grow us into the men and women that He has designed us to be!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Encouraging Encouragement
Encouragement is like a spiritual hammer. In the right hands it can be useful for building up and for supporting spiritual growth. But in the wrong hands encouragement can be destructive in its ability to prop up and reinforce bad behavior. Moreover, encouragement can seem trite and critical if not delivered with sincerity and specificity. Done flippantly or without self-control, encouragement can affirm bad habits and even have the opposite of its intended effects.
For starters, encouragement should always be encouraging. This sounds obvious but it is important to note. When we encourage, our delivery should be gentle and sincere. In a real sense, encouragement that is not met with kindness will not be encouraging. How we encourage is often just as important as why. Encouragement needs to be delivered with grace. If not, it can be destructive.
The purpose of encouragement is to build up. Therefore, if our "encouragements" are not prompting growth then we are not encouraging. Encouragement is not the same as complimenting. Instead, encouragement acts as affirmation that we are moving in the same direction while inspiring us to continue pushing forward towards a goal.
However, bad encouragement can happen. When we encourage flippantly or glibly, we can in fact affirm bad behavior and propel people to amplify mistakes. Like laughing at the obnoxious class-clown, it's only going to encourage him/her to continue to act out in order to elicit a reaction. It can be seen that encouragement has such a power and should be wielded responsibly, guided by the Lord.
Paul, in many of his epistles, begins his introductions offering encouragements. In Colossians, he writes that the purpose of his writing was to encourage the Colossian church so that they would continue growing in the faith. This is the essence of true encouragement: to propel greater devotion and spiritual growth. Encouragement is one of the major ways that we can help each other grow.
Moreover, Paul exhorts believers to encourage one another (1 Thess. 5:11). Scripture is clear and unified that God is the true giver and source of encouragement (Psa. 10:17; 55:22; Lam. 3:25-26; 2 Thess. 2:16-17). Therefore, we should rely on the Lord to guide us so that we will encourage those that need encouragement. Praise be to God, that He would choose to encourage His people through us!
For starters, encouragement should always be encouraging. This sounds obvious but it is important to note. When we encourage, our delivery should be gentle and sincere. In a real sense, encouragement that is not met with kindness will not be encouraging. How we encourage is often just as important as why. Encouragement needs to be delivered with grace. If not, it can be destructive.
The purpose of encouragement is to build up. Therefore, if our "encouragements" are not prompting growth then we are not encouraging. Encouragement is not the same as complimenting. Instead, encouragement acts as affirmation that we are moving in the same direction while inspiring us to continue pushing forward towards a goal.
However, bad encouragement can happen. When we encourage flippantly or glibly, we can in fact affirm bad behavior and propel people to amplify mistakes. Like laughing at the obnoxious class-clown, it's only going to encourage him/her to continue to act out in order to elicit a reaction. It can be seen that encouragement has such a power and should be wielded responsibly, guided by the Lord.
Paul, in many of his epistles, begins his introductions offering encouragements. In Colossians, he writes that the purpose of his writing was to encourage the Colossian church so that they would continue growing in the faith. This is the essence of true encouragement: to propel greater devotion and spiritual growth. Encouragement is one of the major ways that we can help each other grow.
Moreover, Paul exhorts believers to encourage one another (1 Thess. 5:11). Scripture is clear and unified that God is the true giver and source of encouragement (Psa. 10:17; 55:22; Lam. 3:25-26; 2 Thess. 2:16-17). Therefore, we should rely on the Lord to guide us so that we will encourage those that need encouragement. Praise be to God, that He would choose to encourage His people through us!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Seeking Quiet through the Noise
In our world we are constantly bombarded with noise and device that continually distract us from our primary purpose. From email, social-networking, video games, phones, computers, iPods, movies, to television, everything seems to lead us to diversion in an ever-fragmented society. The pull of the digital world is strong as its bells and whistles steal our focus and fill the quiet of our hearts and minds with noise.
It is this noise that we should be made aware of. Often in life, we can go for some time without addressing an issue simply because we have not been made aware of it. The noise of the modern digital world is such an issue. Many people live lives like they handle their computer or digital device: switching back and forth between simultaneous programs.
This sort of fragmentation is not beneficial or effective. It's like putting one pant leg on, brushing the teeth of the left side of your mouth, putting on a shoe, turning off the alarm clock, turning on the TV, checking emails, pouring a bowl of cereal, then putting on the other pant leg, brushing the right side teeth, and sitting down to eat your cereal after putting on your other show. Clearly, this is an exaggeration, but if we're honest, is it that far off?
True multi-tasking is not the same as doing everything at the same time. Multi-tasking is always measured in effectiveness, not in how many things can we do simultaneously, but how many things can we do well. If we are being a poor friend, a sloppy employee, or an ineffective communicator, it might be that we are being distracted by the noise around i.e. TV, emails, texts, phone calls, etc. If our goal is to be excellent, a realigned measure of focus might be in order.
Fighting the fragmentation of the digital world we live in is not an easy proposition, particularly considering how plugged-in each of us is on a daily basis. Research as recent as 2009 indicates that around 90% of American households have computers, 83% have internet access in their homes, 83% of adults have a cell-phone, and some 80% of families have at least one modern gaming system (X-Box, Wii, Playstation 3, etc). This means that nearly every American is totally drowning in a sea of potential distractions.
The only thing that has any ability to cut through the noise of the digital world is the Lord, His Word and Holy Spirit. Getting into His presence is the only thing capable of slicing through the tumult of the world, which works tirelessly to distract us from Him. In reality, we are always in His presence, but we are often too distracted to be aware. Practically speaking, we need to turn down the noise in order to hear His voice. And, although this can be literal noise like turning our phones on silent, it is also an inner silence.
There is a distinct and clear quietness that accompanies the Christian life. When we allow and schedule times of quiet, we turn off the distractions and focus on the Lord. We should strive to make a regular habit of turning off the noise and disturbances of this world so that we can focus on, truly meditate on, the Lord, His Word and His will.
When we put Him first in this manner, we will be blessed and the distractions of the digital world will somehow seem to have less weight in our lives than we had previously thought. So let us resolve to not allow the digital world and its devices of distraction decide when we will be devout, but let our devotion to the Lord guide how we can most effectively use the digital world to live out our ultimate purpose of bringing people to Christ.
It is this noise that we should be made aware of. Often in life, we can go for some time without addressing an issue simply because we have not been made aware of it. The noise of the modern digital world is such an issue. Many people live lives like they handle their computer or digital device: switching back and forth between simultaneous programs.
This sort of fragmentation is not beneficial or effective. It's like putting one pant leg on, brushing the teeth of the left side of your mouth, putting on a shoe, turning off the alarm clock, turning on the TV, checking emails, pouring a bowl of cereal, then putting on the other pant leg, brushing the right side teeth, and sitting down to eat your cereal after putting on your other show. Clearly, this is an exaggeration, but if we're honest, is it that far off?
True multi-tasking is not the same as doing everything at the same time. Multi-tasking is always measured in effectiveness, not in how many things can we do simultaneously, but how many things can we do well. If we are being a poor friend, a sloppy employee, or an ineffective communicator, it might be that we are being distracted by the noise around i.e. TV, emails, texts, phone calls, etc. If our goal is to be excellent, a realigned measure of focus might be in order.
Fighting the fragmentation of the digital world we live in is not an easy proposition, particularly considering how plugged-in each of us is on a daily basis. Research as recent as 2009 indicates that around 90% of American households have computers, 83% have internet access in their homes, 83% of adults have a cell-phone, and some 80% of families have at least one modern gaming system (X-Box, Wii, Playstation 3, etc). This means that nearly every American is totally drowning in a sea of potential distractions.
The only thing that has any ability to cut through the noise of the digital world is the Lord, His Word and Holy Spirit. Getting into His presence is the only thing capable of slicing through the tumult of the world, which works tirelessly to distract us from Him. In reality, we are always in His presence, but we are often too distracted to be aware. Practically speaking, we need to turn down the noise in order to hear His voice. And, although this can be literal noise like turning our phones on silent, it is also an inner silence.
There is a distinct and clear quietness that accompanies the Christian life. When we allow and schedule times of quiet, we turn off the distractions and focus on the Lord. We should strive to make a regular habit of turning off the noise and disturbances of this world so that we can focus on, truly meditate on, the Lord, His Word and His will.
When we put Him first in this manner, we will be blessed and the distractions of the digital world will somehow seem to have less weight in our lives than we had previously thought. So let us resolve to not allow the digital world and its devices of distraction decide when we will be devout, but let our devotion to the Lord guide how we can most effectively use the digital world to live out our ultimate purpose of bringing people to Christ.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Selflessness & Love
There are many times in life when we are faced with the choice: "do I do what I want or what is better for someone else?" In these moments, how we answer speaks volumes to the nature of our hearts and the degree of maturation that we have reached in our sanctification. God asks us to love one another as He has loved us, laying down our lives for one another (John 15:12-14).
This is more than a challenging exhortation, it is impossible. We are utterly unable to love each other as Christ has loved us apart from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit performing His perfect work of sanctification within us. In order for us to have any ability to truly love one another, we need to rely on Him as the sole source of that love.
When we focus on the Lord, He bestows His love upon us so that we are able to love others. In a way, the Lord fills our love supplies so that we have hearts like storehouses full of sacrificial love to express to one another the way God desires. This is beautiful: God Himself gives us the necessary equipment to accomplish the requirements of godly love.
The greatest commandment, Love the Lord with all heart, mind, soul, and strength, should guide and endow us with every faculty needed to fulfill the second commandment: loving our neighbors as ourselves (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37-39; Luke 10:27). Loving God is our primary purpose but when we love God we learn how to love as He does.
Jesus is the perfect example of love. In Him, we learn what love is and what love should look like. In Paul's letter to the Philippians, he is clear that love requires humility and selflessness, as to always take on an attitude that regards others as greater than ourselves. This proposition, however nice to ascend to in virtue, is utterly impossible to accomplish in practice apart from the Lord's help.
We should all take on an attitude of selflessness in love. If we could keep this simple assertion at the forefront of our minds when we relate to one another, we would be that much more able to live out the second commandment. God is clear that we should strive to love as He has loved us. Praise be to God for He is good to help us so that we could love as He desires!
This is more than a challenging exhortation, it is impossible. We are utterly unable to love each other as Christ has loved us apart from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit performing His perfect work of sanctification within us. In order for us to have any ability to truly love one another, we need to rely on Him as the sole source of that love.
When we focus on the Lord, He bestows His love upon us so that we are able to love others. In a way, the Lord fills our love supplies so that we have hearts like storehouses full of sacrificial love to express to one another the way God desires. This is beautiful: God Himself gives us the necessary equipment to accomplish the requirements of godly love.
The greatest commandment, Love the Lord with all heart, mind, soul, and strength, should guide and endow us with every faculty needed to fulfill the second commandment: loving our neighbors as ourselves (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37-39; Luke 10:27). Loving God is our primary purpose but when we love God we learn how to love as He does.
Jesus is the perfect example of love. In Him, we learn what love is and what love should look like. In Paul's letter to the Philippians, he is clear that love requires humility and selflessness, as to always take on an attitude that regards others as greater than ourselves. This proposition, however nice to ascend to in virtue, is utterly impossible to accomplish in practice apart from the Lord's help.
We should all take on an attitude of selflessness in love. If we could keep this simple assertion at the forefront of our minds when we relate to one another, we would be that much more able to live out the second commandment. God is clear that we should strive to love as He has loved us. Praise be to God for He is good to help us so that we could love as He desires!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
God's Forgiveness
Forgiveness is one of the most essential components of the Christian life. Unfortunately, forgiveness is often overused in Christian circles while being undervalued and underemphasized with unbelievers. However, the forgiveness of God, given through the work of Jesus, is not only of great importance, it is life-changing. The realization that we need forgiveness is often what prompts belief in the first place, while the continuation of forgiveness is what keeps us growing in sanctification.
Essentially, forgiveness is mercy when judgement is due, amnesty when punishment is owed, and pardoning a just sentencing. The act of forgiveness, in the highest sense, is God's relenting from His right and just judgment of sinners because of the perfect atoning sacrificial work of His Son, Jesus. This is forgiveness.
Man's acts of righteousness are worthless (Isa. 64:6). No one, not one, is without sin's stain (Rom. 3:10). God is more than holy and righteous to judge mankind for their sin. And although God would be just and right to punish us for our sin, He, by His Son's atoning death on the cross, has cleansed us of our sin and justified us wholly by His holy work: forgiveness (Rom. 3:22-24).
To be sure, forgiveness is not without its requirements. To use economic language, we must accept the forgiveness of God for it to be applied to our accounts. If we do not accept His forgiveness, our debt remains, and the reckoning for that debt is sure. Accepting the forgiveness of God is the sine qua non of faith. It is the fundamental component of sincere faith.
However, the story of forgiveness does not end when we accept forgiveness. Forgiveness is to pass through us. We need to forgive ourselves, as well as forgive others. In this way, forgiveness is made complete through us. Although God's forgiveness is not lacking in anything, we still need to express the forgiveness not only to ourselves but to the people around us. Forgiveness takes an attitude of grace, mercy, and love. But when we live lives of forgiveness, we will be continually blessed by the infusion of His nature that forgiveness engages.
Essentially, forgiveness is mercy when judgement is due, amnesty when punishment is owed, and pardoning a just sentencing. The act of forgiveness, in the highest sense, is God's relenting from His right and just judgment of sinners because of the perfect atoning sacrificial work of His Son, Jesus. This is forgiveness.
Man's acts of righteousness are worthless (Isa. 64:6). No one, not one, is without sin's stain (Rom. 3:10). God is more than holy and righteous to judge mankind for their sin. And although God would be just and right to punish us for our sin, He, by His Son's atoning death on the cross, has cleansed us of our sin and justified us wholly by His holy work: forgiveness (Rom. 3:22-24).
To be sure, forgiveness is not without its requirements. To use economic language, we must accept the forgiveness of God for it to be applied to our accounts. If we do not accept His forgiveness, our debt remains, and the reckoning for that debt is sure. Accepting the forgiveness of God is the sine qua non of faith. It is the fundamental component of sincere faith.
However, the story of forgiveness does not end when we accept forgiveness. Forgiveness is to pass through us. We need to forgive ourselves, as well as forgive others. In this way, forgiveness is made complete through us. Although God's forgiveness is not lacking in anything, we still need to express the forgiveness not only to ourselves but to the people around us. Forgiveness takes an attitude of grace, mercy, and love. But when we live lives of forgiveness, we will be continually blessed by the infusion of His nature that forgiveness engages.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Vulnerable Love
Among the many features of love, two stand out for their importance as well as their difficulty. The first is sacrifice. Love is sacrificial, meaning that love demands a certain level of self-denial for the betterment of the one being loved. This is one of the clearest features of love, especially in regards to Christ, which He commends as the highest form of love (John 15:3).
Sacrificial love can be anything serving dinner, to doing the dishes, to getting out of bed at 3am to go pick someone up and drive them home, or it can even be as simple as spending time with someone over a cup of coffee. Above all though, sacrificial love includes an element of vulnerability, one of other defining features of love.
Vulnerability, simply stated, is humility instead of pride. Pride's rearing head of self-dignity and self-love serves to protect one's own image of themselves from potential threats and attacks. This pride stands as a hindering wall of opposition to godly relationships. When we maintain an air of pride, we do not allow our egos to be injured, particularly when the wounds may be self-inflicted.
Practically speaking, this means we will struggle, if not outright refuse, to ask for forgiveness because doing so would reveal gaps and chips in our prideful armor of self-exaltation. Furthermore, we will be unable to accept our own errors and will only grow in rigid self-approval to the bereavement of sanctification's holy work.
Sanctification demands that we eschew pride in favor of vulnerability. Repentance requires vulnerability. When we have an attitude of vulnerability, we will be able to see ourselves truthfully, warts and all. In this way, the Lord fills our eyes with the ability to see and the crevices of sin in our lives will be revealed so that we may repent and grow in sanctification.
To be sure, vulnerability can feel like weakness because in being vulnerable, we remove our armor of pride. However, we are not left naked in our vulnerability; we are clothed by the Lord Himself, who holds us more than safe in His omnipotent arms of holiness. When we open up ourselves to be vulnerable, the Lord is able to hold us tighter because the chain mail of pride is removed.
The essential component of vulnerability is faith, but faith girds two other requisites of vulnerability that go hand-in-hand: (1) courage and, (2) honesty. Vulnerability requires courage because we are removing our well-fashioned, custom-made, and battle-worn armor of pride. This takes courage in faith, but it is paired with another measure of courage: honesty. When we are vulnerable, we are honest despite our natural urging to protect ourselves. This is courage and faith at its best and most powerful.
Ultimately, vulnerability is for our good. When we are vulnerable we are able to forgive, able to ask for forgiveness, able to love, and able to receive God's sanctifying discipline. It's like we open ourselves utterly to the Lord in faith that He will keep and protect our hearts. Certainly, vulnerability demands a measure of wisdom and discernment in order to determine who we need to open up to, but on the whole, only when we are vulnerable is God able to do His holy work in us. Let us then take on an attitude of vulnerability so that we may truly love as He has loved us!
Sacrificial love can be anything serving dinner, to doing the dishes, to getting out of bed at 3am to go pick someone up and drive them home, or it can even be as simple as spending time with someone over a cup of coffee. Above all though, sacrificial love includes an element of vulnerability, one of other defining features of love.
Vulnerability, simply stated, is humility instead of pride. Pride's rearing head of self-dignity and self-love serves to protect one's own image of themselves from potential threats and attacks. This pride stands as a hindering wall of opposition to godly relationships. When we maintain an air of pride, we do not allow our egos to be injured, particularly when the wounds may be self-inflicted.
Practically speaking, this means we will struggle, if not outright refuse, to ask for forgiveness because doing so would reveal gaps and chips in our prideful armor of self-exaltation. Furthermore, we will be unable to accept our own errors and will only grow in rigid self-approval to the bereavement of sanctification's holy work.
Sanctification demands that we eschew pride in favor of vulnerability. Repentance requires vulnerability. When we have an attitude of vulnerability, we will be able to see ourselves truthfully, warts and all. In this way, the Lord fills our eyes with the ability to see and the crevices of sin in our lives will be revealed so that we may repent and grow in sanctification.
To be sure, vulnerability can feel like weakness because in being vulnerable, we remove our armor of pride. However, we are not left naked in our vulnerability; we are clothed by the Lord Himself, who holds us more than safe in His omnipotent arms of holiness. When we open up ourselves to be vulnerable, the Lord is able to hold us tighter because the chain mail of pride is removed.
The essential component of vulnerability is faith, but faith girds two other requisites of vulnerability that go hand-in-hand: (1) courage and, (2) honesty. Vulnerability requires courage because we are removing our well-fashioned, custom-made, and battle-worn armor of pride. This takes courage in faith, but it is paired with another measure of courage: honesty. When we are vulnerable, we are honest despite our natural urging to protect ourselves. This is courage and faith at its best and most powerful.
Ultimately, vulnerability is for our good. When we are vulnerable we are able to forgive, able to ask for forgiveness, able to love, and able to receive God's sanctifying discipline. It's like we open ourselves utterly to the Lord in faith that He will keep and protect our hearts. Certainly, vulnerability demands a measure of wisdom and discernment in order to determine who we need to open up to, but on the whole, only when we are vulnerable is God able to do His holy work in us. Let us then take on an attitude of vulnerability so that we may truly love as He has loved us!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Jesus' Humanity
Jesus is the Lord of heaven and of earth. He descended to the earth, taking the form of a man so as to live a human life, took on the sins of all mankind, and, dying on the cross, atoned for those sins by paying the sin debt of judgment due every man. This is the gospel, the good news: that God Himself would pay the price of sin for all mankind and remove the dividing wall of hostility between Himself and us by the work of His Son, Jesus the Christ.
This is the unified, irrefutable, non-negotiable, irreducible truth of Jesus: that God, in all His infinitude and eternal omnipotence, condescended to a human form, eschewing some of His divine attributes so as to live a perfect and holy earthly life. Therefore, Jesus was qualified both to atone for all of mankind's sin, and to perfectly relate to all of mankind's earthly pains, having Himself experienced the deluge of struggles that characterize this earthly life.
Simply put, Jesus was God and man. However challenging the theology of this assertion may be, the account of Scripture in this regard is intensely unified. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, is clear that Jesus was a flesh and blood man while also being the God of all creation (1 John 1:1-3). This is essential. Jesus had to be a man in order to take on Himself the sin of all mankind. Being a man was the sine qua non of Jesus' work; He needed to be a man.
However, this fact has met much controversy over the centuries and many heresies have tried to detract from the reality of the true nature of Jesus. The various heretical reactions to Christ's true nature can be summarized into one main camp, called Docetism, a similar and related heresy of Gnosticism. The Docetists believe that, because Jesus was God, He could not possibly have inhabited an earthly human body.
Furthering this heresy to its logical conclusion, Jesus was not born of a virgin, did not live a sinless life, did not live with and teach His disciples, was not arrested, was not crucified, did not die, and, because He wasn't ever alive in the flesh, did not resurrect. Needless to say, this is flat-out heresy but even some Christians have fallen victim to this heresy.
The reality is that Jesus was both fully man and fully God. His humanity should not be underemphasized to protect His divinity and vice versa. As the fully-incarnate God-man, He had/has a dual nature, both man and God. This is challenging for finite beings to understand but is essential biblical theology that should be defended and protected from any and all heretical incursions. But praise be to the Lord Jesus, who condescended to take the form of a man so as to become the propitiation for the sins of all mankind!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Sprint or Marathon Faith?
Christianity is a marathon. Unfortunately, far too often, it is ran like a sprint. This is the tragedy for many who have claimed Christ at some point but have faltered over time. God asks us to cling to Him for the long haul so as to be made secure in Him. Moreover, the writer of Hebrews exhorts believers to run with perseverance the race that is marked out for us (Heb. 12:2).
Think of the many people who have made sincere and emotional confessions of faith, and get excited about God for a period of time, only to revert to a worse state than they were in before. Jesus warns that some people whose hearts have been cleaned out by the Lord will fall prey to bondage and will fall away (Luke 11:24-26).
Remember, the door to the Lord is narrow and few will enter it. Therefore, we should not cease to strive for that narrow door lest we be refused entrance for our lack of effort. Again, life is a marathon, not a sprint. If it was a sprint, we would be able to accomplish the whole of life in a single day. This is manifestly not true: life requires a lifetime. This may sound overly pithy but there are implications in living a life that holds to this basic assertion.
First of all, sprinting expels every physical resource to their tensile limits of exhaustion for short explosions of activity. Conversely, marathons require temperance and control as to sustain a certain level of strained activity for prolonged periods. Similarly, Christians who live out Christianity like a sprint will overload themselves with activities and inevitably get burned-out. Like lighting a match without any wood for a fire.
Additionally, people who sprint have a tendency to feel guilty or worthless when they are unable to run any longer due to exhaustion. Tragically, this causes many people to walk away from the Church because the constant roller coaster of living Christianity as a sprinter can be vertiginous and guilt-ridden. Think of the match, strong burst at the strike but with too quick a dissipation for any sustainable glow.
Instead, marathon Christians are both responsible and deliberate in their potency. It requires a good deal of maturity to recognize how and where we should use our energy but it is all a part of living life as a steward of the gifts God has given us. We are unable to do everything, but we are expected to do certain things and with no less than excellence accomplish them.
Secondly, sprinters and marathoners train differently. Sprinting requires explosiveness, so low reps of heavy weight training is done so as to increase the muscular needs of sprinting. In contrast, the needs of marathons require long-term, rounded workouts that emphasize endurance. Spiritually training like a sprinter means that we go through bursts of intensive study and discipline until we are burnt out and we need a break. The problem is that no matter how useful intensive study is, God doesn't ever want us to take breaks from our devotion. In fact, He wants all of us all of the time.
The antithesis of spiritual training for a sprint is training for a spiritual marathon. The major difference is that marathon Christianity requires a steady and steadily increasing diet of training, meaning that we grow our capacity to study both in intensity and duration through consistent training that emphasizes the length that the Christian life requires.
The Christian life, in this sense, is not determined by the explosiveness of our faith but by our consistency over time. This is not to discredit explosive faith. On the contrary, explosive faith is awesome and beautiful but it is tragic if it is not sustainable. Paramount to this is to recognize that we are not racing against other people. Repeat: we are not racing against others.
It is crucial to understand this. Realize that God has uniquely called each of us to run our own race at a pace that He has determined. In reality, some run faster than others at different points in their races. If we think that we are racing them, we will try to take God's plan into our own hands, instead of simply relying on His pacesetting goodness to determine the course and speed of our lives. Passion: yes. On fire hearts and lives: yes. But although a fire may begin with a single bright spark, it is the constant fuel supply of air and carbon that keeps the fire sustained and growing. So let us become marathoners for Christ, clinging to Him for the length of our whole lives with steadfast perseverance that lasts a lifetime!
Think of the many people who have made sincere and emotional confessions of faith, and get excited about God for a period of time, only to revert to a worse state than they were in before. Jesus warns that some people whose hearts have been cleaned out by the Lord will fall prey to bondage and will fall away (Luke 11:24-26).
Remember, the door to the Lord is narrow and few will enter it. Therefore, we should not cease to strive for that narrow door lest we be refused entrance for our lack of effort. Again, life is a marathon, not a sprint. If it was a sprint, we would be able to accomplish the whole of life in a single day. This is manifestly not true: life requires a lifetime. This may sound overly pithy but there are implications in living a life that holds to this basic assertion.
First of all, sprinting expels every physical resource to their tensile limits of exhaustion for short explosions of activity. Conversely, marathons require temperance and control as to sustain a certain level of strained activity for prolonged periods. Similarly, Christians who live out Christianity like a sprint will overload themselves with activities and inevitably get burned-out. Like lighting a match without any wood for a fire.
Additionally, people who sprint have a tendency to feel guilty or worthless when they are unable to run any longer due to exhaustion. Tragically, this causes many people to walk away from the Church because the constant roller coaster of living Christianity as a sprinter can be vertiginous and guilt-ridden. Think of the match, strong burst at the strike but with too quick a dissipation for any sustainable glow.
Instead, marathon Christians are both responsible and deliberate in their potency. It requires a good deal of maturity to recognize how and where we should use our energy but it is all a part of living life as a steward of the gifts God has given us. We are unable to do everything, but we are expected to do certain things and with no less than excellence accomplish them.
Secondly, sprinters and marathoners train differently. Sprinting requires explosiveness, so low reps of heavy weight training is done so as to increase the muscular needs of sprinting. In contrast, the needs of marathons require long-term, rounded workouts that emphasize endurance. Spiritually training like a sprinter means that we go through bursts of intensive study and discipline until we are burnt out and we need a break. The problem is that no matter how useful intensive study is, God doesn't ever want us to take breaks from our devotion. In fact, He wants all of us all of the time.
The antithesis of spiritual training for a sprint is training for a spiritual marathon. The major difference is that marathon Christianity requires a steady and steadily increasing diet of training, meaning that we grow our capacity to study both in intensity and duration through consistent training that emphasizes the length that the Christian life requires.
The Christian life, in this sense, is not determined by the explosiveness of our faith but by our consistency over time. This is not to discredit explosive faith. On the contrary, explosive faith is awesome and beautiful but it is tragic if it is not sustainable. Paramount to this is to recognize that we are not racing against other people. Repeat: we are not racing against others.
It is crucial to understand this. Realize that God has uniquely called each of us to run our own race at a pace that He has determined. In reality, some run faster than others at different points in their races. If we think that we are racing them, we will try to take God's plan into our own hands, instead of simply relying on His pacesetting goodness to determine the course and speed of our lives. Passion: yes. On fire hearts and lives: yes. But although a fire may begin with a single bright spark, it is the constant fuel supply of air and carbon that keeps the fire sustained and growing. So let us become marathoners for Christ, clinging to Him for the length of our whole lives with steadfast perseverance that lasts a lifetime!
Powerful Music
Music is powerful. The pairing of lyric and melody to rhythm gives music a unique power to communicate in a way that uses both intellect and heart. Music acts as a highway connecting the mind with the heart. Thus music has a way to communicate complex ideas and emotions in an understandable way. Moreover, because music engages both the heart and the head simultaneously, the soul is inevitably engaged, like if you shake the flowers you're shaking the root.
Additionally, music serves distinct theological purposes for both worship and study. The most obvious usage of music is in worship. Throughout the Scripture, especially in Psalms, music acts as the preferred medium for praise and worship. To be sure, music's pairing of intellect and emotion make it the perfectly tuned instrument to praise the Lord using the entire person.
God requires that we worship Him with all of our hearts, minds, and souls; it is a requirement of worship. Music is the medium that God has designed for worship. Certainly music is not the only mode God created for worship, however, it is one of the most effective.
Not only does music serve as a means to worship, it also is a great method for expressing complex theology in the simplest of ways. It is for this reason that Paul exhorts believers to sing to one another in spiritual songs, hymns, and psalms (Col. 3:16). Believers are to teach each other about the Lord. This requires that we are talking about God and the things of God. Certain things of God can be more than slightly complex, they can be downright difficult to understand. Thankfully, God has given us music as a means to simplify the complex so as to make the challenging accessible.
Because of the uses and Scriptural emphasis of music as worship, the purpose of this dialogue is to encourage us to find songs that can serve these two purposes, worship and theology, in our own lives. The goal is to memorize songs that speak theology to us so that we can take ownership of the theology. Furthermore, when we find ourselves amidst struggle, we will have songs to comfort us and to teach us the theology that we might need most in those tempest moments. Let us then search out music that points us to God.
Additionally, music serves distinct theological purposes for both worship and study. The most obvious usage of music is in worship. Throughout the Scripture, especially in Psalms, music acts as the preferred medium for praise and worship. To be sure, music's pairing of intellect and emotion make it the perfectly tuned instrument to praise the Lord using the entire person.
God requires that we worship Him with all of our hearts, minds, and souls; it is a requirement of worship. Music is the medium that God has designed for worship. Certainly music is not the only mode God created for worship, however, it is one of the most effective.
Not only does music serve as a means to worship, it also is a great method for expressing complex theology in the simplest of ways. It is for this reason that Paul exhorts believers to sing to one another in spiritual songs, hymns, and psalms (Col. 3:16). Believers are to teach each other about the Lord. This requires that we are talking about God and the things of God. Certain things of God can be more than slightly complex, they can be downright difficult to understand. Thankfully, God has given us music as a means to simplify the complex so as to make the challenging accessible.
Because of the uses and Scriptural emphasis of music as worship, the purpose of this dialogue is to encourage us to find songs that can serve these two purposes, worship and theology, in our own lives. The goal is to memorize songs that speak theology to us so that we can take ownership of the theology. Furthermore, when we find ourselves amidst struggle, we will have songs to comfort us and to teach us the theology that we might need most in those tempest moments. Let us then search out music that points us to God.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Not Playing Favorites
Favoritism is a nearly unavoidable trait of human nature. Simply, favoritism or partiality refers to preferring or biasing one person over another. Although favoritism can refer to things, its theological relevance concerns the favoring of persons. The Scriptural account is unified in its understanding of favoritism: it should be avoided.
If we, as Christians, are to look to the Lord's example in regards to how we treat people. Paul indicates that God shows no partiality (Rom. 2:11). Although it can be said with certainty that God creates individuals and gifts them uniquely, He loves and treats them with equality. God simply requires obedience and faith from everyone.
As God's example becomes us, through the Holy Spirit and Bible study, we will begin to live lives that are guided by the Spirit. This process of sanctification infuses our selfs with God's self. As this happens, we will be severed from our fleshly tendencies towards favoritism in lieu of God's unbiased love.
Favoritism is a human, fleshly perspective. When we favor one person over another, we are letting our fleshly perceptions guide our love. The tragedy of this is that, too often, the one whom the Lord may intend for us to love, is rarely the one we would choose to love. Because man looks at the flesh while God looks at the heart, we should not rely on our fleshly perceptions in deciding who it is that God has called us to care for. Instead, we should rely on the Spirit to guide our perceptions and lead ys to those that we were meant to love and care for.
In his epistle, James confirms that we should not ever show partiality in our interactions (James 2:1-7). James insists that we should not show favoritism but should always maintain a care for people that transcends our fleshly perceptions of worth. One of the goals of the Christian life is to start to see the world as God. Being impartial and not showing favoritism is one of the ways in which we live out a faith in a life that sees as He sees and loves as He loves.
If we, as Christians, are to look to the Lord's example in regards to how we treat people. Paul indicates that God shows no partiality (Rom. 2:11). Although it can be said with certainty that God creates individuals and gifts them uniquely, He loves and treats them with equality. God simply requires obedience and faith from everyone.
As God's example becomes us, through the Holy Spirit and Bible study, we will begin to live lives that are guided by the Spirit. This process of sanctification infuses our selfs with God's self. As this happens, we will be severed from our fleshly tendencies towards favoritism in lieu of God's unbiased love.
Favoritism is a human, fleshly perspective. When we favor one person over another, we are letting our fleshly perceptions guide our love. The tragedy of this is that, too often, the one whom the Lord may intend for us to love, is rarely the one we would choose to love. Because man looks at the flesh while God looks at the heart, we should not rely on our fleshly perceptions in deciding who it is that God has called us to care for. Instead, we should rely on the Spirit to guide our perceptions and lead ys to those that we were meant to love and care for.
In his epistle, James confirms that we should not ever show partiality in our interactions (James 2:1-7). James insists that we should not show favoritism but should always maintain a care for people that transcends our fleshly perceptions of worth. One of the goals of the Christian life is to start to see the world as God. Being impartial and not showing favoritism is one of the ways in which we live out a faith in a life that sees as He sees and loves as He loves.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Worth of Self
Humans have an innate and engrained need to feel worthy, to feel esteemed. We are constantly in search of affirmation of our gifts, our talents, and our achievements. There is an almost law-like phenomenon that every person desires some sense of life-validation, that we yearn to be endorsed as good and worthy. In and of itself, this inner prompting for validation and worth is not evil, but it how we seek our worth that judges its morality.
Put plain and quite simply, the Lord is the basis for our worth. He designed us purely for His good pleasure. He gifted us with life and sustains us moment by moment in the power of His Word. He is our worth. Apart from the Lord, there is no thing of worth that man can possess or create, nothing. This definition of self-worth flies in the face of societal concepts of self-esteem.
The concept of self-esteem stands in opposition to God's desire for the source of our esteem. He, the Lord, desires that our worth be found solely in Him. Whenever we strive to determine our worth ourselves, we are settling for less than the worth that God has for us; we are chasing mirages. The greatest estimation of worth we could possibly make for ourselves still falls pitifully short of God's true determination of our worth.
When we seek to esteem our worth ourselves, we rely on our own imperfect abilities to assess worth; we look to physical capabilities, intellectual prowess, emotional aptitude, or relational finess, et al. Although each of these traits can be good, they are imperfect because they do not possess any intrinsic worth, meaning that the worth of physical prowess is useless apart from physical activity just as intellectual powers are meaningless severed from an intellectual activity to display their worth. These are potential measures of worth, yet they are not intrinsically worth anything at all.
Instead, our true worth, as determined by God Himself, is intrinsic because it is not based on a potential worth and it is not dependent whatsoever upon any special activity or practice. WE are worthy because we are His. God is the determiner of worth. When we start thinking in terms of self-esteem or self-worth, we are missing the point entirely. Because God is the indicator of our worth, we are wholly unable to accurately assess our worth apart from God's prompting. Let us look to the Lord, the firmest of foundations, as the source of our worth!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Jesus: God's Word
The first chapter of John's gospel is a veritable doctrinal treatise on the relationship between God and His Word (John 1:1-5, 14-18). There are several features that stand out in John's first chapter. The most important and challenging teaching is that Jesus' relationship to the Word: Jesus is the Word. This is remarkable, Jesus, in His very nature, is the Word of God. The theological implications of this assertion refers mainly to the action and work of God's Word.
First of all, the Word of God is His agent of creation; God spoke creation into existence. Therefore, Jesus, as the Word of the Lord, is God's agent of creation (Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:5-6; Col. 1:16). Because the Word is the agent of creation, and Jesus is that Word, it then makes sense that Jesus, the Word, was present with God at the beginning.
However, the Word wasn't just present at the beginning, with God in a passive sense. Rather, the Word was God, meaning that the Word, defined as Jesus, is God. This is one of the clearest declarations into the divinity of Jesus as the Son of the Lord, a member of the Holy Trinity. Jesus is God. In very nature, He is the incarnate God, the Son of the Most Holy Lord.
The Word of God is also the agent of His holy judgment (Rev. 19:13). This is confirmed throughout the Old Testament when prophecy is spoken: "Hear the word of the Lord" or, "Thus says the Lord." When God's righteous judgment is meted out, Jesus, as the Word, is the agent of that judgment. Thus it is Jesus who will be the agent of God's perfect and final judgment.
Because Jesus is the Word of God, when we read the Bible, we are learning Jesus. Therefore, we should desire to read and study the Bible so that we would know Jesus and grow in relationship with the Holy Lord. As we read the Word of God, we are actively engaging in conversation with Jesus. By prayer led by the Spirit, we can close the communicative circle and truly grow in relationship with the Lord. This is beautiful. Let us desire to read more of His Word to learn more of His Son, Jesus, and so to grow in relationship with Him!
First of all, the Word of God is His agent of creation; God spoke creation into existence. Therefore, Jesus, as the Word of the Lord, is God's agent of creation (Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:5-6; Col. 1:16). Because the Word is the agent of creation, and Jesus is that Word, it then makes sense that Jesus, the Word, was present with God at the beginning.
However, the Word wasn't just present at the beginning, with God in a passive sense. Rather, the Word was God, meaning that the Word, defined as Jesus, is God. This is one of the clearest declarations into the divinity of Jesus as the Son of the Lord, a member of the Holy Trinity. Jesus is God. In very nature, He is the incarnate God, the Son of the Most Holy Lord.
The Word of God is also the agent of His holy judgment (Rev. 19:13). This is confirmed throughout the Old Testament when prophecy is spoken: "Hear the word of the Lord" or, "Thus says the Lord." When God's righteous judgment is meted out, Jesus, as the Word, is the agent of that judgment. Thus it is Jesus who will be the agent of God's perfect and final judgment.
Because Jesus is the Word of God, when we read the Bible, we are learning Jesus. Therefore, we should desire to read and study the Bible so that we would know Jesus and grow in relationship with the Holy Lord. As we read the Word of God, we are actively engaging in conversation with Jesus. By prayer led by the Spirit, we can close the communicative circle and truly grow in relationship with the Lord. This is beautiful. Let us desire to read more of His Word to learn more of His Son, Jesus, and so to grow in relationship with Him!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Small Little Prayers
Prayer is about communication with God. In another real sense, prayer is about asking God for His provision and providence in our lives. To be sure, God is not a divine vending machine that gives out treats of wealth and prosperity at the input of prayers of request. Rather, the Lord desires for us to live in a perpetual communion with Him in right relationship. Prayer is an extension of this right relationship and should be thought of as such.
The biblical account is both unified and clear: God wants us to look to Him to provide every need and want (Matt. 5:44-45; 7:8; 21:22; John 15:7; 16:24; Eph. 6:18). The Word says that we should be going to Him constantly for His providence and provision, as He delights in meeting each of our needs and desires. The Lord wants us to come to Him for everything.
We should not ever feel that we are asking God too much or too often; He's God, He can more than handle any and all of our requests. The Lord is capable of handling each and every one of our requests, from the simple to the absurd. He's not tallying up what we've asked for or keeping a scorecard, marking down what we've asked over what He's given. God is most interested in a relationship with us.
The Lord is gracious and giving, but He desires our worship and praise first. When we are deferent and sincere in our exaltation and adoration of Him, we will naturally seek for all of our wants and needs to be met in Him. This is a beautiful thing but it is not without practice or method.
Praying for providence is about practicing the presence of God. This practice is about the small prayers. Far too often people seem to only come to God in prayer over the big stuff: employment, death, divorce, addiction, etc. Instead, we should make a habit of coming to the Lord in prayer constantly for the littlest of prayers. When we pray, we are communicating with God, we are letting the Spirit work through us in relationship with the Holy Lord. We should strive to live this out in a real, moment-by-moment way.
Friday, January 6, 2012
The Church and the church.
The Church of Christ is a complex and diverse entity meant to serve as His light in the world. There are many different ways to understand the Church and what the Church is meant to be and look like. A lot of New Testament literary real estate is filled with language and descriptions of the Church. Of all of the metaphors and figurative language used to describe Jesus' relationship to His Church, one in particular stands out for its richness and theological implications: the Church as a marriage to Jesus.
To understand the Church in terms of marriage is a healthy and coherent theological determinant for the complex relationship between God and His children. The Church is the bride of Jesus, meaning that the Church is married to Jesus. The implications of this understanding are basically twofold. At the onset, it means that, in the truest biblical sense, the Church is to serve Jesus. Evenmore so, the Church is Jesus' helpmate: the one who helps Him to accomplish His purposes. In a real sense, the Church is the earthly worker for His love and character in the world.
The second implication for understanding the Church as a marriage to Jesus is in terms of commitment. Commitment to the Church is one of the most overlooked aspects of the New Covenant that is made in Christ. One of the reasons that the commitment to the Church is overlooked is because of what it entails. Like marriage, real and genuine commitment requires a specific object of commitment. In the case of the Church, the object of commitment is simple: Jesus. Where the confusion and challenge arises is that the commitment of the Church also has a definite community aspect too: the local church.
We, as Christians, are a part of the greater Church; however, we are also to be a part of localized communities of Christians, the local church. Additionally, we are to be committed like marriage to these local churches. This means that leaving churches for any reason other than outright deliberate and continued sin and/or heresy should never be done lightly or superficially.
Remember, Church and church is to be like a marriage. If a husband says that he is committed to marriage but is not committed to his wife, then he is not committed to marriage. Thus, when we say that we are committed to the Church of Christ but are not committed to a local church, we are not committed to the Church. We cannot be committed to Christ's Church if we are not connected to a specific church. That would be like being committed to marriage without being committed to a single spouse.
The reality is that church is hard. It is the place of testing and growth, but through that testing, if testing is allowed to run its full course, we will be sanctified and made more like Him. This is the goal and purpose of church. The local church is in many ways a microcosm of the Church. The Church is God's mighty hand of collective believers coming together to change and transform the world. The church is to be the local and regional equivalent of the greater Church. Let us then commit to the Church by thoroughly committing ourselves to churches. In this way, we will be truly living out part of what God requires of us and we will be more equipped and able to serve both Him and our communities.
To understand the Church in terms of marriage is a healthy and coherent theological determinant for the complex relationship between God and His children. The Church is the bride of Jesus, meaning that the Church is married to Jesus. The implications of this understanding are basically twofold. At the onset, it means that, in the truest biblical sense, the Church is to serve Jesus. Evenmore so, the Church is Jesus' helpmate: the one who helps Him to accomplish His purposes. In a real sense, the Church is the earthly worker for His love and character in the world.
The second implication for understanding the Church as a marriage to Jesus is in terms of commitment. Commitment to the Church is one of the most overlooked aspects of the New Covenant that is made in Christ. One of the reasons that the commitment to the Church is overlooked is because of what it entails. Like marriage, real and genuine commitment requires a specific object of commitment. In the case of the Church, the object of commitment is simple: Jesus. Where the confusion and challenge arises is that the commitment of the Church also has a definite community aspect too: the local church.
We, as Christians, are a part of the greater Church; however, we are also to be a part of localized communities of Christians, the local church. Additionally, we are to be committed like marriage to these local churches. This means that leaving churches for any reason other than outright deliberate and continued sin and/or heresy should never be done lightly or superficially.
Remember, Church and church is to be like a marriage. If a husband says that he is committed to marriage but is not committed to his wife, then he is not committed to marriage. Thus, when we say that we are committed to the Church of Christ but are not committed to a local church, we are not committed to the Church. We cannot be committed to Christ's Church if we are not connected to a specific church. That would be like being committed to marriage without being committed to a single spouse.
The reality is that church is hard. It is the place of testing and growth, but through that testing, if testing is allowed to run its full course, we will be sanctified and made more like Him. This is the goal and purpose of church. The local church is in many ways a microcosm of the Church. The Church is God's mighty hand of collective believers coming together to change and transform the world. The church is to be the local and regional equivalent of the greater Church. Let us then commit to the Church by thoroughly committing ourselves to churches. In this way, we will be truly living out part of what God requires of us and we will be more equipped and able to serve both Him and our communities.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Mercy of God
Mercy is a major part of God's character. He is full of mercy (James 5:11). Mercy, as a word, is charged with theological significance and spiritual ramifications. To speak of the mercy of God is dense though because to single out God's mercy is to downplay the multi-faceted nature of God's mercy. As God's mercy is not singular in its actualization, a more accurate understanding would be to think of God's mercy in terms of mercies plural.
First and foremost, salvation is God's supreme act of mercy. This, the widest use of the mercy, refers to a holy, righteous, and just God staying His hand of judgment by His own will. Although God would be fully just and right to condemn the world for its sin, He, in His great mercy, chose to save the world through the work of His son, Jesus, and by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5). This is mercy at its finest.
However, the Lord's mercy is not a one time only event. Rather, His mercy is continually renewed (Lam. 3:22-23). God's mercy is renewed, not because His mercy storehouses are emptied in the slightest. Instead, His mercies are renewed as His mercy is needed. Because His mercy is not a static point but serves dynamic uses, His mercy is continually being transferred from divine to the physical for our great benefit. Thus the renewal does not mean that God is making more mercy but that we are using more of it.
Moreover, His mercy is given to those who earnestly seek Him (Deut. 7:9; Isa. 55:6-7; Psa. 103:17; Luke 1:50). This is remarkable and the defining feature of God's mercy: He bestows mercy on all who come to Him seeking it. There would be no need to give mercy to those that don't think they need it, so the essential components of the reception of God's mercy are confession, repentance, and belief.
Also, God gives mercy generously, but He does so for the purpose of relationship, not religion. If we are glib to God's mercy, we are entirely missing the pont. When faced with God's mercy, we should strive to be penitent and sincere, understanding the utter gravity of His mercy in reference to the absolute weight of our sin.
Lastly, it is by God's great mercy that we may enter into a right and redeemed relationship with Him (Psa. 5:7). Therefore, when we are in moments that we feel separated from His presence, we should prayer with fervor and in faith that God would stretch His mercy upon us as to return us to His right and perfect presence. The beauty is that He extends His mercy on all who ask. Additionally, He delights and desires to show His mercy to us (Mic. 7:1-8). Ergo, we should make it a habit to praise Him for and ask Him for mercy. Praise be to God for His great and perfect mercy!
First and foremost, salvation is God's supreme act of mercy. This, the widest use of the mercy, refers to a holy, righteous, and just God staying His hand of judgment by His own will. Although God would be fully just and right to condemn the world for its sin, He, in His great mercy, chose to save the world through the work of His son, Jesus, and by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5). This is mercy at its finest.
However, the Lord's mercy is not a one time only event. Rather, His mercy is continually renewed (Lam. 3:22-23). God's mercy is renewed, not because His mercy storehouses are emptied in the slightest. Instead, His mercies are renewed as His mercy is needed. Because His mercy is not a static point but serves dynamic uses, His mercy is continually being transferred from divine to the physical for our great benefit. Thus the renewal does not mean that God is making more mercy but that we are using more of it.
Moreover, His mercy is given to those who earnestly seek Him (Deut. 7:9; Isa. 55:6-7; Psa. 103:17; Luke 1:50). This is remarkable and the defining feature of God's mercy: He bestows mercy on all who come to Him seeking it. There would be no need to give mercy to those that don't think they need it, so the essential components of the reception of God's mercy are confession, repentance, and belief.
Also, God gives mercy generously, but He does so for the purpose of relationship, not religion. If we are glib to God's mercy, we are entirely missing the pont. When faced with God's mercy, we should strive to be penitent and sincere, understanding the utter gravity of His mercy in reference to the absolute weight of our sin.
Lastly, it is by God's great mercy that we may enter into a right and redeemed relationship with Him (Psa. 5:7). Therefore, when we are in moments that we feel separated from His presence, we should prayer with fervor and in faith that God would stretch His mercy upon us as to return us to His right and perfect presence. The beauty is that He extends His mercy on all who ask. Additionally, He delights and desires to show His mercy to us (Mic. 7:1-8). Ergo, we should make it a habit to praise Him for and ask Him for mercy. Praise be to God for His great and perfect mercy!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Doing the Word
The Word of God is a vast and rich well of revelation into God's nature and character. A lifetime of study would still not be sufficient to comprehend and measure the greatness of its wealth or abundance. Through study and meditation, guided by the Spirit and sound teachers, readers are given a glimpse into the Lord's character, His very nature.
All this requires delving into the Bible consistently so as to pursue comprehending its depth. However, intellectual ascension to the theological truth of the Word is not enough. Orthodoxy, in reference to theological truth, refers to sound and right doctrine. Being a full-devoted follower of Christ has much to do with orthodoxy i.e. believing sound, right doctrine. But orthodoxy is useless without orthopraxy, the actual practice of right doctrine.
On more than one occasion, Jesus reminded us that it is not the hearers of the Word that are truly His, but the doers of the Word (Matt. 7:21, 24-27; Luke 8:21; John 3:17). Becoming doers of the Word means that our identities are so intimately and intricately intertwined with the Word, that we cannot but live it out: orthopraxy.
Paul and James also exhort believers to do the Word (Rom 2:13; James 1:22). Living out Christianity is not merely spiritual and intellectual ascent to theological truth, far from it. Rather, living out Christianity the way Jesus intended is about practice. We need to practice the orthodoxy that we hold so dear. If we do not practice, truly live out, the theology that we believe and think, then we are not fully committing ourselves to the Lord, body, mind, and soul.
Let us strive, seek after opportunities to serve, to love, and to give. When we seek Him and His kingdom first, then we know will live out, practice, obedience through action. Praise be to God that He would work in us so transformationally as to allow us, imperfect fleshly vessels, to be the conduits by which He loves and cares for the world!
All this requires delving into the Bible consistently so as to pursue comprehending its depth. However, intellectual ascension to the theological truth of the Word is not enough. Orthodoxy, in reference to theological truth, refers to sound and right doctrine. Being a full-devoted follower of Christ has much to do with orthodoxy i.e. believing sound, right doctrine. But orthodoxy is useless without orthopraxy, the actual practice of right doctrine.
On more than one occasion, Jesus reminded us that it is not the hearers of the Word that are truly His, but the doers of the Word (Matt. 7:21, 24-27; Luke 8:21; John 3:17). Becoming doers of the Word means that our identities are so intimately and intricately intertwined with the Word, that we cannot but live it out: orthopraxy.
Paul and James also exhort believers to do the Word (Rom 2:13; James 1:22). Living out Christianity is not merely spiritual and intellectual ascent to theological truth, far from it. Rather, living out Christianity the way Jesus intended is about practice. We need to practice the orthodoxy that we hold so dear. If we do not practice, truly live out, the theology that we believe and think, then we are not fully committing ourselves to the Lord, body, mind, and soul.
Let us strive, seek after opportunities to serve, to love, and to give. When we seek Him and His kingdom first, then we know will live out, practice, obedience through action. Praise be to God that He would work in us so transformationally as to allow us, imperfect fleshly vessels, to be the conduits by which He loves and cares for the world!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Marriage: a Beautiful Challenge
Getting married is easy. Having a healthy, godly, and successful marriage is hard. It requires emotional, physical, and spiritual commitment from both parties. More than anything, it is an exercise in sacrifice and service. Marriages fail for many reasons, but no reason is quite as prevalent or as destructive as selfishness.
Scripture presents a particularly unified account of the selfless love that marriage requires. Selfless love can be summed up simply: the denial of self to the benefit of the other. However simple the definition of selfless love may be, living it out is another thing all together. The key, as in all of life, is to look to Jesus as the ultimate example of selfless love.
In Paul's letter to the church in Philippi, Paul clearly indicates that Jesus, although being in very nature God, condescended to humanity to become the servant of all, and that we should likewise take an attitude and posture that emulates Christ's selflessness (Phil 2:1-10). The foundation that is Jesus should be not just the root of our salvation, but the example by which we live our lives as well.
The selflessness of Christ is to be an example for the selflessness of marriage, especially for husbands (Eph. 5:25-27). This is more than a convicting exhortation. To live with an attitude and posture of selflessness requires devotion and focus to the Lord. Only when we are focused on the Lord, Jesus, and His example by studying the Word, will we be truly able to live out the selfless love that successful marriage requires.
In reality, there are long-lasting marriages that are not rooted on the firmest of foundations. However, God desires marriage to be more than mere civil financial partnerships with an emotional component. Marriage is a divine pairing of two people to a single coupled person (Gen. 2:24). Selflessness then is one half of the couple holding up the other half and vice versa.
Marriage is a constant battle that pits the pull of selfishness against Christ's example of selflessness. The truth is that if both partners are living out Christlike selflessness, then they will have no need to be selfish as desires and needs will be fulfilled in and by the partner. This truly is the beauty of marriage, not to discount how thoroughly challenging it is to implement. But thanks be to God, who provides the example and the resources to have selfless marriages!
Monday, January 2, 2012
The Betrayals of Jesus
The night that Jesus was arrested, two of His disciples betrayed Him. One, Judas, for a price of 30 pieces of silver, passed on the information about Jesus' nightly whereabouts in the garden of Gethsemane to the Sanhedrin and other religious officials that allowed them to arrest Him at night and illegally try him for crimes of blaspheme and sedition. The other, Peter, three times denied having ever known Jesus to a servant girl around a fire, standing outside of the place of His accusations.
Both of these two men are iconic. They were both close to Jesus, Peter the head of the disciples and Judas the money man. For years, they had been following Jesus, had eaten and heard Jesus speak, had seen tremendous miracles, and had been at the last supper. Tragically, even though these were some of Jesus' closest friends, they both betrayed Him at the time of His greatest need and majesty.
Although they both betrayed Jesus, they handled the consequences, the conscience of their actions, very differently. Following Judas' payment, he realized what he had done: he had betrayed the Son of God and one of his best friends, not to mention, the disciples. When the gravity of his deal with the priests finally hit him, he tried to wash his hands of the matter by returning the silver, but guilt over his betrayal proved too much so he committed suicide (Matt. 27:3-10). Needless to say, Judas is a tragic example of what not to do.
Peter also, in his thrice denial of Jesus, betrayed the Son of God. However, how Peter handled his betrayal is the point at hand. Whereas Judas' shame drove him to commit suicide, Peter ran weeping when he realized that he had betrayed his Lord and friend, Jesus. Peter ran back to the disciples for support and to hide. It could be said that Judas could not have went back to the disciples because of his betrayal but to suppose such is tenuous, however plausible. What is sure is that Peter knew that he needed forgiveness and the strength of his friends in his time of shame.
Additionally, because of Peter's response, he was given the opportunity to address Jesus directly in order to complete his forgiveness. At the end of John's gospel, on the shore of the Galilean Sea, Jesus confronted Peter's betrayal directly (John 21:15-19). In this episode, Jesus questions Peter's love three times, one for each of his denials. In this, Jesus really convicts Peter and presses into him what the Lord requires of him.
Much can be gleaned from these two instances of Jesus' disciples betraying him. First of all and most obvious is the negative example that Judas provides. Instead of desiring repentance and forgiveness for his mistake, Judas wallowed in his shame to such an extant that he hung himself with a cord of his own guilt. On the other hand, Peter's example is a positive one, and relevant for believers still.
Peter shrunk back from his denials and wept bitterly at his betrayal of his friend and Lord. Peter knew, just as Judas knew, that he had done something horrible by denying the Lord. However, Peter did not wallow alone in his betrayal, he went back to the other disciples for support and forgiveness. Because of Peter's faithfulness and obedience after his denial, he was given the divine opportunity to confess his sin and to receive forgiveness. Moreover, Peter was one of the first and greatest leaders of the early Church.
Similarly, we all make mistakes, sometimes even betraying our Lord in unbelief and disobedience. It is not an accident that the Scriptures reveal two different takes on what to do when we stumble in similar ways to Judas and Peter. We should strive to handle the gravity of our sin and disobedience like Peter: with deference, repentance, confession, and faithfulness. Thanks be to God that He would bring us back into His holy presence when we make dramatic and significant mistakes!
Both of these two men are iconic. They were both close to Jesus, Peter the head of the disciples and Judas the money man. For years, they had been following Jesus, had eaten and heard Jesus speak, had seen tremendous miracles, and had been at the last supper. Tragically, even though these were some of Jesus' closest friends, they both betrayed Him at the time of His greatest need and majesty.
Although they both betrayed Jesus, they handled the consequences, the conscience of their actions, very differently. Following Judas' payment, he realized what he had done: he had betrayed the Son of God and one of his best friends, not to mention, the disciples. When the gravity of his deal with the priests finally hit him, he tried to wash his hands of the matter by returning the silver, but guilt over his betrayal proved too much so he committed suicide (Matt. 27:3-10). Needless to say, Judas is a tragic example of what not to do.
Peter also, in his thrice denial of Jesus, betrayed the Son of God. However, how Peter handled his betrayal is the point at hand. Whereas Judas' shame drove him to commit suicide, Peter ran weeping when he realized that he had betrayed his Lord and friend, Jesus. Peter ran back to the disciples for support and to hide. It could be said that Judas could not have went back to the disciples because of his betrayal but to suppose such is tenuous, however plausible. What is sure is that Peter knew that he needed forgiveness and the strength of his friends in his time of shame.
Additionally, because of Peter's response, he was given the opportunity to address Jesus directly in order to complete his forgiveness. At the end of John's gospel, on the shore of the Galilean Sea, Jesus confronted Peter's betrayal directly (John 21:15-19). In this episode, Jesus questions Peter's love three times, one for each of his denials. In this, Jesus really convicts Peter and presses into him what the Lord requires of him.
Much can be gleaned from these two instances of Jesus' disciples betraying him. First of all and most obvious is the negative example that Judas provides. Instead of desiring repentance and forgiveness for his mistake, Judas wallowed in his shame to such an extant that he hung himself with a cord of his own guilt. On the other hand, Peter's example is a positive one, and relevant for believers still.
Peter shrunk back from his denials and wept bitterly at his betrayal of his friend and Lord. Peter knew, just as Judas knew, that he had done something horrible by denying the Lord. However, Peter did not wallow alone in his betrayal, he went back to the other disciples for support and forgiveness. Because of Peter's faithfulness and obedience after his denial, he was given the divine opportunity to confess his sin and to receive forgiveness. Moreover, Peter was one of the first and greatest leaders of the early Church.
Similarly, we all make mistakes, sometimes even betraying our Lord in unbelief and disobedience. It is not an accident that the Scriptures reveal two different takes on what to do when we stumble in similar ways to Judas and Peter. We should strive to handle the gravity of our sin and disobedience like Peter: with deference, repentance, confession, and faithfulness. Thanks be to God that He would bring us back into His holy presence when we make dramatic and significant mistakes!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Blessings of Children
Children are one of the surest blessings from God (Psa. 127:3). As God is life and He commanded Adam and Eve to multiply in order to fill the earth and subdue it, children represent one of the oldest promises and mandates of God: fecundity and life. Children also add colorfulness, complexity, responsibility, and challenge to life, particularly for the parents and communities that raise them.
Rearing children has been one of the primary roles and goals of humans since the beginning of time. It is an involved and demanding endeavor; as the old adage goes: it takes a village to raise a child. All this being true, there are some Scriptural principles in regards to raising children. In chronological importance, as well as in practical significance, the first point to be made in reference to children is training.
When Moses delivered his final sermons to the wandering Israelites on the plains of Moab across the Jordan from the Promised Land, he told them, commanded them to diligently teach their children all that God had done for them and all that the Lord required of them (Deut. 4:9-10; 6:7; 11:19). This is an essential component of biblical child rearing.
Additionally, when we teach children, we bless them with future blessings that will meet them in their adult years (Prov. 22:6). In other words, the wealth of teaching children the ways of the Lord has lifelong ramifications. This means that, although some may walk away from the faith, particularly in their early 20's, if they have been taught proper doctrine as children, it may come back to them and guide their lives as adults.
However, teaching is not enough, it must be met with discipline. Discipline is a purposed and direct training in righteousness. Although the reality of discipline has an element of subjugation, like the bridle of a horse. It is never meant to be harsh or mean-spirited but always corrective and purposeful. The Scripture is clear that discipline, in the form of admonishment and rebuke, is an essential and wholly beneficial component of raising children (Pro. 22:6; 29:17). The reality is that discipline conveys the gravity of God's righteousness and His holy character in a way that teaching alone cannot.
Again, children are a distinct blessing from the Lord but are also one of the surest responsibilities and most thorough tests of humanity's ability to pass on the revelations of God that He has passed to us. Christianity is just one generation away from extinction. The soberness of this assertion is striking as well as convicting. In a real sense, every Christian is responsible to raise the next generation of believers. Thanks be to God that He would entrust such an important task to us, but also, thanks that He would provide us all the resources required to get the job done!
Rearing children has been one of the primary roles and goals of humans since the beginning of time. It is an involved and demanding endeavor; as the old adage goes: it takes a village to raise a child. All this being true, there are some Scriptural principles in regards to raising children. In chronological importance, as well as in practical significance, the first point to be made in reference to children is training.
When Moses delivered his final sermons to the wandering Israelites on the plains of Moab across the Jordan from the Promised Land, he told them, commanded them to diligently teach their children all that God had done for them and all that the Lord required of them (Deut. 4:9-10; 6:7; 11:19). This is an essential component of biblical child rearing.
Additionally, when we teach children, we bless them with future blessings that will meet them in their adult years (Prov. 22:6). In other words, the wealth of teaching children the ways of the Lord has lifelong ramifications. This means that, although some may walk away from the faith, particularly in their early 20's, if they have been taught proper doctrine as children, it may come back to them and guide their lives as adults.
However, teaching is not enough, it must be met with discipline. Discipline is a purposed and direct training in righteousness. Although the reality of discipline has an element of subjugation, like the bridle of a horse. It is never meant to be harsh or mean-spirited but always corrective and purposeful. The Scripture is clear that discipline, in the form of admonishment and rebuke, is an essential and wholly beneficial component of raising children (Pro. 22:6; 29:17). The reality is that discipline conveys the gravity of God's righteousness and His holy character in a way that teaching alone cannot.
Again, children are a distinct blessing from the Lord but are also one of the surest responsibilities and most thorough tests of humanity's ability to pass on the revelations of God that He has passed to us. Christianity is just one generation away from extinction. The soberness of this assertion is striking as well as convicting. In a real sense, every Christian is responsible to raise the next generation of believers. Thanks be to God that He would entrust such an important task to us, but also, thanks that He would provide us all the resources required to get the job done!
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