Overcoming the Holy Language Barrier

In preparations for my freshman year of college, like everyone else, I was required to take a number of placement exams to ensure that I was placed in the proper courses.  One such exam was for language and because I had completed two years of German in high school, German was the exam I choose to take. Due to the fact that the material was fresh in my memory and that reading a language is far easier than speaking or hearing it, I tested quite well.  More accurately, I tested well beyond my ability and was placed in a course accordingly above my head.

The first day of class, actually my first college class, I confidently strode into my advanced-level German course to a shock.  The professor greeted me in German, handed me the syllabus, and motioned for an open desk.  For the next ninety-five minutes, the professor spoke exclusively in German, going through the syllabus that was written in German, and explaining the first assignment due next class period in German.  Needless to say, my confidence was not bruised but shattered as I sheepishly snuck out of the door and straight the the Registrar's office after class to drop the course and, hopefully, to never be in that situation again.

Although I had met the entrance requisites for the class, because I lacked the necessary capacity to receive the different language, I was wholly unable to understand little if anything of what was said by the professor.  Because of my deficiency, communication was nullified and the barrier was so distracting that any potential for understanding also voided.

Unbelief and sin resigns all of humanity in a state much like I was in my German course: unable to understand or comprehend the voice of God because of our deficient inability to hear His Spirit due to the effects of sin.  Though God constantly speaks to us, we are left unable to hear Him.  This what Paul indicates, that the things of God are as a foreign language to the fleshly man, and He is not able to understand them and His frustration at this barrier will cause derision and disdain for the things of God (1 Cor. 2:14).

Towards the end of Jesus' life accounted in the Gospel of John, there is an episode that expresses this (John 12:28-43): a voice from heaven came down and spoke but the crowd present was not sure if it was thunder or the voice of an angel; they couldn't understand.  In the next set of verses John indicates that these people cannot see the things of the Lord because they are blind to Him.  

Only the regenerate heart can discern and understand the things of God.  Only the repentant person is able to hear God's voice with clarity and comprehension.  This should compel us to bend our knees in faith to the Lord, knowing that only when we seek Him in humility will we be able to receive and comprehend His voice.  Let us then turn to HIm in repentance and faith so as to hear and to understand God!

Sanctified Self-Control

Marianne pushed her grocery cart from aisle to aisle, marking every item off of her list as she placed it in the cart.  Her five-year-old boy, Bradley, was walking beside her, more interested in causing a scene than helping his mother shop for groceries.  In reality, Bradley was far too busy nocking boxes off the lower shelves, singing loudly to himself, and bombarding his mother with questions to help her out.  Needless to say, Marianne was losing her patience and her son's ploys for attention, though less-than positive, were working.

Bradley pulled a can of soup from the shelf and, with the finesse of a dancer, bowled the chowder down the aisle, hitting a display of crackers and knocking it across the tiled floor: strike.  Bradley hooped and hollered at his success.  Marianne had had enough. She grabbed her son's arm and pulled him to her so that she could yell at him under her breath, "Bradley! We are in public! Show some self-control!"  Bradley, acknowledging that his mother was mad, looked up at her and said sincerely, "But mom, I am in control!"

Perhaps Bradley's response is more appropriate than we could possibly conceive and it poses a question relevant to us all: at what point does the self lose control?  In a world that is marked by excess and hedonism, self-control seems like an antiquated ideal that is all the more challenging to live-by and promote.  But, which self do we put in control, the flesh? the Spirit?

Unequivocally, Christians are to be self-controlled in the Spirit.  Recall Paul's letter to the Colossians, where he exhorts believers to put to death that which is earthly so as to put on that which is godly and right (Col. 3:1-17).  In this way, we are to become self-controlled in the Spirit and compelled by Spirit to live lives of a worthy manner (Eph. 4:1-3).

Paul actually defines Spirit-led self-control as spiritual fruit, indicating that the truest form of self-control is gifted from the Lord, who trains us to live in such a way (Gal. 5:22-23; Tit. 2:11-14).  Paramount to the pursuit of self-control is then faith.  Only when we cling to Christ will we be equipped and able to live self-controlled in the godliest sense.  In truth, self-control is a misleading term.  For if we are to become self-controlled as God asks of us, then a more correct term would be God-controlled.  But praise be to God who we can always rely upon for guidance and direction!

Making Decisions in Light of the Lord

Decision making is a necessary part of life.  One can scarcely go a single day without having to make significant if not life-altering decisions.  Because choices abound and overwhelm, having a system in place for making godly and wise decisions is of great importance.  Luckily, we are not without guidance in this regard as the Bible offers clear teaching to help us.

At the onset, the pertinent word in reference to decision making is dependence.  For our decision making to be godly, we must depend on God.  Decision making dependence happens before the decisions are made when we are sorting through possibilities and choices.  At this point, the pre-decision stage, we need to rely on the Lord to help us to discern the way that we should go.

The Lord, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, has this to say, "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls (Jer. 6:16)."  The Lord says more, speaking through the prophet Haggai, "Give careful thought to your ways (Hag. 1:5)."  God wants us to be prudent and wise when facing decisions.  Evenmore, He helps us out by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, who acts as our Counselor (John 14:16-17).

Because the Holy Spirit is to be our inner source of compulsion when facing choices, there is a devotional element to decision making.  In essence, our dependence on God at the front end of decision making comes down to relying on the Holy Spirit to guide our way and the faith that He will protect and keep us before and after our decisions have been made.

In the end, it is God who establishes our paths and keeps the sure (Pro. 16:9), which should cause us to trust in Him and commit to Him to secure our way (Pro. 3:5-6; Psa. 37:5).  The biblical account is unified and clear in this regard: before we make decisions we should depend on God for guidance and clarity to make wise and godly decisions while after we make decisions we should be faithful in depending upon the Lord to keep, straighten, and secure our paths.  Let us then seek the Lord for direction and depend on Him in faith to establish and secure every step we take!

Giving up the Throne for Guidance

At many times throughout this life we will be forced to make decisions.  Some decisions such as what to eat, or what clothes to wear can seem trivial.  While others like who to marry, where to go to school, or what career to pursue can be monumentally important for their obvious and resounding longterm ramifications.

The method we employ to determine the decisions we will make can speak volumes of who we rely upon most when the rubber hits the road.  Many people would say that they trust the Lord to guide them while they still sit firmly in the driver's seat steering the car.  This is like talking out of both sides of the mouth.  Instead, we should determine who will be the master of our lives and stick to it.  If God is truly to sit upon the throne of our lives then the first step is to clear the seat by getting up and out of the way.

In truth, recognizing that the Lord desires to guide man's steps is a great starting point in seeking guidance from Him.  Not only does God want to guide us but when we rely on Him to lead us, He will (Psa. 23:2-3, 37:23-24, 139:9-10; Pro. 3:5-6).  The Lord will watch over us and will direct our every step, we just need to follow His leading (Isa. 42:16, 58:11).

Jesus spoke clearly, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33)."  This is the point: we need to pursue God and His will.  When we seek after Him, we will align our will with His, we will be focused on spiritual matters over fleshly vapors, and we will take every step with discernment and faith.

God has given us every resource needed to depend on Him for guidance.  We have the wealth of the Bible, imparted through reflection and study.  We have mentors and fellowship, which helps to encourage growth and challenges blind spots.  We also have the inestimable power of the Holy Spirit who, by His indwelling, both guides and empowers us to make the right and sound decisions.  All we need to do is make it our posture to rely on God for our decision making ability.

Making decisions, sometimes life altering ones, is a part of life.  To be sure, the most significant decision anyone ever makes is to confess with their mouth and believe in their heart that Christ Jesus is the Lord of all creation.  The step of faith is to be the gait for every decision we make.  We are to walk by the Spirit, living by the Word, and loving as He has loved us.  Let us take this seriously and cast our decision making upon Him!

The Marks of a Fool

Scripture contains three Wisdom books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job.  In these books, wisdom is examined and highlighted as the preferred manner of life for believers.  Although both Job and Ecclesiastes are focused on wisdom's worth, Proverbs employs a method of parallel antithesis in order to define wisdom.  In this, the wise man is held up to the fool.  There is then much to learn about the wise through understanding the foolish.

Proverbs 1:7 defines the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  This verse is really saying those that despise wisdom and instruction are fools.  If we do not seek after wisdom, we will not learn the right way to live.  Moreover, if we do not seek and accept instruction, we will never grow beyond our own preference and proclivity.  Wisdom and instruction require the ability to receive rebuke and admonishment with grace and humility.  If we cannot take on this posture, wisdom will forever remain outside of our reach.

Although foolishness is a character trait, it does not occur within a vacuum, it has external indicators.  The chief among these is the reality that a fool will think and believe foolishly, which ultimately means that a fool will live foolishly.  The most foolish thing a person can think and believe is the most obvious and self-evident truth possible: God exists, and we are not Him.  If we are not rooted in this fundamental truth, we are fools.

Psalm 14:1states that, "The fool says in his heart, 'there is no God.' They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is no one who does good."  This Psalm is both profound and true.  The root of foolishness is the lie of atheism.  Remember, foolishness is not primarily an intellectual ordeal.  Instead, foolishness is a worldview, a posture of irreverence and transgression.  Inevitably, the life of a fool will be marked by corruption and derision.  This does not mean that a fool cannot be sincere or kind, but, like all unrepentant people, these are a veil that conceals the depraved heart beneath.

Becoming wise and accepting instruction are not passive endeavors.  Growing into the wise people of God that He desires us to be demands active participation and intentional pursuit of Him.  The truth is that we are all fools, every one of us.  Only by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit can we cast aside our foolishness in favor of wisdom.  Let us then press in to Him as to put to death our foolishness and be made alive to His wisdom!

Danger of Ungrounded Theology

There is a common misconception that theology is an ivory tower ordeal that has no practical place in "real" Christianity.  This is more than unfortunate, it is incorrect.  Theology, the study of God, is incredibly practical and has distinct implications to the way we live and the way we relate.  Moreover, bad theology can have dire ramifications.  Because of the importance, a basic understanding of theology is in order.

At the onset, theology owes its worth to its ability to access God.  This means that for theology to be useful, it must make headway into the characteristics anad nature of God, in Christ.  The implication of this statement is simple but oft overlooked: if theology is not leading us to deeper levels of relationship with the Lord, then it is not theology, it is a ploy and a distraction of Satan.

Unfortunately, this point can easily be missed, particularly in the weightier matters of theology, such as the doctrine of the Trinity or the doctrine of Christ, et al.  To be sure, sometimes discussions of doctrine or theology can become so academic that they miss the essential point and purpose of theology, which is devotion.  Again, if theology is not prompting greater devotion then it is useless.

Paul echoes this in hi letters, particularly in regards to the potential heresy of contemporary philosophies (Eph. 5:6; Col. 2:4, 8; 1 Tim. 6:20).  The point is that the value of theology is not measured merely by reason or logic, but it is mattered by how potent it is in effecting change.  If theology is not causing transformation, then it should be cast aside.

The point in all of this, in all of theology, is Christ Jesus.  Theology needs to be practiced in such a way as to encourage devotion and infuse faith with content, which is the knowledge of Christ Jesus.  A brief note on methodology is in order.  First of all, the beginning of theology is the Bible; everything builds upon the Bible.  Also, theology needs to be done with a prayerful mind, understanding that it is out of love and devotion to God that theology is practiced.

Additionally, there are a number of valuable resources available.  Among these are commentaries and dictionaries, as well as theological works.  Furthermore, reading works written by Christians past can be hugely beneficial to the practice of theology, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, etc.  Through all this, remember, theology is primarily a devotional matter not just an intellectual one.  Let us then press on to practice good theology that draws us closer to Him!

Fervent Faith

Throughout Scripture, the necessity of faith cannot be overstated.  It is by faith that righteousness is applied (Gen. 15:6).  Faith is the medium for reliance and comfort in the Lord's strength (Psa. 23:1-6; 28:7).  Faith is the manner with which God's grace is appropriated to believers.  On top of this, faith activates life and empowers movement (John 14:12; Matt. 17:20; Eph. 2:8-10; James 2:14-26).  Needless to say, the many significant components of faith beg further examination.

The writer of Hebrews defines faith: "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen (Heb. 11:1)."  The "hope" that is assured is salvation through Christ Jesus and the gift of eternal life.  Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament, conquering sin and death at the Cross.  Therefore, our hope is made sure in the historical fulfillment of the legal requirements of holiness by Christ Jesus.  The "unseen things" that we find conviction in are the heavenly things, chief among them being the knowledge of God, gifted by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit through faith.

Additionally grace and faith are intimately intwined.  Grace is utterly God's doing, defined as the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus.  Grace is the gift from God that is applied through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).  This being true, faith should not be seen as a substitute for grace.  We worship the God of grace through faith.  We do not worship faith; we worship by faith.  Unfortunately, many people neglect grace in their praise of faith.  Remember, just as an IV or a needle is worthless without the medicine it conveys, faith is useless without grace.

Lastly, and this cannot be overestimated, faith does not save.  God saves.  Faith is the conduit for salvation's application.  Faith apart from Jesus Christ is useless, for only Christ Jesus saves.  We should not overlook the profundity of this assertion: faith serves no purpose but to connect us with the Lord. Faith is but a conduit for restored relationship with the Lord, reconciled by the blood of Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-21).

This should not lead us to diminish faith's usefulness.  Far from it!  Grace comes to believers through faith.  Therefore, because faith is the manner for grace's application, we should pursue a fervent faith as the energy of our faith reflects our desire for grace.  Let us then press on in faith as to receive the immeasurable riches of God's grace!

Desires that Destroy

Desire and inner cravings are not wholly evil.  In reality, desires are just a part of who we are.  However, desire is a flame that, if left to its own, can devour and ignite into to consuming fires of sin.  James, in his epistle, illustrates the impetus of sin, being lust (James 1:14-15).  As James indicates, it is a person’s own desire that entices and lures a person to sin.  Then desire conceives and gives birth to sin, which ultimately leads to death.  In fact, biblical concepts of sins are most accurately understood as fires.  How we handle those fires that burn within our chests is an accurate measure of righteousness.

Desires serve to lead us.  They are inner compulsions that can drive us.  The issue is the content and measure of importance given to those desires.  For instance, if the focus of desire distracts us from our primary mission of loving and serving God, then it is sin.  Similarly, if the strength of our passions is so powerful that it overwhelms our sanctification or our righteousness, then it is sin.

Again, the issue is not desire, it is the power given to desire.  Simple questions to ask would then be: What is the focus of the particular desire? Is it supported biblically?  Does my degree of passion or want for this desire overpower my judgment or wisdom?  Asking probing questions like this can serve to protect us from those desires or cravings that might hinder or impede our primary calling, which is to love and serve the Lord.  Let us be honest with ourselves and with our inner desires so as to be protected from the urgings of our hearts!

Training Our Thoughts

Compartmentalizing a person into the various parts that make up a human in order to understand each segment separately can be a useful practice.  God exhorts us to love Him with all of our mind, body, and soul, with all strength (Matt. 22:37).  This compels us to love the Lord with each part.  As per this dialogue, the mind is the focus.  The Bible actually has much to say in regards to the mind.

Of all the places of privacy, none is more enclosed and protected than our minds.  For many, the mind is like a locked bank vault with bookshelves full of intellect and memories, beakers and vials of emotional tonics, and an arm wrestling table in the middle of the room where the id and ego settle their differences.  Although this caricature is ridiculous, the reality is that we think of our minds as both the most secure place while simultaneously the most susceptible to weakness.

It is pertinent to remember that God, being omniscient, knows our very thoughts.  In fact, Paul urges us to "Be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Rom. 12:2)."  This is instep with Jesus' teaching during the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), as He amplifies the commandments of the OT to include thoughts themselves.  In this way, God reminds believers that we are held accountable for the content of our minds.

This is more than challenging.  No one has enough mental fortitude or strength of will to keep their minds clear sin and/or ill thought.  The Psalmist confirms this reality, "The Lord knows the thoughts of man; He knows they are futile (Ps. 94:11)."  This is the point: apart from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, no one is able in the slightest to keep their mind pure and holy.

Recognizing that the Holy Spirit overpowers our minds when we remove the hindrance of personal control, we will be able to live transformed lives the way God desires of us (Rom. 8:6).  Although there are a number of methods to keep ourselves aligned to the will of the Lord, Paul presents one in particular that is exceptional for its simplicity: "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ  (2 Cor. 10:5)."  This requires an active focus to ensure that any thought that passes or lingers in our minds is weighed in the light of Christ.

In reality, our minds are locked vaults full of sinfully crude and vile thoughts.  Fortunately, the Lord not only has the key, which is faith in His Son, but He also has the moving company, the Holy Spirit and His Word, to clean out the junk of our minds and replace it with His holiness and divine will.  The renewal of our minds by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a huge part of the sanctification process and we have an active role to play.  Let us then work hard to rely on the Holy Spirit to renew our minds to make us more like Him!

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!

Defending from Heresy

The Word of God is clear and perspicuous, meaning that it is accessible to all believers.  Conversely, it is not open to non-believers, because non-believers will not have eyes to see or ears to hear its truth apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.  Although any person with the ability to read can read the Bible, it is the work of the Holy Spirit that illuminates the Word as the divinely-inspired infallible truth that it is.

It is this "second" step of interpretation, the Spirit step, that is oft overlooked.  Without relying on the Holy Spirit to guide interpretation, particularly in regards to application and doctrine, heresy inevitably arises.  Heresy refers to any doctrine or teaching that stands in opposition to the teaching of the Bible.  It is important to note that Christians have been interpreting the Bible for some 20 centuries.  Thus, there is a wealth of tradition and orthodox teaching compiled that can help guide interpretation.

Although traditional doctrine should not be accepted uncritically, many very educated and highly intelligent interpreters have come and gone, leaving valuable Scriptural insights for future generations of believers.  For instance, Paul was one of the first Christian interpreters.  Romans is a veritable theological treatise on Scriptural (OT) interpretation in lieu of Jesus.  Similarly, the writer of Hebrews left an indispensable source of hermeneutical technique in his interpretations.  

These were some of the first people to look to the Hebrew Scriptures and interpret them Christologically, that is to say, through a Christ-centered lens.  Following the first century, there have been hundreds of important individuals that have left important and influential marks on interpretation: Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, etc.  The work of these people, the traditions of interpretation they brought about, should be studied so that we can understand and make the most accurate interpretations possible.

Differences in interpretation will appear; however, when interpretative variants arise, we should not be quick to throw away the interpretations of the past.  For instance, in 19th century Germany, new "critical" approaches to interpretation arose.  Although the techniques were not wholly immoral or useless, they tended towards the very liberal and anti-orthodox.  Unfortunately, many believers were led so astray and liberalized by these techniques that their version of Christianity looked less like the church than it did the world and all its trimmings, thus heresy was formed.  In reaction, fundamentalists rose up to combat the liberal interpretive techniques and modern evangelicals are direct descendants of this reaction.

Paul, Peter, John, and the other first-century Church leaders also had to combat heresy.  In fact, fighting heresy is an essential part of the Christian life.  We, as image bearers of Jesus, must defend that which is essential and orthodox doctrine.  The basics are non-negotiable and should be defended vociferously: Jesus is the risen Son of God, a real human being who lived and died and resurrected so as to take on the sin of all mankind, and through confession and belief, believers are blessed with salvation and deliverance from sin.  Heresy should not be accepted but should be snuffed out.  However, throughout our defense of orthodoxy, we need to maintain the gentleness, kindness, and grace that is becoming of the children of God.

Christ's Christmas

Some 2,000 years ago, in a small rural suburb of Jerusalem, a woman and her soon-to-be husband arrive at an inn but there is no vacancy available.  The woman, though a virgin, was quite pregnant and the baby's delivery imminent and near.

Months earlier, an angel of the Lord, Gabriel, had come to the woman and prophesied that the Lord Most High would descend upon her and she would bear a child, the Son of God, and that she would call His name, Jesus, meaning God saves.  The man she was betrothed to discovered that she was with child and, though he thought of divorcing her, when an angel came to him, in a dream, revealed that his betrothed's child was the Christ, the Messiah who would save all mankind from their sin.

At this time, near the end of the young woman's pregnancy, the emperor issued a decree requiring that everyone return to their ancestry's land to be censored.  The man took his pregnant fiance to the place of his ancestry, to Bethlehem.  The trip was arduous and long.  Upon arrival, the woman realized that it was time: she was going to deliver her child.

Although the inn was full, a man offered the couple a cave that served as a stable for livestock for them to stay in.  The woman delivered her child, an infant boy.  She wrapped him in swaddling cloths and placed him in a trough.

Meanwhile, shepherds nearby were watching their sheep by night as an angel of the Lord appeared before them and told them that in Bethlehem a child was born.  The angel told the shepherds to go to the town and to offer praises to the newborn as He was to be the Messiah, the savior of all mankind.  They left their flocks and the fields to find the couple and their child in the stable, the infant resting in a manger, wrapped in strips of cloth.  It was just how the angel had prophesied it to be.

The Christmas story is repeated yearly in the Christian calendar.  It is the beginning of Jesus' life and His ministry.  At this time, the 25th of December, let us take time to remember Christ, to remember the dozens of prophecies that were fulfilled in His birth, let alone His life.  A time to remember that God is sovereign and holy, and that He condescended into humanity for the purpose of redeeming His children from sin.  Now we can enter into right relationship with Him by Him and for Him.  Truly, this is what Christmas is all about.

Responsible Freedom

In Christ, Christians have been freed from the burden of the law.  This means that believers have liberty.  We are no longer slaves to sin but have been freed to righteousness.  In this, Christians have a new found freedom to live.  However, this freedom comes with a certain and definite responsibility.  We are to be responsible so that we do not misuse our freedom to the detriment of others.

When we become disciples of Christ, we become image bearers of God, meaning that we are walking, talking testaments of the Lord.  Becoming a beacon to the Lord, realizing that our decisions act as witnesses that attest to Him, is a lifelong process of realization and sanctification.  Understanding that we are to live every moment to and for Him is what the Christian life is all about.

The freedom that Christians have in Jesus is to be used responsibly.  For instance, if their is any action or behavior that hinders others from drawing closer to God, we need to change in order to help and not obstruct the spiritual growth of others (1 Cor. 10:23-33).  We should never flaunt our freedom in serving our own desires but should always strive to be responsible with our freedom so that it is beneficial to others.

As Christians, our primary aim is to draw people to the Lord, to be salt and light.  If we, in our freedom, become stumbling blocks for others, then we are not being obedient to what the Lord has for us.  We should strive to live lives that are the most effective and beneficial in pointing people to God as possible.  This means that we will practice personal discipline, decency, and temperance.

We are image bearers of God.  Although God is God despite our actions, meaning that we can't, by our lives, make God look better.  We can, by our actions, make God look bad.  This should never be so.  We should always endeavor to be pure and holy and, in so, become living testaments to Him, walking sacraments that point God.  Praise be to God that He would use imperfect vessels such as us to be His image bearers on this earth!

Practicing Righteousness

Practice.  Life is all about practice.  Practice is the action of repeating/rehearsing any activity while improving at doing it, whatever "it" may be.  Nearly everything in life is a practice of some sort or another.  From waking up in the morning, brushing teeth, putting on clothes, driving, or working: everything is a practice.  The odd thing is that we do not always recognize everything that we practice.

John talks about practice in reference to sin and righteousness (1 John 3:4-10).  John is clear that those that practice sinning are lawless and unfaithful.  Additionally, those that make a practice of sinning do not belong to the Father.  Because God is holy, those that practice sin prove that the Father is not in him/her.  

This should not be so.  As John says, the evidence that the Father is in people is the measure of righteousness by which they live their lives.  If we are in Him, we will live and desire to live by His holy standards of righteousness.  This means that we will make an intentional practice of pursuing His righteousness.

There is an old adage: practice makes perfect. This is not correct.  In truth, only perfect practice makes perfect.  In spiritual terms, this means that the manner and method by which we practice righteousness must be righteous in order for it to be right practice.  This means that we will be aware not just of the "what" of practicing righteousness, but also the "how" of practicing righteousness.

In music, perfect practice has two basic features: (1) consistency, and (2) a good teacher.  This is the same for the Christian life.  Consistency means that we read the Word regularly, we are in prayer often, and we seek opportunities to serve.  The second part, having a good teacher, points to the necessity of being tied to a local church.

Local churches, especially the elders/spiritually mature thereof, are responsible for discipling believers and helping them to grow into mature believers.  Getting involved and being committed to local churches is essential for Christian growth.  Remember, practicing, though not always desirable, is both rewarding and challenging but it is required when it comes to righteousness and living out the Christian life.  

Not Conformed to the World

The world is full of shimmer and shine, temptations that distract and lead people astray.  John was clear that we should not desire the world and its fleshly desires, and that the love of the world is not compatible with the will of God.  Paul confirms this position as well as giving us further exhortation for handling the world.  "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Rom. 12:2)."  Understanding the richness of this verse and the theology thereof is a multi-faceted venture.

First of all, what is the pattern of this world that we should not conform to any longer?  Although answering this question is complex, a contracted summation could be defined in two words: irreverence & sin.  The most striking feature of the world is its irreverence to the Lord.  And, as a result of this irreverence, the world does not fear the Lord.  This inevitably and without fail leads to sin.

In contrast, Christians are to live a life of fear and reverence to the Lord, which prevents believers from falling into sin.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Pro. 9:10; Psa. 111:10).  Therefore, any person that strives to wisdom will begin with this basic assertion and will live in reverence to the Lord.

Moreover, the world defines itself in individuality, autonomy, and independence.  The central theme of the world and those living within it is the "I" and "me."  The individual strives to assert his/her individuality and lives life as if independent and autonomous.  The world's identity is defined by the individualism.  Thus the individual pursues individuality and self-reliance.  The irony is that we can categorize the world's individuals, making them less than unique.  

This is antithetical to Christian life which is defined as dependent.  The Christian is to be reliant on the Lord and dependent on the body of Christ.  The individual in Christianity is established not in terms of worldly identity but in reference to divine design and gifting.  The Christian does not strive for individuality but his/her uniqueness is defined in the body of Christ, not autonomous but contingent.

Understanding the world that we are no longer to conform to is the first step in understanding Romans 12:2.  The next step is the renewal of our minds.  This is essential and not passive.  It requires study and diligence.  Our identities are deeply entrenched in how we think.  When our minds our renewed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, who we are changes to be inline with the will of God.

Lastly, being able to discern the will of God is the product of the renewal of our minds.  It is important to note that the will of God is not the only will that is presented to us.  When Paul says that we are to discern the will of God implies that we will still have to choose His will among other potential choices.  Not conforming to the world and renewing our minds is the preparation that equips us to be able to choose, to discern, the will of God.

Controlling Self

Self-control: the telltale sign of a devout and maturing Christian.  The term defines a lifestyle, an attitude towards discipline; however, in regards to Christians, self-control could be misleading.  A more correct understanding of what it is to be self-controlled is Spirit-filled and obedient.  In truth, we are called to lead self-controlled, disciplined lives, but our ability to control ourselves does not come from ourselves but is intimately dependent on God.

Controlling self could be synonymous with denying self continually.  When we are asked to control ourselves, it is a request to deny our fleshly selves.  Self-control is not about monitoring our fleshly selves, but replacing them with our spiritual selves by the power of the Holy Spirit.  When we replace our fleshly selves with our spiritual selves we will live self-controlled lives.

Paramount to understanding self-control is temptation.  We would have no need for self-control if not for the power of temptation.  Temptation tugs, it pulls, it compels us to do and think things that are ungodly.  Self-control is about combating temptation.  In this regard, it is essential to remember that self-control, the denial of self to the exaltation of God, helps us to handle temptation.  Moreover, God is faithful to not let us be tempted beyond our ability to deny our selves (1 Cor. 10:13).

Additionally, the grace of God helps us to say "no" to temptation (Tit. 2:11-12).  In many ways, self-control could be described as a tactic, a strategy for dealing with temptation (1 Thes. 5:8).  The enemy of our souls, Satan, prowls around hoping to snare, trap, and devour (1 Pet. 5:8).  Being self-controlled is an attitude, a lifestyle, a tactic of spiritual warfare that helps us to overcome the temptations and snares of Satan and this world.

Self-control is also a practice that requires discipline to grow.  Luckily, we have an advocate, Christ, who is able to help believers to be self-controlled and to overcome temptation (Heb. 2:18).  Furthermore, we have to set our minds, prepare them for action, in order to handle temptation, to become men and women who are self-controlled (1 Pet. 1:13).  Praise be to God that He would be faithful to us in temptations and that He would desire for His Spirit to dwell in us!

Right Priority

We live in a world of fragments and compartmentalization.  Work doesn't mix with home nor school with family nor church with state: fragmentation.  The underlying question that this world of fragmentation begs is a matter of priorities.  Because we are constantly shifting gears and hats to adjust to constantly changing environments, we often look more like walking, talking chameleons than human beings.

The reality is that this is not the way it is supposed to be.  In the biblical sense, wherever we are is where we are supposed to worship and give thanks.  Whether we are at work, at school, with family, with friends, voting at the booths, or praying in the pews, we are to maintain a consistent life, one in which we do not compromise that which is most important: God.

The point here is priority.  The Lord and only He is to be the only basis for all and every aspect of our lives.  Practically speaking, this means that when we go to work, to school, to friends, to anywhere, we are still grounded in the most foundational of truths.  This is how we live out Jesus' command to be salt and light wherever we may go.

When we are constantly aware of the Lord, we will be apt to live lives and make sound decisions that are guided by the Holy Spirit.  If He, the Lord, is to be the master  of our lives, and if we are to love Him with all of our hearts, minds, and souls, then we need to be dedicated in the the discipline of focusing on Him in every environment.  If we only live out our Christian beliefs when we are at the church building then we are not letting Him permeate every crevice of our beings.

The truth is that living a life of right priority is anything but easy.  To be sure, it is difficult. But the reward for living a life focused on Christ far surpasses any sacrifice of self that we could possibly offer.  The Lord Himself is the reward for devotion.  The fact that God Himself, through His Holy Spirit, would reside within our lives is the most wonderful and beautiful gift that God could or would ever bestow upon His children.  Thanks be to God for He has given us His Son, Jesus, and His Holy Spirit, that we could live lives that bring Him glory!

Die to Live

Sin creates a chasm of unholiness between creation and its holy creator.  Sin must be paid and atoned for.  The wages of sin are death, meaning that in order for the cost of sin to be covered, blood must be spilled.  Under the Mosaic covenant sin was covered by the sacrificial offerings of bulls and lambs.

However, these sacrifices were wholly unable to remove iniquity, and the sin of man still stood as a debt. God was not pleased with the sacrifices of bulls and goats and desired a perfect sacrifice.  Fortunately, the Lord Himself determined to condescend into creation to become the perfect spotless sacrifice, Jesus (Heb. 10:4-14).

Because Jesus paid man's sin debt in full, spilt blood is no longer required for salvation.  Now salvation comes through true confession that Jesus is Lord and belief that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:19).  Additionally, we are saved by God's grace alone, not by works so that no one can boast of his own righteousness (Eph. 2:8-10).

Before Christ, we were required to die, literally, to pay the penalty of our sin.  Under grace we still die physical deaths, this truth is not disputed; however, the physical death that we die now is a gateway into eternity, damnation or exaltation.  There's more to the story though: we now die to self in order to live to Christ.

In Colossians 3, Paul exhorts believers to die to sin, die to self, and be made alive to the Spirit, alive to God.  This is the Christian life in a nutshell.  When we die to our flesh, we are able to live a life unencumbered with the trappings of the world because it will no longer hold any weight in our eyes.  Also, we begin to see what really matters, what's actually worth living for.

Dying to self so that we can live to Christ is one of the sincere joys and constant challenges of the Christian life.  It is the essential truth.  To live a life of belief is to live a life of denying and dying to self in order to be made new in Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation.  This is not a passive activity, we do not die to self apathetically.  On the contrary, truly dying to self in order to live to Christ, requires a very active believer.  We are to be in the Word and praying regularly, meditating on His precepts constantly, and pursuing Him.  This is how we live to God and die to self.

Submission

Submission means relinquishing authority to another to the denial of self.  Needless to say, this is so intricately woven into the tapestry of the Christian life that it warrants discussion.  There are three basic authoritative forces that Christians are to submit to: God, church leadership, and the state.

The most obvious and central object of submission is and should always be God.  Submitting to the Lord and to His will is the foundation of all Christian life.  The Lord requires obedience and submission to His holiness in our lives: sanctification.  When, as we are reading and meditating on the Word and/or praying, He speaks to us, we are to listen and submit.  This is true submission.

After God, the next authority that we are to submit to is the leadership of the church: elders, deacons, wise teachers, etc.  Those that God has blessed with sanctification and wisdom are spiritual elders, divinely-gifted to guide and train believers.  This does not, however, mean that we should unequivocally and unabashedly accept any and all teaching that our church leaders give us.  Instead, we should weigh every teaching against the Word and the Holy Spirit.  Again, submitting to God should never be usurped by submitting to the church.  The church submits to God, His Word and the Holy Spirit, not ever should that hierarchy be overturned.

The other authority that we are to submit to is political authority.  Both Paul and Peter exhort believers to submit to civil leaders and authorities (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-17).  The important point here is that believers should never submit to the civil authorities of government and leadership if it goes against the Will and Word of God.  Again, any authority that warrants submission is secondary to submitting to the Lord Almighty.

Submission is a challenging activity.  It requires denying the self in order to acquiesce to the commands and wills of another.  This stands in direct contrast to our natural inclinations of self-determination and manifest destiny.  However, when we submit to God, we enter into His kingdom as heirs.  Submission to the Lord should be pursued.  In a real sense, we should strive for opportunities to devote ourselves in submission to the Lord.  The beautiful thing here is that when we submit to Him, He promises to bless us.

The Seal of the Spirit

In the ancient world, letter writing was the primary form of long-distance communication.  In order for a person in Rome to communicate with someone in Palestine, they had to write a letter and have it delivered by a confidant.  Military communications were handled by professional couriers, but there were very few if any privatized mail couriers, just friends of friends delivering private letters.

Because the risk of forgery was so great, a method for ensuring the authenticity of authorship was needed.  The method that was used involved sealing the messages with official seals, like signet rings and familial seals, pressed into wax.  In this way, authorship of letters was authenticated and the message therein was guaranteed.

In Ephesians 1:13-14 as well as 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Paul applies this method of securing long-distance communications to the spiritual life.  Paul says that God has put His seal on believers; the seal is the Holy Spirit.  Paul is saying that the Holy Spirit seals believers, as a guarantee of the Promise given by and through Christ, which is salvation.  This is remarkable.

Believers are in the world but not of the world.  We are given a taste of the heavenly realm through confession and belief, but we are not wholly removed from the earthly realm.  We are promised total salvation, but while living in the world, we only get a part of that salvation.  The Holy Spirit seals, guaranteeing that we will receive the whole of salvation promised.

Additionally, seals pronounce that the one who seals is the owner of that which is sealed.  Therefore, because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, we belong to God.  This is a beautiful thing and a theological landmark: we belong to Him.  This is confirmed throughout the Scripture, that we are to be slaves to His righteousness (Rom. 6:14-19).  This means that the seal itself (the Holy Spirit) not only guarantees the future perfect fulfillment of salvation, He also guides us in how we are to live.

Ultimately, the presence of the Holy Spirit is the true indication of faith as He is the seal of our salvation.  Christians who do not exhibit the Holy Spirit or struggle to ascertain His presence in their lives should examine themselves; it could be the mark of a deeper issue.  In truth, believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, the Holy Spirit will be present in the lives of believers.  All this glorifies the Lord.  Praise be to God, for He is steadfast and faithful to keep those that cling to Him!