Titus 2:11-14: "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works."
The book of Titus is one of Paul's pastoral letters written to a personal friend, exhorting him in matters of church leadership. There are two central issues of this letter: a warning against false teachers, and instruction for how Christians should live, particularly in matters of training the church.
This passage is smack-dab in the middle of this short book and it is dense, but it is also beautiful in its conviction and its point. In a real way, Paul is telling believers two very important things. The first, and most important, is that God has redeemed and saved us through Jesus and He is the active initiator for godly living in Christians. And secondly, that the individual believer is to live with a conduct and ethic that is instep with the hope of Christ that has been deposited within his or her heart.
In the end, God does the work of salvation and sanctification but individuals due have a responsible role to play in the process. Additionally, believers are called to live a certain lifestyle that coheres to the Word of God and to the commands of Christ. Let us then take heed in joy at the path before us!
Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
1 Peter: Backing Up Prayer in Lifestyle.
1 Peter 4:7: "The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers."
This verse, although abstracted from an exhortation for believers to become armed and ready to suffer as Christ has suffered, is a powerful and profound teaching for Christians. The essence of Peter's instruction is that Christians have an obligation to live with a certain conduct of life, not only because it is befitting of Christ but more so because it is our lifestyle which protects and confirms the validity of our prayers.
To be sure, there is a depth to what Peter is saying but, at its heart in its context, Peter is charging believers to back up their beliefs and to substantiate their faith with the very way that believers live. Clearly, simple belief is not so simple.
Faith in Christ demands that we never cease to be transformed by the Holy Spirit and the working of the Holy Word in our lives. We should not take lightly the investment of Christ's riches that have been deposited within us. Instead, we should always strive on towards greater depths of commitment and sanctification in Christ. And in doing so, we protect our prayers from the defilement of debauchery and sin.
This verse, although abstracted from an exhortation for believers to become armed and ready to suffer as Christ has suffered, is a powerful and profound teaching for Christians. The essence of Peter's instruction is that Christians have an obligation to live with a certain conduct of life, not only because it is befitting of Christ but more so because it is our lifestyle which protects and confirms the validity of our prayers.
To be sure, there is a depth to what Peter is saying but, at its heart in its context, Peter is charging believers to back up their beliefs and to substantiate their faith with the very way that believers live. Clearly, simple belief is not so simple.
Faith in Christ demands that we never cease to be transformed by the Holy Spirit and the working of the Holy Word in our lives. We should not take lightly the investment of Christ's riches that have been deposited within us. Instead, we should always strive on towards greater depths of commitment and sanctification in Christ. And in doing so, we protect our prayers from the defilement of debauchery and sin.
Monday, July 30, 2012
The Olympics of Life
Every couple of years, the Olympics take place and sets the whole world in a stir of competition as the world's greatest athletes compete for their respective countries and for the chance to be deemed the very best at their sport. To win the gold medal at the Olympics is the crowning achievement for these athletes who have spent, in some cases, their whole lives preparing for a chance, usually only a single in their lifetimes, to win.
Think of the years of preparation for an event that can sometimes take mere moments to complete. The 100m freestyle swimming event, for instance, is over within seconds, and a lifetime's worth of training comes to fruition. But, as the pool settles and the water returns to its rest, the times come in to determine whether one is a winner or not.
It is at this season when two particular verses of Scripture continually come to mind: 1 Cor. 9:24-27 and Hebrews 12:1-2. Both of these passages deal with the theme of perseverance and endurance for the purposes of godliness and sanctification. There is a sense, for both Paul and the writer of Hebrews, that the Christian is to train for godliness so as to be prepared to run the long race that is the Christian life.
Paramount to this is to understand that while each one of us is running our own race, we each run it together; we are not running individually. This may seem paradoxical, because we are competing both in an individual event as well as a team event. However, our individual race is done with the power fo the Holy Spirit, who empowers us with the strength and stamina to fight the good fight and to stay true. Additionally, the team event is the Church, both the global Church and the local church. Both are important, as we, as individuals, need to rely on each other continuously for strength and for encouragement. Let us then heed the words of Hebrews and begin to take our training much more seriously, because our competitive event is life itself:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every sin and weight which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is marked out for us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:1-2)."
Think of the years of preparation for an event that can sometimes take mere moments to complete. The 100m freestyle swimming event, for instance, is over within seconds, and a lifetime's worth of training comes to fruition. But, as the pool settles and the water returns to its rest, the times come in to determine whether one is a winner or not.
It is at this season when two particular verses of Scripture continually come to mind: 1 Cor. 9:24-27 and Hebrews 12:1-2. Both of these passages deal with the theme of perseverance and endurance for the purposes of godliness and sanctification. There is a sense, for both Paul and the writer of Hebrews, that the Christian is to train for godliness so as to be prepared to run the long race that is the Christian life.
Paramount to this is to understand that while each one of us is running our own race, we each run it together; we are not running individually. This may seem paradoxical, because we are competing both in an individual event as well as a team event. However, our individual race is done with the power fo the Holy Spirit, who empowers us with the strength and stamina to fight the good fight and to stay true. Additionally, the team event is the Church, both the global Church and the local church. Both are important, as we, as individuals, need to rely on each other continuously for strength and for encouragement. Let us then heed the words of Hebrews and begin to take our training much more seriously, because our competitive event is life itself:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every sin and weight which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is marked out for us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:1-2)."
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
How Jesus Summarized the Christian Lifestyle
Summing up the whole of the Christian life in a single phrase is no small feat. Some Christians point to John 3:16 for this task, while others may point to Eph. 2:8-10, or even Romans 10:9-10. But, luckily, we are not left to our own theological preference when it comes to summarizing Christianity, specifically in matters of living, for Jesus Himself summarized the Christian life for us.
As far as salvation is concerned, perhaps the Gospel of John has the most to say about faith and salvation. While John's Gospel is unified in pointing to the efficacy of belief in receiving salvation, which is that grace of God enacted by Christ Jesus' work in life and death, it is how Jesus answers the sly questions of the slithering scribes in Matthew's Gospel that give us the best summary of how God desires believers to live.
The scene goes something like this: while in Jerusalem before his Passion, Jesus is having to deal with constant barraging attacks and theological traps set by the religious leaders who wish to destroy Him. In one such inquisition, the Pharisees, seeking to trap Jesus, ask Him, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment?" Jesus, without a flinch or beat responds, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matt. 22:37)."
While this is a beautiful and easily memorizable passage the importance of it should not be lost due to its ease. Jesus quoted directly from Deuteronomy in His reply (Deut. 6:4-5). In doing so, not only did Jesus defend Himself by relying on the authority of Scripture, He also made clear to Christians that what God has asked from humans in history past is the same thing He asks of us now: utter and complete devotion.
This should be a convicting but comforting truth. For God has not changed in what he requires of us: everything. So, when Jesus responds to the testing traps of the Pharisees and leaders of the Law, He is not only answering them their question, He is answering us ours. How far does God ask us to go in our devotion? All the way. Every single crevice and nook is to be focused and filled with devotion to God. This is the Christian life style in a nutshell straight from the mouth of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.
As far as salvation is concerned, perhaps the Gospel of John has the most to say about faith and salvation. While John's Gospel is unified in pointing to the efficacy of belief in receiving salvation, which is that grace of God enacted by Christ Jesus' work in life and death, it is how Jesus answers the sly questions of the slithering scribes in Matthew's Gospel that give us the best summary of how God desires believers to live.
The scene goes something like this: while in Jerusalem before his Passion, Jesus is having to deal with constant barraging attacks and theological traps set by the religious leaders who wish to destroy Him. In one such inquisition, the Pharisees, seeking to trap Jesus, ask Him, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment?" Jesus, without a flinch or beat responds, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matt. 22:37)."
While this is a beautiful and easily memorizable passage the importance of it should not be lost due to its ease. Jesus quoted directly from Deuteronomy in His reply (Deut. 6:4-5). In doing so, not only did Jesus defend Himself by relying on the authority of Scripture, He also made clear to Christians that what God has asked from humans in history past is the same thing He asks of us now: utter and complete devotion.
This should be a convicting but comforting truth. For God has not changed in what he requires of us: everything. So, when Jesus responds to the testing traps of the Pharisees and leaders of the Law, He is not only answering them their question, He is answering us ours. How far does God ask us to go in our devotion? All the way. Every single crevice and nook is to be focused and filled with devotion to God. This is the Christian life style in a nutshell straight from the mouth of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.
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