As Christmas approaches, I have been thinking a lot about The Gospel. More specifically, its simplicity, its beauty, and its necessity. What is The Gospel? Some would write it off as a list do's and don'ts as a means of scaring the gullible into a religious conversion. Others, like myself, think of it as the only true source of life.
When I look at the world we live in, I am constantly reminded how low life is valued (specifically human life). Life is valued so low, people kill children without a second thought. This is nothing new. This has been a common theme throughout history. From King Herod to Adolf Hitler, this has been a common theme.
We live in a broken world where families are hungry despite an abundance of food. We life in a world where mothers receive a letter informing them that their only son was killed during active duty. We live in a world where everybody is looking out for themselves before looking after their neighbors. Our world is broken. My world is broken.
I was asked the other day why I need to rely on somebody else to make me whole. At the time, I didn't really know what to say. As easy as I see the answer now, at the time my mind drew a blank. I need somebody else to make me whole because I am helplessly broken.
My natural self is selfish, impatient, quick to anger, quick to wrath, and much worse. I return to this state often. In moments of clarity, I realize that Christ came to heal my brokenness. I realize that I am completely reliant on a God who has promised wholeness.
The Gospel is not about what I have done wrong, its about what he has done right. Christ came that we should experience life. Life that is free from our self seeking, hate filled hearts. Christ came that we may experience peace. We experience peace because we realize that he has covered our iniquities.
Redemption isn't about cleaning up our acts and becoming better people, its about Christ giving us a new nature. I speak for myself, when I say that this doesn't happen over night. It is often a grueling process where we will continue to return to this nasty, impatient, selfish mentality. Then a soft voice reminds us that that is not who we are anymore. He reminds us that we have been made new because he decided that he would take the penalty for our transgressions upon himself and wipe our slates clean. Each day we can come to him with the assurance that he has washed us clean.
This is the Gospel that I believe in. This is the reason that I need the Gospel, and this is the reason that the world needs it.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Why I wish I was a super hero.
Every little boy wishes he had a super power. Perhaps, every man wishes the same. I speak for myself when I admit that I do. I love superhero stories. At the root of my love, beyond flying or time travel, lies some very fundamental desires.
I desire simplicity -
In every superhero story, there are the good guys, and the bad guys. Real life is full of people who are somewhere in between. Real life, unfortunately, is filled with people who are capable of a lot of good and bad alike, and often times, good and evil, fit nicely on a line of gray. Decisions are complicated, and I for one, when making these decisions, spend most of my time second guessing them.
I desire to be selfless-
In most superhero stories, the hero is always selfless. He places the needs of others over any need he may have at the moment. This is beautiful. I desire this. Although most of the time, I desire self-gratification a little more. If people lived by this philosophy, most, if not all of the problems in our society would cease to exist.
I desire wisdom-
Like I mentioned above, life gets pretty confusing. Half the time, I honestly do not know what the right decision is. A superhero always knows the decision he must make. I envy this. A lot of the mistakes that I have made in my life, I have made due to a lack of wisdom.
I desire to live by integrity-
I want to be the kind of man who always does what I think to be right. I don't want to make a decision based on convenience, or self interest. I want to be the type of person who will walk by integrity even at my own peril.
I desire to be calm in the midst of chaos-
I get overwhelmed pretty easily. When I get stressed, my mind instantly fogs up and I become easily irritated. I want to be able to think clearly and make quick decisions in the eye of the storm. Superheros are always able to think clearly. What? The world is about to be destroyed? Nothing a little clear decision making can't handle.
Unfortunately, until I get bit by a spider, crash my car in a lake of radioactive waste, or evolve into a X-Men, I will have to trust in a God who offers grace through my mistakes, and I will have to endure some of my more human qualities. Life is a process, and even though I wish I had more wisdom, selflessness, and integrity, I will have to take life one decision at a time. Hopefully, I will make decisions and love people in a way that reflects the God who has shown me so much love.
I desire simplicity -
In every superhero story, there are the good guys, and the bad guys. Real life is full of people who are somewhere in between. Real life, unfortunately, is filled with people who are capable of a lot of good and bad alike, and often times, good and evil, fit nicely on a line of gray. Decisions are complicated, and I for one, when making these decisions, spend most of my time second guessing them.
I desire to be selfless-
In most superhero stories, the hero is always selfless. He places the needs of others over any need he may have at the moment. This is beautiful. I desire this. Although most of the time, I desire self-gratification a little more. If people lived by this philosophy, most, if not all of the problems in our society would cease to exist.
I desire wisdom-
Like I mentioned above, life gets pretty confusing. Half the time, I honestly do not know what the right decision is. A superhero always knows the decision he must make. I envy this. A lot of the mistakes that I have made in my life, I have made due to a lack of wisdom.
I desire to live by integrity-
I want to be the kind of man who always does what I think to be right. I don't want to make a decision based on convenience, or self interest. I want to be the type of person who will walk by integrity even at my own peril.
I desire to be calm in the midst of chaos-
I get overwhelmed pretty easily. When I get stressed, my mind instantly fogs up and I become easily irritated. I want to be able to think clearly and make quick decisions in the eye of the storm. Superheros are always able to think clearly. What? The world is about to be destroyed? Nothing a little clear decision making can't handle.
Unfortunately, until I get bit by a spider, crash my car in a lake of radioactive waste, or evolve into a X-Men, I will have to trust in a God who offers grace through my mistakes, and I will have to endure some of my more human qualities. Life is a process, and even though I wish I had more wisdom, selflessness, and integrity, I will have to take life one decision at a time. Hopefully, I will make decisions and love people in a way that reflects the God who has shown me so much love.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Redemption
In a day of political correctness, there are many negative stigmas attached to Jesus. In some sense, this is understandable. Jesus may be the most politically incorrect person who has ever lived. Jesus, came along, and told the world that he is the only way to salvation. Not one of the ways, but the only way. If there was a picture attached to the phrase 'politically incorrect', it would probably be Jesus giving two thumbs up.
Jokes aside, truth is a one way street. Either Jesus was telling the truth, or he wasn't. There really isn't a middle ground for a guy who claimed to be God and tells the world that he is the only way to redemption.
I am one of those odd characters who believes that Jesus was telling the truth. For me, its not a matter of political correctness, or being sensitive to others opinions, its about sharing the most beautiful story that was ever told.
The gospel is incredibly simple. It is a story wrapped in hope, beauty, love, and redemption. Jesus, sacrificed himself, so that we could be washed clean in the eyes of God. He took the cross quietly, humbly, and willingly. It is the greatest story ever told.
I have always loved watching the sun rise. Its the perfect metaphor for salvation. With each sunrise, we get a fresh start because Jesus decided that we were worth the cost. The cost that he alone paid, so that we could experience redemption.
Redemption starts now, its not something that we look forward to. It transcends into every aspect of our lives. We have the freedom to live our lives, make mistakes, fail, succeed, and continue to press forward, because Christ paid a price. This to me, is simply amazing.
Jokes aside, truth is a one way street. Either Jesus was telling the truth, or he wasn't. There really isn't a middle ground for a guy who claimed to be God and tells the world that he is the only way to redemption.
I am one of those odd characters who believes that Jesus was telling the truth. For me, its not a matter of political correctness, or being sensitive to others opinions, its about sharing the most beautiful story that was ever told.
The gospel is incredibly simple. It is a story wrapped in hope, beauty, love, and redemption. Jesus, sacrificed himself, so that we could be washed clean in the eyes of God. He took the cross quietly, humbly, and willingly. It is the greatest story ever told.
I have always loved watching the sun rise. Its the perfect metaphor for salvation. With each sunrise, we get a fresh start because Jesus decided that we were worth the cost. The cost that he alone paid, so that we could experience redemption.
Redemption starts now, its not something that we look forward to. It transcends into every aspect of our lives. We have the freedom to live our lives, make mistakes, fail, succeed, and continue to press forward, because Christ paid a price. This to me, is simply amazing.
Friday, June 1, 2012
A Tragic Division
In a Church filled with so much disagreement, there seems to be one thing we can all agree on. That is, nobody agrees on any number of doctrines. Some emphasize grace. Others emphasize works. Some rely heavily on the gifts of the spirit found in the book of Acts, while others believe those gifts were done away with after the apostles died.
This division has troubled me for some time now. I have lost many friends in the name of these disagreements. Yet, were we all not unified in Christ? Where is the line between agreeing to disagree, and issues that cannot be reconciled?
There are people who I love, who I have not spoken to in years, because of some disagreement that we both felt was irreconcilable. How foolish. We both believed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We both believed in grace, yet we could not look passed our secondary issues. This, I believe, is tragic.
We get caught up in these doctrinal differences, and we loose sight of the Jesus who loves unity. I have been bitter, angry, and filled with hate in the past. I have lost sight of grace, and have been blinded by my own pride.
This is an issue as ancient as the church itself. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10-12 says "10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ. 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized [in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void."
I believe Paul, when instructing the Corinthians to be of the same mind, felt that this was a feasible task. The Gospel that we believe, and preach to the world, is incredibly simple. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2 - "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." That's the Gospel message, Christ and him crucified.
We can disagree on any number of doctrinal differences if we hold fast to this one truth. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the intrinsic nature of Christianity. In this, and this alone, shall we be unified.
John 16:13 promises that the spirit will lead us to all truth. It does not say however, that this will be done instantly. In the midst of all our differences, we must remember this; we are all on a journey. We, as people who are in Christ, are all being lead to the ultimate truth. This truth is Jesus.
May God close these gaps between us, because we all suffer due to this division. May our eye's be opened, our hearts filled with love for one another, and our mouths slow to speak. I will say this once more, our faith is Christ and him crucified.
This division has troubled me for some time now. I have lost many friends in the name of these disagreements. Yet, were we all not unified in Christ? Where is the line between agreeing to disagree, and issues that cannot be reconciled?
There are people who I love, who I have not spoken to in years, because of some disagreement that we both felt was irreconcilable. How foolish. We both believed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We both believed in grace, yet we could not look passed our secondary issues. This, I believe, is tragic.
We get caught up in these doctrinal differences, and we loose sight of the Jesus who loves unity. I have been bitter, angry, and filled with hate in the past. I have lost sight of grace, and have been blinded by my own pride.
This is an issue as ancient as the church itself. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10-12 says "10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ. 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized [in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void."
I believe Paul, when instructing the Corinthians to be of the same mind, felt that this was a feasible task. The Gospel that we believe, and preach to the world, is incredibly simple. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2 - "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." That's the Gospel message, Christ and him crucified.
We can disagree on any number of doctrinal differences if we hold fast to this one truth. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the intrinsic nature of Christianity. In this, and this alone, shall we be unified.
John 16:13 promises that the spirit will lead us to all truth. It does not say however, that this will be done instantly. In the midst of all our differences, we must remember this; we are all on a journey. We, as people who are in Christ, are all being lead to the ultimate truth. This truth is Jesus.
May God close these gaps between us, because we all suffer due to this division. May our eye's be opened, our hearts filled with love for one another, and our mouths slow to speak. I will say this once more, our faith is Christ and him crucified.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Free Will, the Multi-Layered Problem
When I first considered the question of whether or not we have free will, it seemed quit simple. Though the more I thought about it, the more layers I had to consider. By the time I was finished, I was ready to pull out my hair.
This whole topic, I admit, is beyond my ability to comprehend it. I write it, not because I feel that I am worthy to discuss, or teach such a topic, but I write it only on the grounds that it has been on my mind. I write this more as an open dialogue, rather than such a way which would appear that I have a sound understanding of it, because I do not.
First off, we have to determine what we mean by free will. If we mean the ability to make decisions without outside influence, the obvious answer is no. Some things are out of our control. Things that make a significant difference. These things include, what part of the world we are born in, who our parents are, etc.If I was born in the middle east, I may not have the same world view as I do now. If my parents were the leaders of a white supremest group, I may have grown up a racist.
From a spiritual aspect, it is clear in scripture, that there are outside influences that play a large roll in our decision making.
Paul, in Romans 7, says this, " For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very
thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me."
Paul recognized that he had a will, and a will to do good, but he lacked the ability to follow through. In fact, he did the exact opposite! He did the things that he hated. Now if a regenerated man, (one who is in Christ) does not have the ability to follow through with his will to do good, then what hope is there for one who does not yet know Christ? Ephesians 6:12 says " For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." So according to Scripture, we are influenced not only by the sin that dwells in our fallen flesh, but also against spiritual forces.
If by free will, we mean whether or not our decisions are predetermined, our questions are a bit more complex. (The next two paragraphs have been borrowed and paraphrased from Dinesh D'Souza's book 'God Forsaken')
In the 18th Century, physicist Pierre-Simone Laplace, first made the case for a theory called Determinism. ("Determinism is often taken to mean simply causal determinism: an idea known in physics as cause-and-effect. It is the concept that events within a given paradigm are bound by causality in such a way that any state [of an object or event] is completely determined by prior states" -Wikipedia)
This theory basically said that free-will is an illusion. Laplace said that free will contradicted the scientific view of causation, (The relation of cause and effect.). He stated that our will, is simply neurons in the brain, and since we do not control the neurons in our brain, then free-will does not actually exist.
Later, with the discovery of quantum physics,this theory was greatly challenged. Quantum physics, at the subatomic level, showed that the motion of particles is not only unpredictable, but also undetermined. Although, as physicist Stephen Barr pointed out, quantum physics did not prove free-will, but it opened the door for it. So even in physics, there still seems to be some questions regarding this.
When we look at the scriptures, there seems to be this duality. We know that God is sovereign over all of his creation, yet we also know that he is not the author of sin. (James 1:13) We know that God is the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) We know that he is the one who works in you, to both will, and to work for his purpose, (Philippians 2:13) yet it seems there are multiple passages that suggest that we have some kind of responsibility in our moral decisions, and spiritual journey.
I come away with more questions then answers, and I am OK with that. A God who I can understand, would not really be a God who I could be in awe of. If God is sovereign, then surely he will reveal the things that need to be revealed. If that is Christ alone, then I am rich in knowledge indeed.
I believe these topics are important, but they are tiresome. I can easily become engulfed in these types of questions. May our inquisitive minds never take precedence over the simplicity of Christ. We are seated in him, sealed until the day of Christ. I will rest take rest in that.
This whole topic, I admit, is beyond my ability to comprehend it. I write it, not because I feel that I am worthy to discuss, or teach such a topic, but I write it only on the grounds that it has been on my mind. I write this more as an open dialogue, rather than such a way which would appear that I have a sound understanding of it, because I do not.
First off, we have to determine what we mean by free will. If we mean the ability to make decisions without outside influence, the obvious answer is no. Some things are out of our control. Things that make a significant difference. These things include, what part of the world we are born in, who our parents are, etc.If I was born in the middle east, I may not have the same world view as I do now. If my parents were the leaders of a white supremest group, I may have grown up a racist.
From a spiritual aspect, it is clear in scripture, that there are outside influences that play a large roll in our decision making.
Paul, in Romans 7, says this, " For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very
thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me."
Paul recognized that he had a will, and a will to do good, but he lacked the ability to follow through. In fact, he did the exact opposite! He did the things that he hated. Now if a regenerated man, (one who is in Christ) does not have the ability to follow through with his will to do good, then what hope is there for one who does not yet know Christ? Ephesians 6:12 says " For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." So according to Scripture, we are influenced not only by the sin that dwells in our fallen flesh, but also against spiritual forces.
If by free will, we mean whether or not our decisions are predetermined, our questions are a bit more complex. (The next two paragraphs have been borrowed and paraphrased from Dinesh D'Souza's book 'God Forsaken')
In the 18th Century, physicist Pierre-Simone Laplace, first made the case for a theory called Determinism. ("Determinism is often taken to mean simply causal determinism: an idea known in physics as cause-and-effect. It is the concept that events within a given paradigm are bound by causality in such a way that any state [of an object or event] is completely determined by prior states" -Wikipedia)
This theory basically said that free-will is an illusion. Laplace said that free will contradicted the scientific view of causation, (The relation of cause and effect.). He stated that our will, is simply neurons in the brain, and since we do not control the neurons in our brain, then free-will does not actually exist.
Later, with the discovery of quantum physics,this theory was greatly challenged. Quantum physics, at the subatomic level, showed that the motion of particles is not only unpredictable, but also undetermined. Although, as physicist Stephen Barr pointed out, quantum physics did not prove free-will, but it opened the door for it. So even in physics, there still seems to be some questions regarding this.
When we look at the scriptures, there seems to be this duality. We know that God is sovereign over all of his creation, yet we also know that he is not the author of sin. (James 1:13) We know that God is the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) We know that he is the one who works in you, to both will, and to work for his purpose, (Philippians 2:13) yet it seems there are multiple passages that suggest that we have some kind of responsibility in our moral decisions, and spiritual journey.
I come away with more questions then answers, and I am OK with that. A God who I can understand, would not really be a God who I could be in awe of. If God is sovereign, then surely he will reveal the things that need to be revealed. If that is Christ alone, then I am rich in knowledge indeed.
I believe these topics are important, but they are tiresome. I can easily become engulfed in these types of questions. May our inquisitive minds never take precedence over the simplicity of Christ. We are seated in him, sealed until the day of Christ. I will rest take rest in that.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Christ or culture?
We live in a society of extremes. Extreme rights, extreme lefts, extreme sports? Well maybe extreme sports doesn't fit but you get the picture. Christianity is no exception. We as Christians seem to get engulfed in a sub-culture that is filled with extremes. We will go to church 5 days a week, only listen to Christian music, only hang out with our Christian friends.We forget that Christ hung out with the lowly. He hung out with prostitutes, and tax collectors. He hung out with the outcasts.
I was taking back a years worth of bottles to the store the other day. I came across a guy who was asking for bottles that the machines didn't except. He wasn't begging for money, or asking anything other than the cans that people would end up throwing away anyway. My first thought was, "get a job lowlife." Seriously, I actually thought that. I just wanted to take my cans back without being bothered. I realized in the next moment what a prideful ass I am. I realized how high I hold myself. But then the reality hit me that I was no better than anybody else there. At any moment, life could hit us and we could be the ones asking for rejected cans.
Not only do we hold ourselves in high esteem, but we fail to see our own depravity. You see, we roll in the mud, yet fail to see that we are doing so. We ride these moral trains that we can't even uphold ourselves. We look at others and think, "I would never do that." Or, "look what a mess so and so's life is. Thank God I am not like them." We are the biggest pharisees of them all, and whats worse is that we don't even see it. We are too engulfed in religious things to really see who we are in the flesh. Take a look, its ugly.
Any one of us is capable of any amount of evil. We watch our television and rejoice when we see men like Osama Bin Ladan executed. Yet if we were born in the middle east, we may have been by his side.
In Christ we have been made new. I will say it again, IN CHRIST. Why do we continue to walk through life in this bullshit sub-culture, acting as if we have obtained something by our own efforts? I do this daily. I think I am better than you. I think that I am something really special, but I am not. We are all flawed human beings that constantly make a mess of things. Its time that we start giving credit to who deserves the credit, Christ. Because in and of myself, I am just another fool. A fool who has taken the best seat in the house, only to be asked to sit in the back row.
I was taking back a years worth of bottles to the store the other day. I came across a guy who was asking for bottles that the machines didn't except. He wasn't begging for money, or asking anything other than the cans that people would end up throwing away anyway. My first thought was, "get a job lowlife." Seriously, I actually thought that. I just wanted to take my cans back without being bothered. I realized in the next moment what a prideful ass I am. I realized how high I hold myself. But then the reality hit me that I was no better than anybody else there. At any moment, life could hit us and we could be the ones asking for rejected cans.
Not only do we hold ourselves in high esteem, but we fail to see our own depravity. You see, we roll in the mud, yet fail to see that we are doing so. We ride these moral trains that we can't even uphold ourselves. We look at others and think, "I would never do that." Or, "look what a mess so and so's life is. Thank God I am not like them." We are the biggest pharisees of them all, and whats worse is that we don't even see it. We are too engulfed in religious things to really see who we are in the flesh. Take a look, its ugly.
Any one of us is capable of any amount of evil. We watch our television and rejoice when we see men like Osama Bin Ladan executed. Yet if we were born in the middle east, we may have been by his side.
In Christ we have been made new. I will say it again, IN CHRIST. Why do we continue to walk through life in this bullshit sub-culture, acting as if we have obtained something by our own efforts? I do this daily. I think I am better than you. I think that I am something really special, but I am not. We are all flawed human beings that constantly make a mess of things. Its time that we start giving credit to who deserves the credit, Christ. Because in and of myself, I am just another fool. A fool who has taken the best seat in the house, only to be asked to sit in the back row.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
A faith that sanctifies
Questions about sanctification have been around for a long time. I will go out on a limb and say they have been around since the 1st century. These question vary, but most of the questions I hear, and that I have had, center around how it happens. We know that we are justified by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, but what about sanctified? Are we sanctified by Christ, or by our own efforts? Is it Christ plus our own efforts?
We have these questions because we do not understand the scriptures. Lets be honest, they are pretty confusing at times, and we have heard countless preachers tell us contradicting interpretations of them.
I'll be upfront, I'm a pretty big faith guy. What I mean by this is that I believe that it is faith that not only justifies you before God, but also sanctifies you. I believe that you have no power within yourself (in the flesh Romans 7:18) to ever accomplish anything that is of any value. I am one of those guys who takes verses such as Hebrews 12:2 pretty serious. "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Faith without works is dead you say? (James 2:17) For it is God who works in you to both will and to do for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) If God even places the will for us to do good, then why do we believe that it is our works that sanctify us?
It seems some have come up with a union of the faith vs works problem. They throw out the phrase "it is faith THAT works." Now I have no problem with the doctrine of a faith that produces works, as I just said, it is God who works in you. The problem arises when we try to measure the work that faith produces.
Living in America, we have a very capitalistic mind frame. If we do this, we produce that. This carries over to our spiritual mindset. Churches measure success by attendance, revenue, etc. Christians measure their success by how much money they give, how nice they were to their neighbor, and how little they cussed that day.
This is a very worldly perspective. Two things seem to happen, 1)we beat ourselves up when we don't measure up, or 2)we fill our hearts with pride with this idea that we are doing well. Both our equally destructive. Galatians 3 says it like this, " 1 [a]You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of [b]the Law, or by [c]hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun [d]by the Spirit, are you now [e]being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you [f]suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works [g]miracles among you, do it by the works of [h]the Law, or by [i]hearing with faith?
When we fix our minds on Christ, all these things seem trivial. We start believing that God will work in us to both will and to work. We stop trying to measure up, and start resting in Christ.
We have these questions because we do not understand the scriptures. Lets be honest, they are pretty confusing at times, and we have heard countless preachers tell us contradicting interpretations of them.
I'll be upfront, I'm a pretty big faith guy. What I mean by this is that I believe that it is faith that not only justifies you before God, but also sanctifies you. I believe that you have no power within yourself (in the flesh Romans 7:18) to ever accomplish anything that is of any value. I am one of those guys who takes verses such as Hebrews 12:2 pretty serious. "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Faith without works is dead you say? (James 2:17) For it is God who works in you to both will and to do for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) If God even places the will for us to do good, then why do we believe that it is our works that sanctify us?
It seems some have come up with a union of the faith vs works problem. They throw out the phrase "it is faith THAT works." Now I have no problem with the doctrine of a faith that produces works, as I just said, it is God who works in you. The problem arises when we try to measure the work that faith produces.
Living in America, we have a very capitalistic mind frame. If we do this, we produce that. This carries over to our spiritual mindset. Churches measure success by attendance, revenue, etc. Christians measure their success by how much money they give, how nice they were to their neighbor, and how little they cussed that day.
This is a very worldly perspective. Two things seem to happen, 1)we beat ourselves up when we don't measure up, or 2)we fill our hearts with pride with this idea that we are doing well. Both our equally destructive. Galatians 3 says it like this, " 1 [a]You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of [b]the Law, or by [c]hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun [d]by the Spirit, are you now [e]being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you [f]suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works [g]miracles among you, do it by the works of [h]the Law, or by [i]hearing with faith?
6 [j]Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, [k]be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God [l]would justify the [m]Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with [n]Abraham, the believer.
10 For as many as are of the works of [o]the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.” 11 Now that no one is justified [p]by [q]the Law before God is evident; for, “[r]THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” 12 [s]However, the Law is not [t]of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE [u]BY THEM.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A [v]TREE”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might [w]come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Courtesy of http://www.biblegateway.com)
When we fix our minds on Christ, all these things seem trivial. We start believing that God will work in us to both will and to work. We stop trying to measure up, and start resting in Christ.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The struggle for meaning.
Life is a constant struggle. We fight depression, health issues, social issues, and the list goes on. I, as an American, often times downplay my own pain, in the name of physical comfort. I go on about how in other countries, people are hungry, sick, and oppressed by their government. There is some truth to this. We, as Americans are very fortunate. I will never argue against that. But what if my pain, causes the same stress as others with more obvious problems?
Humans are amazing at adapting. Throughout history, people have lived in horrendous conditions. They fought to survive these conditions. What if something like depression, causes the same amount of emotional stress as somebody in hunger? What if we are all in the same condition on this earth, no matter if we are rich or poor? We are all in a constant struggle to survive, emotionally and physically.
I personally, am in a constant struggle. A struggle to see purpose, hope, love, beauty. Often times, I struggle even to fulfill even the simplest tasks. I struggle because I am depressed. I am depressed because I struggle to see the things mentioned above. But what if, all these things that I struggle with have purpose. What if that purpose is to point me to the one whom these thing belong to? C.S. Lewis once said that he who's sole purpose is to find peace will never find it, but he who's sole purpose is to find Christ shall have both. I have to remember that it is not those things that I long for, it is Christ. I must remember that this life is a constant struggle, but Christ remains the same, and I remain in Christ.
At first, I am tempted to tell you to fight to keep your mind on the things that are meaningful, but that falls short. If we search for meaning, we shall by no means find it. If we search for Christ, we shall have Both.
Humans are amazing at adapting. Throughout history, people have lived in horrendous conditions. They fought to survive these conditions. What if something like depression, causes the same amount of emotional stress as somebody in hunger? What if we are all in the same condition on this earth, no matter if we are rich or poor? We are all in a constant struggle to survive, emotionally and physically.
I personally, am in a constant struggle. A struggle to see purpose, hope, love, beauty. Often times, I struggle even to fulfill even the simplest tasks. I struggle because I am depressed. I am depressed because I struggle to see the things mentioned above. But what if, all these things that I struggle with have purpose. What if that purpose is to point me to the one whom these thing belong to? C.S. Lewis once said that he who's sole purpose is to find peace will never find it, but he who's sole purpose is to find Christ shall have both. I have to remember that it is not those things that I long for, it is Christ. I must remember that this life is a constant struggle, but Christ remains the same, and I remain in Christ.
At first, I am tempted to tell you to fight to keep your mind on the things that are meaningful, but that falls short. If we search for meaning, we shall by no means find it. If we search for Christ, we shall have Both.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Why I believe in liberal grace.
"For we are the circumcision, who worship by the spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the FLESH. Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Isreal, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of a Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to the righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worthy of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3: 3-8.
I have heard a lot of outcries about grace. People protesting what they would call the "liberal" teaching of grace. They claim that God requires us to work. Work on not sinning. Work at loving better. Work to build what they would call The Kingdom.
Revealed within this concept are a few thought processes. 1) People have confidence in their flesh. They believe that they have the ability to build this so called Kingdom. 2) They don't really believe in grace. They subconsciously(or consciously) believe we are still under some sort of law.
Paul in Philippians talks about not having confidence in the flesh. He was not talking about committing what most would call sin. He was talking about having confidence in fleshy works. Working out religious do's and dont's. Working on a religious kingdom that is completely contrary to The Kingdom of God. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who works in you to both will and to do for his good pleasure." What? God is the one who does the work within me? This is exactly what He does.
Ephesians 2:10 says "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. " So it is God works in you to both WILL and TO DO for HIS pleasure, AND we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ for good works which HE prepared beforehand. What does this mean? This means that God has already laid out the things that you WILL do. Why? Because you are HIS workmanship. The pharisee works and toils in vain, walking in dead religious works that he may take glory for himself. The saint rests in Christ. Because he knows that Christ will work in him as HE chooses, because they were set out for him before the foundation of the earth.
Religion loves to bind people in chains that Christ has broken. People will accuse you of being a wolf, of teaching cheap grace, of being an apostate. We are securely seated in Christ, who is the author and finisher of our faith. (Heb. 12:2) I will continue to teach "liberal grace" because Christ has given it liberally to me.
I have heard a lot of outcries about grace. People protesting what they would call the "liberal" teaching of grace. They claim that God requires us to work. Work on not sinning. Work at loving better. Work to build what they would call The Kingdom.
Revealed within this concept are a few thought processes. 1) People have confidence in their flesh. They believe that they have the ability to build this so called Kingdom. 2) They don't really believe in grace. They subconsciously(or consciously) believe we are still under some sort of law.
Paul in Philippians talks about not having confidence in the flesh. He was not talking about committing what most would call sin. He was talking about having confidence in fleshy works. Working out religious do's and dont's. Working on a religious kingdom that is completely contrary to The Kingdom of God. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who works in you to both will and to do for his good pleasure." What? God is the one who does the work within me? This is exactly what He does.
Ephesians 2:10 says "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. " So it is God works in you to both WILL and TO DO for HIS pleasure, AND we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ for good works which HE prepared beforehand. What does this mean? This means that God has already laid out the things that you WILL do. Why? Because you are HIS workmanship. The pharisee works and toils in vain, walking in dead religious works that he may take glory for himself. The saint rests in Christ. Because he knows that Christ will work in him as HE chooses, because they were set out for him before the foundation of the earth.
Religion loves to bind people in chains that Christ has broken. People will accuse you of being a wolf, of teaching cheap grace, of being an apostate. We are securely seated in Christ, who is the author and finisher of our faith. (Heb. 12:2) I will continue to teach "liberal grace" because Christ has given it liberally to me.
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