Okay, I just thought of this today at church. The praise team had just finished doing an excellent song for the offering, a song which really (at least for me) focused me on God and what he had done for me on the cross. More specifically, it had me thinking about how incredible God is and how worthy of our praise he is.
The thing which struck out to me was our Pastor's response. It was only a short statement, a few sentences. But it struck me as the immediate response of one who was passionately focused on Christ, on God. He was tuned in and had responded perfectly, not too much (over the top), but he had used the moment to allow God's glory to shine.
The issue is, can I cultivate a heart which can instantly respond to the glory of God - appropriately? With the right amount of humility, the perfect dose of passion mixed with pursuit, but all to his glory. That's the key, for God to be glorified with my response. I know I can, but I fear I am not. If I am not, there is where I must go.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
The aim being love from a pure heart.
The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. - 1 Tim 1:5
I was reading through 1 Timothy (obviously) and came across this verse, which stuck out to me. I love verses which specify purpose. The charge Paul is writing about is found in the two verses preceeding this one. The charge is centered on teaching doctrine. I find it interesting that Paul would define the purpose of his charge to teach good doctrine as love flowing from a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith.
I think this illustrates how many modern (and post-modern) theologians and thinkers have misstepped in their exploration of the Bible: they have misplaced the reality of the gospel with much controversy and miscellaneous debate (1 Tim 6:4).
But Paul's perspective on what it means to teach is this: to cultivate pure hearts, good consciences and sincere faith from which true love can issue. Good, biblical doctrine helps all these flourish. And that is why congregations need to be taught the basics of Theology Proper (the doctrine of God), Soteriology (the Doctrine of Salvation), Christology (the Doctrine of Christ) and the others. Church members don't need five steps to following Christ - if you help them to see who Christ really is, they will follow him!
The depressed man doesn't need seven steps to a healthy outlook on life. He needs to understand the Doctrine of Creation - how it was God who created him; and then he needs the Doctrine of Sin, which will illustrate the depraved state he is in...and finally he needs the doctrine of Salvation to show how much God loved him and that God does have a purpose for him, as well as the Doctrine of Last Things (Eschatology) to show him the Hope that is to come.
This is what is wrong in so many churches across the United States as well as around the world. The Bible is not being taught, but used as a basis for self-help. The scripture should permeate the entire service, and it relevance and importance should be be continually emphasized, explained and illustrated.
And that is how we can carry out Paul's charge to Timothy, to build up a people who have love issuing from pure hearts, good consciences and sincere faith.
I was reading through 1 Timothy (obviously) and came across this verse, which stuck out to me. I love verses which specify purpose. The charge Paul is writing about is found in the two verses preceeding this one. The charge is centered on teaching doctrine. I find it interesting that Paul would define the purpose of his charge to teach good doctrine as love flowing from a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith.
I think this illustrates how many modern (and post-modern) theologians and thinkers have misstepped in their exploration of the Bible: they have misplaced the reality of the gospel with much controversy and miscellaneous debate (1 Tim 6:4).
But Paul's perspective on what it means to teach is this: to cultivate pure hearts, good consciences and sincere faith from which true love can issue. Good, biblical doctrine helps all these flourish. And that is why congregations need to be taught the basics of Theology Proper (the doctrine of God), Soteriology (the Doctrine of Salvation), Christology (the Doctrine of Christ) and the others. Church members don't need five steps to following Christ - if you help them to see who Christ really is, they will follow him!
The depressed man doesn't need seven steps to a healthy outlook on life. He needs to understand the Doctrine of Creation - how it was God who created him; and then he needs the Doctrine of Sin, which will illustrate the depraved state he is in...and finally he needs the doctrine of Salvation to show how much God loved him and that God does have a purpose for him, as well as the Doctrine of Last Things (Eschatology) to show him the Hope that is to come.
This is what is wrong in so many churches across the United States as well as around the world. The Bible is not being taught, but used as a basis for self-help. The scripture should permeate the entire service, and it relevance and importance should be be continually emphasized, explained and illustrated.
And that is how we can carry out Paul's charge to Timothy, to build up a people who have love issuing from pure hearts, good consciences and sincere faith.
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Gospel without Sin
I couldn't go to sleep last night. So, in flipping through our numerous (read: six) channels, I came across Jonathan Falwell preaching at his church, Thomas Road Baptist Church. He was doing a pretty decent job. His use of scripture was less than desirable in my mind, though. The message title was something along the lines of "Moving in and Moving out", and consisted of many points, each of which were punctuated by a scripture supporting that particular point, but not really relating to each other much at all. It was akin to quoting a well-respected book or author to support each point. My only problem with this is if you use the bible in this manner (you defining something and using the Bible to back you up), then you are teaching your congregation that you can live the same way, determining yourself what must be done and then using scripture to support your decision rather than letting the scripture define you and your life.
But that's not even what scared me the most. When he got to the climax of his message, talking about "moving out" - basically evangelism, he started a nice little list of reasons why we share Christ. It was a nice list, primarily focused on the joy, peace, and comfort found in Christ, climaxing in that Christ has washed us white as snow. But he never once mentioned sin. Not once. I was listening, waiting for it.
Take the book of Romans, not just a single passage, but, say, at least the first five chapters. Paul here is dealing with salvation, and sin is integral to it. Check out Ephesians, specifically the first half of the second chapter where there is this wonderful description of the Gospel hinging on the reality of sin and God's provision for man because of it.
The sad thing is, if you share Christ with someone without ever addressing the sin in their life, their acceptance of him never approaches the fullness of the Gospel. In fact, if they never repent of and turn from their sin, then, biblically speaking, they really aren't saved at all (see the essentiality of understanding, repenting of, and turning from sin to in Romans 6:1-14).
There is no gospel without sin - there's no need for the gospel without sin. If you remove sin from what you are teaching, then how is it really different from the numerous self-help doctrines permeating our society? Let us never lose site of the fact that it was because of our sin that Christ came, it was our sin that put him on that cross, and that because of our sin we can only have a right relationship with God through Christ's sacrifice on the Cross.
But that's not even what scared me the most. When he got to the climax of his message, talking about "moving out" - basically evangelism, he started a nice little list of reasons why we share Christ. It was a nice list, primarily focused on the joy, peace, and comfort found in Christ, climaxing in that Christ has washed us white as snow. But he never once mentioned sin. Not once. I was listening, waiting for it.
Take the book of Romans, not just a single passage, but, say, at least the first five chapters. Paul here is dealing with salvation, and sin is integral to it. Check out Ephesians, specifically the first half of the second chapter where there is this wonderful description of the Gospel hinging on the reality of sin and God's provision for man because of it.
The sad thing is, if you share Christ with someone without ever addressing the sin in their life, their acceptance of him never approaches the fullness of the Gospel. In fact, if they never repent of and turn from their sin, then, biblically speaking, they really aren't saved at all (see the essentiality of understanding, repenting of, and turning from sin to in Romans 6:1-14).
There is no gospel without sin - there's no need for the gospel without sin. If you remove sin from what you are teaching, then how is it really different from the numerous self-help doctrines permeating our society? Let us never lose site of the fact that it was because of our sin that Christ came, it was our sin that put him on that cross, and that because of our sin we can only have a right relationship with God through Christ's sacrifice on the Cross.
Monday, July 30, 2007
My favorite communicator?
I received a questionnaire to fill out from a church I had submitted my resume to. In it they asked who my favorite Christian Communicator was. Very interesting question, especially for me. I've always had a slight aversion to focusing on an individual, especially one with a more 'mainstream' reputation, as a spiritual authority. So the question made me stop and think. I thought about how in the past, when I was in my mid-teens, I had really been influenced by Promise Keepers and Bill McCartney. Then when I was in college I was really interested in John Maxwell and his leadership stuff. But at present I have no mainstream individuals to whom I really look up to and allow to influence me spiritually.
Why? You might ask? Well, let me give you my thoughts on a few of the Christian Communicators that popped to mind when I started to think about my options - and I'll also tell you why I discarded them.
Joel Osteen - Okay, never been a fan of his because he blinks so much when he speaks. I just keep remembering some random thing I heard that some people blink when they're lying. But look at the title of his bestseller: "Your Best Life Now." Definitely not a biblically based philosophy. In fact, the more I think about it, the more it feels almost like heresy...
T.D.Jakes - Here's one I was actually starting to enjoy. Well, that is until I was taught some basics of bible study in seminary and I read a book called "Religious Affections" by Jonathan Edwards. Then all of his teaching began to show a very poor exegetical technique, with very dangerous spiritual philosophies being born out of them. And then my theology teacher pointed out that T.D.Jakes didn't seem to believe in the Trinity. With that in mind, Jakes becomes and even more dangerous "pseudo" christian communicator.
Rick Warren - actually, I kind of like this guy. Though I think some of my reservations have to do more with how he's structured his church (more of a pastoral concern for the unity of the body due to their many different services).
So who did I say where my present favorite communicators? The pastor at my church, Larry Trotter, an elder at my church who is also a professor at my seminary, Mark Leiderbach, and my Theology professor, David Nelson. These men all ground everything they teach in the Word and encourage you to search out the Word yourself, not just to accept it because they say it's in there. And I think I chose them as well because they are individuals whom I can watch live out their faith on a regular basis.
Why? You might ask? Well, let me give you my thoughts on a few of the Christian Communicators that popped to mind when I started to think about my options - and I'll also tell you why I discarded them.
Joel Osteen - Okay, never been a fan of his because he blinks so much when he speaks. I just keep remembering some random thing I heard that some people blink when they're lying. But look at the title of his bestseller: "Your Best Life Now." Definitely not a biblically based philosophy. In fact, the more I think about it, the more it feels almost like heresy...
T.D.Jakes - Here's one I was actually starting to enjoy. Well, that is until I was taught some basics of bible study in seminary and I read a book called "Religious Affections" by Jonathan Edwards. Then all of his teaching began to show a very poor exegetical technique, with very dangerous spiritual philosophies being born out of them. And then my theology teacher pointed out that T.D.Jakes didn't seem to believe in the Trinity. With that in mind, Jakes becomes and even more dangerous "pseudo" christian communicator.
Rick Warren - actually, I kind of like this guy. Though I think some of my reservations have to do more with how he's structured his church (more of a pastoral concern for the unity of the body due to their many different services).
So who did I say where my present favorite communicators? The pastor at my church, Larry Trotter, an elder at my church who is also a professor at my seminary, Mark Leiderbach, and my Theology professor, David Nelson. These men all ground everything they teach in the Word and encourage you to search out the Word yourself, not just to accept it because they say it's in there. And I think I chose them as well because they are individuals whom I can watch live out their faith on a regular basis.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Living in the Light of Death.
I read an interesting short story by Robert Heinlein the other night entitled "Life Line". The basic premise is a scientist develops a machine and method of finding exactly when one's life ends (he can also tell when you were born, but, as he notes, you already know that and it is not quite as exciting!). I don't really want to give away the twists of the story, but it is quite interesting to see where he goes with it. One of my favorite little sub-themes he touches on is a conception that time is as time is, and we can do little to change it. For the main character, in the end, tries to prevent a certain death he percieves - which, in the end, seems to almost come about because of his efforts.
In another book I have, Byzantium, by Stephen R. Lawhead, the main character gets what he thinks is a vision of when he will die. Throughout the book he is haunted by this knowledge. In a conversation with a fellow character, though, a different perspective is presented to the main character. He asks a friend how knowing when he would die would change how he lived, the character responds that that he could live without fear, basically invicible, until that time. Why? Because he would know that nothing could kill him until that time. An agressive, but interesting thought.
Why is death so interesting? Why would everyone want to know their time? I think it is one of life's great "eveners" - it is in death that there is no social or material stratification, no racial or sexual prejudice. You can be the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company or a homeless joe-schmo on the streets, but when death comes you're both dead.
Outside of religion there is no hope after death, it spells an end, and that is all. Which seems to put everything else in a rather hopeless light, in my mind. Whatever legacy, or lack thereof, that you leave behind does not grant you any special place in the land of the dead - for if the atheists are right, and there truly is nothing after death, when you are dead, that is all. A legacy gives you no more life and benefits you not a mite. But, if you are of the religious persuasion, then death proves a gateway to something more.
In my mind, death provides a gateway to an upclose and personal encounter with a perfectly just and righteous God. If this encounter goes unmediated, then you are toast - spiritually and literally, for every man has lived and practiced injustice, selfishness, etc. at some point in his or her life. But, if you can find a mediator, one to help you come before God, one who can be your righteousness, then death can become a gateway to a reality undreamt of in this realm.
So it remains, what is death to you? Is it the end, or is it a gateway to something more? I think how one perceives death impacts how he or she lives life, for it is an end we all must encounter.
In another book I have, Byzantium, by Stephen R. Lawhead, the main character gets what he thinks is a vision of when he will die. Throughout the book he is haunted by this knowledge. In a conversation with a fellow character, though, a different perspective is presented to the main character. He asks a friend how knowing when he would die would change how he lived, the character responds that that he could live without fear, basically invicible, until that time. Why? Because he would know that nothing could kill him until that time. An agressive, but interesting thought.
Why is death so interesting? Why would everyone want to know their time? I think it is one of life's great "eveners" - it is in death that there is no social or material stratification, no racial or sexual prejudice. You can be the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company or a homeless joe-schmo on the streets, but when death comes you're both dead.
Outside of religion there is no hope after death, it spells an end, and that is all. Which seems to put everything else in a rather hopeless light, in my mind. Whatever legacy, or lack thereof, that you leave behind does not grant you any special place in the land of the dead - for if the atheists are right, and there truly is nothing after death, when you are dead, that is all. A legacy gives you no more life and benefits you not a mite. But, if you are of the religious persuasion, then death proves a gateway to something more.
In my mind, death provides a gateway to an upclose and personal encounter with a perfectly just and righteous God. If this encounter goes unmediated, then you are toast - spiritually and literally, for every man has lived and practiced injustice, selfishness, etc. at some point in his or her life. But, if you can find a mediator, one to help you come before God, one who can be your righteousness, then death can become a gateway to a reality undreamt of in this realm.
So it remains, what is death to you? Is it the end, or is it a gateway to something more? I think how one perceives death impacts how he or she lives life, for it is an end we all must encounter.
Monday, January 08, 2007
The Seeker's Path
But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- Deuteronomy 4:29
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.- (God) Jeremiah 29:13
These two verses clearly state what my pastor called the "Seeker's Promise" yesterday, the promise being that if you seek after the Lord with all your heart (with all that you can) you will find him. Sadly enough, many people decide to not make a decision about God. That in itself is a decision against God. There is no limbo, or purgatory in the relationship with God - only known and unknown. Think about it, if there was someone who wanted to be your friend, but you weren't sure about him or her, and you decided to avoid them so that you would not have to make a decision about whether or not you liked him or her and wanted him or her to be your friend, wouldn't that avoidance of the person (and the issue of friendship) be the same as a rejection of that person and that friendship? Though the analogy breaks down eventually, the same logic is at stake here. Most people don't want to take the time to figure out who God is, so they reject him and push him aside because it would be too much trouble to begin to know him.
And the acquisition of any knowledge of God is not easy, that's why God says you must do it with all your heart - he doesn't want less than all of you, and if you commit less than all of you to the task, you might find a god who requires less than all of you - and that would not be the True God.
The quandary of whether or not to pursue God brings to mind the lines from a poem whose title I can't remember, but the author talks about coming to a point in a path were he had two choices of where to go, and states something along the lines of, "...and I took the path less traveled, and that has made all the difference."
Lastly let me note that just because something is hard to acquire or accomplish doesn't make it bad. If all of life were easy, none of us would have need for any decent measure of strength. It is the struggles and battles of life which separate the naivete and weakness of childhood from the maturity and strength of adulthood.
And the acquisition of any knowledge of God is not easy, that's why God says you must do it with all your heart - he doesn't want less than all of you, and if you commit less than all of you to the task, you might find a god who requires less than all of you - and that would not be the True God.
The quandary of whether or not to pursue God brings to mind the lines from a poem whose title I can't remember, but the author talks about coming to a point in a path were he had two choices of where to go, and states something along the lines of, "...and I took the path less traveled, and that has made all the difference."
Lastly let me note that just because something is hard to acquire or accomplish doesn't make it bad. If all of life were easy, none of us would have need for any decent measure of strength. It is the struggles and battles of life which separate the naivete and weakness of childhood from the maturity and strength of adulthood.
Friday, January 05, 2007
The Honor of Atheists
"For this reason, the atheist who cannot believe for moral reasons does honor, in an elliptical way, to the Christian God, and so must not be ignored. He demands of us not the surrender of our beliefs but a meticulous recollection on our parts of what those beliefs are, and a definition of divine love that has at least the moral rigor of principled unbelief."
- Hart, David Bently. The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005) 25
A very interesting quote. It really stuck out to me, mainly for the reason that many people believe in God without truly taking stock of the god which they claim to believe in. An atheist, on the other hand, has taken stock of a god (arguably not the True God revealed in the Word, but some facsimile thereof) and truly looked at that god and then decided whether or not that god is worthy of their service/worship. The honor that an atheist does Christianity, and ultimately God, is that he/she says, "I cannot serve a god like this, for it is not right," as they perceive/encounter a variant or degraded view of God. Their honor is given by their refusal to settle for and/or accept something which is actually less than God.
But the challenge to us, as Christians, is ever to make sure that the reality of God, in all his Trueness, is being presented to these which refuse to believe in these lesser gods. The goal is so that they can see the moral consistency and supremacy of the True God and the Way* (in it's true and real practice).
This is also the reason, as Hert points out, that we cannot just brush aside atheists (and their arguments against God) because they are actually arguing against a God we do not believe in as well. But rather it is our responsibility to address their misperceptions and to accurately portray God to them.
Therefore the challenge is for us, ourselves, to know God in Truth.
* "the Way" is in reference to the followers of Christ as they were referred to in the book of Acts, before they were known as Christians.
- Hart, David Bently. The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005) 25
A very interesting quote. It really stuck out to me, mainly for the reason that many people believe in God without truly taking stock of the god which they claim to believe in. An atheist, on the other hand, has taken stock of a god (arguably not the True God revealed in the Word, but some facsimile thereof) and truly looked at that god and then decided whether or not that god is worthy of their service/worship. The honor that an atheist does Christianity, and ultimately God, is that he/she says, "I cannot serve a god like this, for it is not right," as they perceive/encounter a variant or degraded view of God. Their honor is given by their refusal to settle for and/or accept something which is actually less than God.
But the challenge to us, as Christians, is ever to make sure that the reality of God, in all his Trueness, is being presented to these which refuse to believe in these lesser gods. The goal is so that they can see the moral consistency and supremacy of the True God and the Way* (in it's true and real practice).
This is also the reason, as Hert points out, that we cannot just brush aside atheists (and their arguments against God) because they are actually arguing against a God we do not believe in as well. But rather it is our responsibility to address their misperceptions and to accurately portray God to them.
Therefore the challenge is for us, ourselves, to know God in Truth.
* "the Way" is in reference to the followers of Christ as they were referred to in the book of Acts, before they were known as Christians.
Friday, October 27, 2006
A Propitiation for Sin
...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 
24being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Everyone loves a loving God. But when you begin to talk about God's wrath, God's jealously, the carpet and the conversation over there (anyone but this one) becomes more interesting. Why? Because no one really likes the idea of an all-powerful God on the rampage.
Now, the term "rampage" is certainly utilized here more for it's abrasive nature than for it's theological merit, but it is a close definition of God's feelings about sin. The reality is that God not only dislikes sin, but his feelings take on a more active nature. The jealously and wrath of God are uncomfortable, but essential concepts for every Christian.
The jealously of God (Ex. 20:5; Is. 48:11) simply means that God will have no other God's (or anything else) receiving worship in His place. Idolatry, simply defined, is spiritual adultery. And God's desire to restore us to proper worship of Him is very active, and His desire to be the only object of our worship is supreme.
The wrath of God (Ex. 32:9-10; Deut. 9:7-8; John 3:36; Romans 1:18) is God's reaction to sin. He doesn't just dislike it, He actively hates it! And God's wrath is Him actively seeking to punish sinners.
"Propitiation" is a term which, to a Christian, pertains to Christ. In this Christian understanding, Christ was the propitiation for our sins, meaning that he received the full wrath of God, those actions dictated by the jealously of God, for us. This is why the understanding of the wrath of God and the jealously of God are essential for every Christian, because without them, there was no need for Christ to die on the cross, and thusly no need for salvation.
24being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.Romans 3:25
Everyone loves a loving God. But when you begin to talk about God's wrath, God's jealously, the carpet and the conversation over there (anyone but this one) becomes more interesting. Why? Because no one really likes the idea of an all-powerful God on the rampage.
Now, the term "rampage" is certainly utilized here more for it's abrasive nature than for it's theological merit, but it is a close definition of God's feelings about sin. The reality is that God not only dislikes sin, but his feelings take on a more active nature. The jealously and wrath of God are uncomfortable, but essential concepts for every Christian.
The jealously of God (Ex. 20:5; Is. 48:11) simply means that God will have no other God's (or anything else) receiving worship in His place. Idolatry, simply defined, is spiritual adultery. And God's desire to restore us to proper worship of Him is very active, and His desire to be the only object of our worship is supreme.
The wrath of God (Ex. 32:9-10; Deut. 9:7-8; John 3:36; Romans 1:18) is God's reaction to sin. He doesn't just dislike it, He actively hates it! And God's wrath is Him actively seeking to punish sinners.
"Propitiation" is a term which, to a Christian, pertains to Christ. In this Christian understanding, Christ was the propitiation for our sins, meaning that he received the full wrath of God, those actions dictated by the jealously of God, for us. This is why the understanding of the wrath of God and the jealously of God are essential for every Christian, because without them, there was no need for Christ to die on the cross, and thusly no need for salvation.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
The Essential Attribute
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
It's quite amazing, actually. In 1 John, chapter 4, John takes roughly from the 7th through the 21st verse to focus on the relationship of love with God. In understanding the nature of God, I would call this the Essential Attribute, because without it, the God the bible presents us with ceases to exist.
"God is love." An amazing concept. I don't think that too many of us truly realize the ramifications of this statement. In verse 19, John makes this statement, "We love because he first loved us." So the first question we must ask ourselves is this: Do we love?
That is a tough question - tough, but essential. In Matthew 22.37-40, Jesus establishes love as the essential ingredient of the two greatest commands (which sum up all the law of the prophets). And this is not the warm and fuzzy feeling of modern-day Hollywood. John states that love is evidenced in death, the giving by God of his son for our sins (1 John 4.10). This is a love that lives and breathes. A love that gives its final breath for others.
Let me ask again: Do we truly love?
Because here is the key, John has laid it on the line for us: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4.8) It's actually very simple. If we do not love, then we do not know God.
Let us always remember, let us always strive to live this simple fact: God is love, and to know God is to live love.
- 1 John 4.7-8 (NLT)
It's quite amazing, actually. In 1 John, chapter 4, John takes roughly from the 7th through the 21st verse to focus on the relationship of love with God. In understanding the nature of God, I would call this the Essential Attribute, because without it, the God the bible presents us with ceases to exist.
"God is love." An amazing concept. I don't think that too many of us truly realize the ramifications of this statement. In verse 19, John makes this statement, "We love because he first loved us." So the first question we must ask ourselves is this: Do we love?
That is a tough question - tough, but essential. In Matthew 22.37-40, Jesus establishes love as the essential ingredient of the two greatest commands (which sum up all the law of the prophets). And this is not the warm and fuzzy feeling of modern-day Hollywood. John states that love is evidenced in death, the giving by God of his son for our sins (1 John 4.10). This is a love that lives and breathes. A love that gives its final breath for others.
Let me ask again: Do we truly love?
Because here is the key, John has laid it on the line for us: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4.8) It's actually very simple. If we do not love, then we do not know God.
Let us always remember, let us always strive to live this simple fact: God is love, and to know God is to live love.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Of gifts and the Giver...
"If we only trust Christ to give us gifts and not himself as the all-satisfying gift, then we do not trust him in a way that honors him as our treasure. We simply honor the gifts. They are what we really want, not him. So biblical faith in Jesus must mean that we trust him to give us what we need most - namely himself. That means that faith itself must include at its essence a treasuring of Christ above all things."
John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life. (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2003) p. 70
Where is Christ in your faith? I love this excerpt because it highlights the selfish tendencies in our relationships - we gravitate towards relating to people in regards of what they can do and/or provide for us. Of course, we don't always relate in this manner - but we have a selfish tendency to do so. And this is magnified in our relationship with Christ because here is one we are to relate to, yet we cannot see him or touch him physically. So, many times, we come to relate to God, to Christ, in the only way we can see him - by what he does.
This is the foundation of sand upon which all theology centered around the blessing of God is based: That our relationship with God is evidenced by what he does for us, which is directly affected by what we do or how we live. I like to call this the "Genie in a bottle" faith: a fantasy in which God is one whom, if we rub just the right way, will pop out and do what we want or give us what we desire.
Look at Matthew 10:38 and 16:24. Or Mark 8:34, or Luke 9:23. What does Christ say you must do to follow him? Put a shoulder to the cross, lift, and begin walking. Even when he was talking with the rich man in Mark 10, he finishes his statement in verse 21 with the phrase "...take up the cross and follow me." If Christianity is supposed to be centered around such a wonderful thing as living a beautifully blessed life daily, then why was it's climaxing moment that of the brutal, nightmarish agony of the cross?
Are there blessings in Christ? Yes, absolutely. But they are blessings which reflect riches as sand and dirt, which turn poverty into generosity, which takea death meant for me and gives life in return. And these blessings are never the point, the purpose to life in Christ. Rather, they are an outflow, a natural result of the most natural phenomenom: our dying. For us to truly treasure Christ we must first lay aside ourselves. For it has never been about us, it has always been about God.
Christianity will be the death of me. At least, I pray it will be so. Because my treasure must be Christ himself, nothing else. And the more I die to myself, the more he can live in me and be known through me.
So is my faith in Christ based on what he can do for me? Never, yet it has been bolstered by what he has done for me and what I've seen him do for others. Do I believe so that I will be blessed as others have, so that I will prosper? No, for then I have lost sight of the Giver amongst his gifts.
Let me have Christ alone, treasure Christ alone. And let me never lose sight of the Giver as I marvel at his gifts.
John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life. (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2003) p. 70
Where is Christ in your faith? I love this excerpt because it highlights the selfish tendencies in our relationships - we gravitate towards relating to people in regards of what they can do and/or provide for us. Of course, we don't always relate in this manner - but we have a selfish tendency to do so. And this is magnified in our relationship with Christ because here is one we are to relate to, yet we cannot see him or touch him physically. So, many times, we come to relate to God, to Christ, in the only way we can see him - by what he does.
This is the foundation of sand upon which all theology centered around the blessing of God is based: That our relationship with God is evidenced by what he does for us, which is directly affected by what we do or how we live. I like to call this the "Genie in a bottle" faith: a fantasy in which God is one whom, if we rub just the right way, will pop out and do what we want or give us what we desire.
Look at Matthew 10:38 and 16:24. Or Mark 8:34, or Luke 9:23. What does Christ say you must do to follow him? Put a shoulder to the cross, lift, and begin walking. Even when he was talking with the rich man in Mark 10, he finishes his statement in verse 21 with the phrase "...take up the cross and follow me." If Christianity is supposed to be centered around such a wonderful thing as living a beautifully blessed life daily, then why was it's climaxing moment that of the brutal, nightmarish agony of the cross?
Are there blessings in Christ? Yes, absolutely. But they are blessings which reflect riches as sand and dirt, which turn poverty into generosity, which takea death meant for me and gives life in return. And these blessings are never the point, the purpose to life in Christ. Rather, they are an outflow, a natural result of the most natural phenomenom: our dying. For us to truly treasure Christ we must first lay aside ourselves. For it has never been about us, it has always been about God.
Christianity will be the death of me. At least, I pray it will be so. Because my treasure must be Christ himself, nothing else. And the more I die to myself, the more he can live in me and be known through me.
So is my faith in Christ based on what he can do for me? Never, yet it has been bolstered by what he has done for me and what I've seen him do for others. Do I believe so that I will be blessed as others have, so that I will prosper? No, for then I have lost sight of the Giver amongst his gifts.
Let me have Christ alone, treasure Christ alone. And let me never lose sight of the Giver as I marvel at his gifts.
Friday, July 07, 2006
The Potential of Desire
"There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him. And the higher and mightier it is in the natural order, the more demoniac it will be if it rebels."
- a quote from C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce, Harper Collins edition 2001, page 106
When C.S. Lewis penned this statement, he sandwiched it between two different illustrations. One of a man controlled by lust, symbolized by a lizard on the man's shoulder, whispering in his ear. When the man finally gave this desire over to the Lord and allowed the lizard to be killed, he was reborn as a new man, a stronger, fresher spirit; and the lizard was reborn as a stallion, no longer controlling him, but rather carrying him.
The other illustration was that of a mother wanting to enter heaven only to be with her child. The love of a mother for her child, in this poor woman's case, had grown so distorted as to eclipse her love for anyone else - including God. And the saddest part was that she couldn't let go of that twisted maternal love.
When comparing both of these illustrations, this question is posed: "...if the risen body even of appetite is as grand a horse...what would the risen body of maternal love or friendship be?"
There is a common thought, not modern yet many times presented and posed as such, that if a desire or impulse is natural, it is therefore okay and right to indulge it without inhibitions. But if steel were never hammered and shaped it would never become a beautiful sword. And while God designed us with natural impulses and desires, they were never intended to be ships without rudders.
One has only to look to the Proverbs to see a plethora of examples of this, specifically in regards to sexual desire. As God revealed it to the writers of this wisdom literature, the natural sexual desire was to be limited and focused, and therein would it bloom and blossom into it's intended splendor.
The challenge is to look at our desires, to see them as God sees them. To enable them to reach their full potential. And this means death. The desires must die at the feet of God, we must give them up to him, because no matter what they may be, they are animals we cannot control and focus on our own.
- a quote from C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce, Harper Collins edition 2001, page 106
When C.S. Lewis penned this statement, he sandwiched it between two different illustrations. One of a man controlled by lust, symbolized by a lizard on the man's shoulder, whispering in his ear. When the man finally gave this desire over to the Lord and allowed the lizard to be killed, he was reborn as a new man, a stronger, fresher spirit; and the lizard was reborn as a stallion, no longer controlling him, but rather carrying him.
The other illustration was that of a mother wanting to enter heaven only to be with her child. The love of a mother for her child, in this poor woman's case, had grown so distorted as to eclipse her love for anyone else - including God. And the saddest part was that she couldn't let go of that twisted maternal love.
When comparing both of these illustrations, this question is posed: "...if the risen body even of appetite is as grand a horse...what would the risen body of maternal love or friendship be?"
There is a common thought, not modern yet many times presented and posed as such, that if a desire or impulse is natural, it is therefore okay and right to indulge it without inhibitions. But if steel were never hammered and shaped it would never become a beautiful sword. And while God designed us with natural impulses and desires, they were never intended to be ships without rudders.
One has only to look to the Proverbs to see a plethora of examples of this, specifically in regards to sexual desire. As God revealed it to the writers of this wisdom literature, the natural sexual desire was to be limited and focused, and therein would it bloom and blossom into it's intended splendor.
The challenge is to look at our desires, to see them as God sees them. To enable them to reach their full potential. And this means death. The desires must die at the feet of God, we must give them up to him, because no matter what they may be, they are animals we cannot control and focus on our own.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Lighting Your Own Fire
Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the word of his servant?
Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light,
trust in the name of the lord and rely on his God.
But now, all you who light fires
and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires
and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
You will lie down in torment.
and obeys the word of his servant?
Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light,
trust in the name of the lord and rely on his God.
But now, all you who light fires
and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires
and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
You will lie down in torment.
- Isaiah 50.10-11
This is just a really neat passage that came to my attention recently. I love the imagery used: darkness and light. The darkness is our confused lives, where we are in our anxieties and stress and helplessness. The light is wisdom, and there is two types: 1) God's and 2) our own (or man's wisdom).
It's very simple, actually. We need light to see the way out of our depravity and hopeless helplessness. But the light we chose determines the path we walk. How? Simple. God's light comes from Him, and thus acts like the light at the end of a dark tunnel - it reveals the path to freedom. But light we make on our own is controlled by ourselves - it only illuminates the path of our choosing. It's like being lost in a cave with many tunnels, but one way out. If you light your own torch, and choose from the available paths yourself, the odds of you choosing the correct path on your own are very slim. Meanwhile, if you could turn out your light (let go of your wisdom) you would see a glimmer in the darkness, which would grow brighter the closer your approached. Before long you would find yourself in the brightness of day, and no longer lost in darkness.
But, you say, could I not find the correct path on my own? Rare might that occasion be, it could happen. But note the progression of the analogy. Let's say you did actually (through the favor of God, no doubt) choose the correct path. In the end, to fully enjoy the freedom of daylight, you'd have to relinquish your grip on your own torch, that man-made wisdom. In the end you must admit the inadequacy of your own light (and wisdom).
Let us look to God for our light, for our path. Let us strive after his wisdom, and count our own as foolishness.
It's very simple, actually. We need light to see the way out of our depravity and hopeless helplessness. But the light we chose determines the path we walk. How? Simple. God's light comes from Him, and thus acts like the light at the end of a dark tunnel - it reveals the path to freedom. But light we make on our own is controlled by ourselves - it only illuminates the path of our choosing. It's like being lost in a cave with many tunnels, but one way out. If you light your own torch, and choose from the available paths yourself, the odds of you choosing the correct path on your own are very slim. Meanwhile, if you could turn out your light (let go of your wisdom) you would see a glimmer in the darkness, which would grow brighter the closer your approached. Before long you would find yourself in the brightness of day, and no longer lost in darkness.
But, you say, could I not find the correct path on my own? Rare might that occasion be, it could happen. But note the progression of the analogy. Let's say you did actually (through the favor of God, no doubt) choose the correct path. In the end, to fully enjoy the freedom of daylight, you'd have to relinquish your grip on your own torch, that man-made wisdom. In the end you must admit the inadequacy of your own light (and wisdom).
Let us look to God for our light, for our path. Let us strive after his wisdom, and count our own as foolishness.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Grace vs. Pride
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
"God opposes the proud
But gives grace to the humble"- James 4.6
Those are pretty strong words about pride, aren't they? That God "opposes" pride. What's so bad about pride that actually causes God to actively oppose it? Well, think about it. If you are prideful, then you are usually overly confident in your own abilities, in how you look, how smart you are, and yourself in general. What actually happens with pride is that it displaces God. One of the biggest keys to pride is the fact that it says, "I don't need anyone else's help, because I can do it myself!" That last little section, the italicized portion, says it all.
God actually designed us to interact and live with him. For us to lean on him, so that he can be our strength. What's more, is God loves us so much that he must pursue us, because he knows where we would be and what we would be like when left entirely to our own. But, to pursue us, he must deny our self-sufficiency.
Here, let's put it out really simple: Pride says, "I don't need you." When we connect with God, we find his grace, and we find him lavishing it upon us. What is God's grace? Everything we need: forgiveness, redemption, healing, strength, ect...the list goes on and on. That's what James was pointing out. When we walk around, in our daily lives, doing our daily things, we (at some point or another) come in contact with God. When we look into his eyes, we see his love, and we hear him speak to our heart that he has everything we need, in him we will not need or want. But this opposes our pride. How? Because our pride says we don't need anything - including God.
We are just like a little boy who wants to build himself a clubhouse. We go around in our daily lives, collecting everything we need to have 'the good life', just as a little boy would collect all the wood he thought he'd need for that clubhouse. But then when the collecting is done, we find that, though we have all the elements we can think of for our perfect life, it just won't hold together - just as the little boy takes all his pieces of wood and stacks them this way and that, striving for the best way to put it together. But all the striving is in vain, for every time the wind gives a nice hard blow, it all tumbles down. There is something missing. Our pride stands up and says we should be able to find everything we need on our own, and be able to put it together correctly. What is so beautiful about children, is that, though they think they know a lot, they seem to always understand that their father knows more. And what separates us from this little builder is the fact that he runs to his father and asks for help. Then his father pulls out a hammer and nails, and begins to teach the little boy how to build a clubhouse that will last the tests of time.
Let us always set aside our pride, and go to our Father. So that he can lavish his grace upon us, and teach us the secrets of building our own lives to last through eternity.
God actually designed us to interact and live with him. For us to lean on him, so that he can be our strength. What's more, is God loves us so much that he must pursue us, because he knows where we would be and what we would be like when left entirely to our own. But, to pursue us, he must deny our self-sufficiency.
Here, let's put it out really simple: Pride says, "I don't need you." When we connect with God, we find his grace, and we find him lavishing it upon us. What is God's grace? Everything we need: forgiveness, redemption, healing, strength, ect...the list goes on and on. That's what James was pointing out. When we walk around, in our daily lives, doing our daily things, we (at some point or another) come in contact with God. When we look into his eyes, we see his love, and we hear him speak to our heart that he has everything we need, in him we will not need or want. But this opposes our pride. How? Because our pride says we don't need anything - including God.
We are just like a little boy who wants to build himself a clubhouse. We go around in our daily lives, collecting everything we need to have 'the good life', just as a little boy would collect all the wood he thought he'd need for that clubhouse. But then when the collecting is done, we find that, though we have all the elements we can think of for our perfect life, it just won't hold together - just as the little boy takes all his pieces of wood and stacks them this way and that, striving for the best way to put it together. But all the striving is in vain, for every time the wind gives a nice hard blow, it all tumbles down. There is something missing. Our pride stands up and says we should be able to find everything we need on our own, and be able to put it together correctly. What is so beautiful about children, is that, though they think they know a lot, they seem to always understand that their father knows more. And what separates us from this little builder is the fact that he runs to his father and asks for help. Then his father pulls out a hammer and nails, and begins to teach the little boy how to build a clubhouse that will last the tests of time.
Let us always set aside our pride, and go to our Father. So that he can lavish his grace upon us, and teach us the secrets of building our own lives to last through eternity.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Inheritance of Sin, Inheritance of Grace
"Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men."Here's an interesting way to think of the fall of man, and then of salvation. Looking at the fall of man as an inheritance, we note that we all are of Adam's line - we have received from him the inheritance of a tainted soul, dipped in sin. Though none of us like it, through Adam, our minds and even our souls have been exposed to sin - those deceitfully intense but alarmingly quickly fading pleasures of sin, indulgences of ourselves. Carried in the lifeblood of his soul, this stain is passed on to the next generation from him or his offspring. Before the fall, Adam accompanied God daily, walking and talking intimately. How? He was pure, unsoiled. But after eating of the fruit, he became stained, a rottenness eating away at him from within, and he could not interact intimately with God because of the stain upon his soul.- Romans 5.18
But God desired the company of man, of Adam and his descendants. Yet Adam's line was stained, his blood spoiled, and none who came from him would be worthy to know God in intimacy. So God, seeing the dilemma in his infinite wisdom, perceived a solution to the problem. If the original plan had been for man to receive his purity of spirit as an inheritance from his father (a purity Adam would have been able to pass on had he not taken the apple). All God needed was one man who would give his inheritance of purity to Man, and who would then take on Man's rotten blood line (for the impurities in Man's line were not those that could be disposed of, they were written upon the very spirit of man, and could only be removed by being written upon the spirit of an unstained line).
Thus was Christ brought forth. God knew there were none who could provide this for Man, so he (God) provided it himself in Christ. Into a rotted and despoiled world he came, purity in flesh. And he set aside his inheritance of purity, of intimacy with God, so that we might take it up. All we must do is set aside our stained and spoiled inheritance, to take up his perfected bloodline.
That is salvation, the taking up of Christ's inheritance, and the setting aside of our own.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Company for the Innocents
For our six month anniversary, my wife gave me a copy of "Praise Habit", by David Crowder (which I highly recommend, even though I've only gotten through a few chapters). Several chapters into the book, he starts going into Psalms, and he uses the New Living Translation. Today, as I was reading Psalms 1 in that translation, a phrase jumped out at me (I've emphasized it below by bolding the text).
What is an 'innocent'? Note that innocence is different than naiveté - that has to do more with knowledge and understanding. No, innocence has to do with purity. One could be naive about sex (not understanding or knowing about certain aspects of it), but to be 'innocent' when it comes to sex requires something completely different: not only a mind, but a spirit that approaches and thinks about sex in a pure way - God's way. "Is there actually anyone who is truly 'innocent'?" you may ask. I don't really know - I do know that children are largely innocent until this world scars and shapes them. But that's not the point of this exploration.
Bring it back to you and I - how would we affect an innocent person? After departing our presence, would their innocence still be intact, or would it have been attacked or threatened or scarred? And that begs the question - where is our innocence? Because in an exchange - a conversation, an encounter - both parties are affected by the character of the other. Can true innocence be maintained if one of the parties involved is not innocent? For us to be worthy of being in the presence of an innocent, then we ourselves must possess innocence.
The world assaults and mocks innocence, almost to the point of portraying it as weakness. With this daily attack on our innocence, where can we renew ourselves, renew our innocence? It's actually pretty easy. Look into the first few verses of Romans 12, where Paul instructs us to "renew our minds". How do we do that? The most simple of all things: Christ. He is the one that has a Holy Innocence, an innocence that cannot be changed. As we continually renew ourselves - wash ourselves - in his presence (through prayer, reading of the word, and praise and worship), our innocence is not only renewed, but it is maintained and even cultivated to new levels.
My challenge to you is this: could the psalmist have written this of you, that you were fit for the company of the innocent?
"Instead you thrill to God's word, you chew on Scripture day and night.That last little phrase just stuck out to me: "unfit company for innocent people." Here's the question: What would qualify someone as being unfit company for an innocent person? Obviously, the unfit individual would probably steal the persons innocence, or at least violate it. That definitely enters rapists, murderers, sadists, racists, etc. into the the "unfit" category. But what about you and me? Do we fit into the same category as those same rapists, murderers, sadists, racists, etc.? Probably not, but still the question remains, would the person - the man or woman that you and I are -violate the innocence of an innocent person?
You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
You're not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust -
Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people."
What is an 'innocent'? Note that innocence is different than naiveté - that has to do more with knowledge and understanding. No, innocence has to do with purity. One could be naive about sex (not understanding or knowing about certain aspects of it), but to be 'innocent' when it comes to sex requires something completely different: not only a mind, but a spirit that approaches and thinks about sex in a pure way - God's way. "Is there actually anyone who is truly 'innocent'?" you may ask. I don't really know - I do know that children are largely innocent until this world scars and shapes them. But that's not the point of this exploration.
Bring it back to you and I - how would we affect an innocent person? After departing our presence, would their innocence still be intact, or would it have been attacked or threatened or scarred? And that begs the question - where is our innocence? Because in an exchange - a conversation, an encounter - both parties are affected by the character of the other. Can true innocence be maintained if one of the parties involved is not innocent? For us to be worthy of being in the presence of an innocent, then we ourselves must possess innocence.
The world assaults and mocks innocence, almost to the point of portraying it as weakness. With this daily attack on our innocence, where can we renew ourselves, renew our innocence? It's actually pretty easy. Look into the first few verses of Romans 12, where Paul instructs us to "renew our minds". How do we do that? The most simple of all things: Christ. He is the one that has a Holy Innocence, an innocence that cannot be changed. As we continually renew ourselves - wash ourselves - in his presence (through prayer, reading of the word, and praise and worship), our innocence is not only renewed, but it is maintained and even cultivated to new levels.
My challenge to you is this: could the psalmist have written this of you, that you were fit for the company of the innocent?
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Suicidal dilemma
"...but it is better for you that I live. I am convinced of this, so I will continue with you so that you will grow and experience the joy of your faith." Philippians 1:24-25 (NLT)
What I've decided to call the "Suicidal dilemma" is the place where an individual weighs the benefits of death over life. Here, in Philippians, Paul is highlighting the fact that he actually longs for death, and the union that will bring him with Christ - but (and this is a big "but"!) the balancing thought for that is the benefit Paul's staying alive will have for those he influences and impacts.
Suicide, in and of itself, is very much selfish. I know there are chemical imbalances, and all kinds of different extenuating circumstances that make suicide seem a more appealing solution. But when you take a step back and analyze the mental statements you are making ("I'm too ashamed...", "I don't know how I can live with this...", and so on), they become very self-centric.
The Christian life, as evidenced by Paul's words here, is about others - you don't live for yourself, and thusly you don't die for yourself. In fact, when we accept Christ into our lives, He becomes the purpose of our existence. And one of the primary purposes of our Christian lives is to share our relationship with God with others.
Many people think they have nothing to contribute, that they do not bring anything special to those around them - but they're wrong. Paul recognized that he brought something to those around him that no one else could - and I also think he challenges us to find that which God has placed in us (and no one else!) to bring to those around us.
The 'Suicidal dilemma' is the weigh station at the end of the line, and most everyone stopping there is weighing only their problems with their lives - they never include the ones God has placed around them. Suicide is never a solution, and I wouldn't classify it as an escape either. Rather, let us call it theft, for it is stealing others of what God might bring to them through yourself.
What I've decided to call the "Suicidal dilemma" is the place where an individual weighs the benefits of death over life. Here, in Philippians, Paul is highlighting the fact that he actually longs for death, and the union that will bring him with Christ - but (and this is a big "but"!) the balancing thought for that is the benefit Paul's staying alive will have for those he influences and impacts.
Suicide, in and of itself, is very much selfish. I know there are chemical imbalances, and all kinds of different extenuating circumstances that make suicide seem a more appealing solution. But when you take a step back and analyze the mental statements you are making ("I'm too ashamed...", "I don't know how I can live with this...", and so on), they become very self-centric.
The Christian life, as evidenced by Paul's words here, is about others - you don't live for yourself, and thusly you don't die for yourself. In fact, when we accept Christ into our lives, He becomes the purpose of our existence. And one of the primary purposes of our Christian lives is to share our relationship with God with others.
Many people think they have nothing to contribute, that they do not bring anything special to those around them - but they're wrong. Paul recognized that he brought something to those around him that no one else could - and I also think he challenges us to find that which God has placed in us (and no one else!) to bring to those around us.
The 'Suicidal dilemma' is the weigh station at the end of the line, and most everyone stopping there is weighing only their problems with their lives - they never include the ones God has placed around them. Suicide is never a solution, and I wouldn't classify it as an escape either. Rather, let us call it theft, for it is stealing others of what God might bring to them through yourself.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Let us boast
"Let them boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who is just and righteous, whose love is unfailing, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!" - Jeremiah 29:24 (NLT)
God is just a little crazy - he wants us to be enamored with him, to be completely enthralled by who he is. How ludicrous is that?! It's almost like he thinks he's god or something...wait...but isn't he...?
Why is God so fixated on us being completely immersed in who he is? Think about it this way: if you're completely in love with someone, don't you want them to be completely in love with you? That's the thing about love - it has to be shared to be completely experienced.
So God wants us to boast about him? What's up with that? Didn't he give us great minds, incredible talents, and truly incredible abilities? Doesn't he want us to delight in them? Look in Isaiah 29:14b, "I will show that human wisdom is foolish and even the most brilliant people lack understanding." The world is full of "wisdom", you have scientific theories, mathmatical theories and principles, counselors and psychiatrists - and God enjoys showing that their "wisdom" and "knowledge" is really child's play to him. A shepherd becomes a king, a carpenter is our pure and spotless sacrificial lamb, and a murderous religious zealot can become his most vocal and influential teacher. The pharisees, saducess and priests thought they had God figured out, and then Jesus came along. Why doesn't God always play by the rules? But there's the problem, once we figure them out, we take them as ours, and they're not our rules at all - they're his. and he can do with them as he pleases.
God isn't concerned with our rules and our standards of who's the smartest and who understands and knows the most. No, what he cares about is loving us. He gives us our strength, our wisdom, and our riches so that he might delight in them. We boast in him - we find our identities and the reality of who we are in him - and he delights in us.
God is just a little crazy - he wants us to be enamored with him, to be completely enthralled by who he is. How ludicrous is that?! It's almost like he thinks he's god or something...wait...but isn't he...?
Why is God so fixated on us being completely immersed in who he is? Think about it this way: if you're completely in love with someone, don't you want them to be completely in love with you? That's the thing about love - it has to be shared to be completely experienced.
So God wants us to boast about him? What's up with that? Didn't he give us great minds, incredible talents, and truly incredible abilities? Doesn't he want us to delight in them? Look in Isaiah 29:14b, "I will show that human wisdom is foolish and even the most brilliant people lack understanding." The world is full of "wisdom", you have scientific theories, mathmatical theories and principles, counselors and psychiatrists - and God enjoys showing that their "wisdom" and "knowledge" is really child's play to him. A shepherd becomes a king, a carpenter is our pure and spotless sacrificial lamb, and a murderous religious zealot can become his most vocal and influential teacher. The pharisees, saducess and priests thought they had God figured out, and then Jesus came along. Why doesn't God always play by the rules? But there's the problem, once we figure them out, we take them as ours, and they're not our rules at all - they're his. and he can do with them as he pleases.
God isn't concerned with our rules and our standards of who's the smartest and who understands and knows the most. No, what he cares about is loving us. He gives us our strength, our wisdom, and our riches so that he might delight in them. We boast in him - we find our identities and the reality of who we are in him - and he delights in us.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Selfishness
I was talking with someone today, and the topic of "selfishness" came up. The back of my mind starting analyzing the selfish nature of man. What really popped out in my mind was the fact that, though selfishness is rooted deeply into the nature of man, when God created us, selfishness was balanced out and did not rule the thoughts of the original man and woman - originally.
We all know the story of the fall of man, how Adam and Eve ate of the apple and were thrown out of the Garden. It was after this that selfishness really began to take root in man's psyche. Why? I wonder if it's related to man's drive for self preservation. That drive isn't like a switch that God just flipped on when he was kicking Adam and Eve out of Eden. No, it was already present. But (and here's the key) it did work differently. I don't want to get into the theology of Eden, and try to pick apart what it was like there (hey, I'll just do that in another blog!), but I do want to point out that God placed within us all the desire to avoid pain and discomfort.
Self preservation, in it's truest state, is the assertion of a form of selfishness (you protect yourself because you find yourself more important than that which you're protecting yourself from). It's what keeps one from running into a burning building - yet there are those who do run into burning buildings. Firefighters have found within themselves the strength to deny their basic instinct of self-preservation because they choose to hold others as more important than themselves - the most basic tenent of selflessness.
I wonder if that's why Jesus told us to 'hate' our lives (Luke 14:26 KJV), because he wants to get to the root of the problem, for us to let go of our tendency towards self preservation.
Once we have let go of the importance of ourselves, we can finally see the importance of others.
We all know the story of the fall of man, how Adam and Eve ate of the apple and were thrown out of the Garden. It was after this that selfishness really began to take root in man's psyche. Why? I wonder if it's related to man's drive for self preservation. That drive isn't like a switch that God just flipped on when he was kicking Adam and Eve out of Eden. No, it was already present. But (and here's the key) it did work differently. I don't want to get into the theology of Eden, and try to pick apart what it was like there (hey, I'll just do that in another blog!), but I do want to point out that God placed within us all the desire to avoid pain and discomfort.
Self preservation, in it's truest state, is the assertion of a form of selfishness (you protect yourself because you find yourself more important than that which you're protecting yourself from). It's what keeps one from running into a burning building - yet there are those who do run into burning buildings. Firefighters have found within themselves the strength to deny their basic instinct of self-preservation because they choose to hold others as more important than themselves - the most basic tenent of selflessness.
I wonder if that's why Jesus told us to 'hate' our lives (Luke 14:26 KJV), because he wants to get to the root of the problem, for us to let go of our tendency towards self preservation.
Once we have let go of the importance of ourselves, we can finally see the importance of others.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Narrowing Destiny
Interesting term I thought up when I was driving around in my truck the other day: "Narrowing Destiny". The purpose is to describe what happens as we live and grow and mature and experience life - the potential of what we can become is increasingly limited by what we have experienced and the choices we have made. There's a phrase in the Star Wars series of movies which goes "...it is your destiny!" It's very dramatic and lots of people nod their heads with serious looks on their faces. In the christian circles there are those which believe in 'pre-destination' - a supposed fact that God has already decided who's going to heaven and hell and that we really can't change it. The cruelest part of it is that we seem to have no choice.
The big question for every child, and especially as they get out of High School, is what they will do with their life. At the point of graduating from High School, they have already made certain choices which will limit what they can become - at the graduation of college they have made even more choices limiting them. The individual that they can become has been limited because of their experiences and education, and their destiny (those things that they can accomplish within their lifetime) has also been limited.
Take two High School graduates who are interested in Web Design. We'll call the first Dave, and the second John. Dave, being very interested in web design, decides to study computers and emphasize his studies on web design in college. John, on the other hand, decides he wants to teach about computers. So let's say that both of them are "destined" to design a website after they graduate from college. Though there is nothing stopping either of them from designing websites, the website that Dave designs will be dynamically different than the one that John designs. Why? Is it just the schooling? No, it's the friends they made as they were learning, the priorities they learned as they studied, what their social activities exposed them to. Our experiences effect us in how we think, reason, and react.
Thus, their individual destinies are limited by where they've been, what they've learned, and how they experienced life. "Narrowing Destiny" is not a good or bad thing - it's just a fact of life.
The big question for every child, and especially as they get out of High School, is what they will do with their life. At the point of graduating from High School, they have already made certain choices which will limit what they can become - at the graduation of college they have made even more choices limiting them. The individual that they can become has been limited because of their experiences and education, and their destiny (those things that they can accomplish within their lifetime) has also been limited.
Take two High School graduates who are interested in Web Design. We'll call the first Dave, and the second John. Dave, being very interested in web design, decides to study computers and emphasize his studies on web design in college. John, on the other hand, decides he wants to teach about computers. So let's say that both of them are "destined" to design a website after they graduate from college. Though there is nothing stopping either of them from designing websites, the website that Dave designs will be dynamically different than the one that John designs. Why? Is it just the schooling? No, it's the friends they made as they were learning, the priorities they learned as they studied, what their social activities exposed them to. Our experiences effect us in how we think, reason, and react.
Thus, their individual destinies are limited by where they've been, what they've learned, and how they experienced life. "Narrowing Destiny" is not a good or bad thing - it's just a fact of life.
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