Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Cor 5:17 KJV)
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16 KJV)
What do we most pride ourseleves on? How do we attempt to establish our identity? What do we think is special about ourselves?
These areas can be more harmful than we realise.
If we think there is even one thing in us that justifies the favour of God on our lives, we are deceived.
In Christ we need to surrender our entire identity. There is nothing we are to treasure and hold on to in our life. Our identity must be fluid in God's hands.
Other people will probably laugh, but I want to be thought of as reliably consistent, sincere, genuine, real, truthful. Those things are good, for sure. However, if I think they are part of me outside of the transformation of God, then I am in trouble. The virtues may seem to be there, but they will be shallow, clumsy imitations of the beautiful real thing in Christ. Enough pressure of circumstance and they will evapourate.
Peter imagined himself to be unchangeably courageous. Jesus could see that he would have to be shown otherwise. This was for Peter a breaking of his natural self-belief. This is one thing that must happen if we are to realise the power of the cross in our lives.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: (Rom 7:18a KJV)
The Corinthians verse tells us that we are new in all things. Not just the ones which we can see desperately need change.
If we see the need, the grace will be there to put on the new.
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Facilitative Layer
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Eph 2:8 KJV)
We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 KJV)
I like big words, even though my wife is always telling me to avoid them. Blogs provide an excellent opportunity to show off one's vocabulary. So what do I mean by the title 'facilitative layer?' I mean 'empowering foundation'. Is that clearer??
What I want to get across is that Christianity, correctly understood, is more about enabling us than it is about making demands on us. We will always require God as our source, and God wants people who know it and are happy to acknowledge it. Our inflated sense of pride and originality must die.
We cannot invent ourselves. God already decided who we are. We cannot first love. We must first be loved. We cannot first forgive. We must be forgiven. We cannot first bless. We must first be blessed.
In other words, we need the supernatural reality of God to break in to our natural lives with blessing, enabling and power. Christianity as dead precepts apart from the power and reality of the living God is misleading, disappointing and empty, if not quite totally useless.
The disciples were first instructed to wait and receive. We need to get this basic level of dependancy sorted out within us. We need to be children properly before we can really grow up, indeed before we will really want to grow up, rather than just look grown up. We need to expect, and to allow, God to lavish good things on us. If we ask for an egg, we will not get a scorpion.
We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 KJV)
I like big words, even though my wife is always telling me to avoid them. Blogs provide an excellent opportunity to show off one's vocabulary. So what do I mean by the title 'facilitative layer?' I mean 'empowering foundation'. Is that clearer??
What I want to get across is that Christianity, correctly understood, is more about enabling us than it is about making demands on us. We will always require God as our source, and God wants people who know it and are happy to acknowledge it. Our inflated sense of pride and originality must die.
We cannot invent ourselves. God already decided who we are. We cannot first love. We must first be loved. We cannot first forgive. We must be forgiven. We cannot first bless. We must first be blessed.
In other words, we need the supernatural reality of God to break in to our natural lives with blessing, enabling and power. Christianity as dead precepts apart from the power and reality of the living God is misleading, disappointing and empty, if not quite totally useless.
The disciples were first instructed to wait and receive. We need to get this basic level of dependancy sorted out within us. We need to be children properly before we can really grow up, indeed before we will really want to grow up, rather than just look grown up. We need to expect, and to allow, God to lavish good things on us. If we ask for an egg, we will not get a scorpion.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The Real Focus.
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20 KJV)
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:2 KJV)
An optical lens has a 'prime focus'. It is generally the place where something viewed is portrayed most clearly.
The prime focus of God is to know, love and enjoy us, and us Him, forever. This is from the Westminster Catechism, an influential historic staement of faith.
Jesus rightly placed the prime focus on the positive. The disciples were excited about the fact that demons submitted to them. Jesus told them to be most conscious rather of the fact that they had eternal life with him and the Father.
The aim of ministry is firstly mediation and reconcilaition between God and man.
The verse from Hebrews shows us that Jesus did not die primarily to prove something, but for 'joy set before him'. What was the joy? It was not firstly to be seated at the right hand of the Father, for he came from heaven anyway. No, it was firstly for the joy of intimate fellowship with us! The forgiveness of sins is wonderful and wonderful to experience. But the aim, the focus, the purpose of the cross is so God can justly fellowship with us!
Isn't it exciting that the God of the universe, the God of all wonder and mystery, loves us so much that he went to these lengths to know us, father us, and befriend us. So why should we worry about provision, whether physical or emotional?
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Rom 8:32 KJV)
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:2 KJV)
An optical lens has a 'prime focus'. It is generally the place where something viewed is portrayed most clearly.
The prime focus of God is to know, love and enjoy us, and us Him, forever. This is from the Westminster Catechism, an influential historic staement of faith.
Jesus rightly placed the prime focus on the positive. The disciples were excited about the fact that demons submitted to them. Jesus told them to be most conscious rather of the fact that they had eternal life with him and the Father.
The aim of ministry is firstly mediation and reconcilaition between God and man.
The verse from Hebrews shows us that Jesus did not die primarily to prove something, but for 'joy set before him'. What was the joy? It was not firstly to be seated at the right hand of the Father, for he came from heaven anyway. No, it was firstly for the joy of intimate fellowship with us! The forgiveness of sins is wonderful and wonderful to experience. But the aim, the focus, the purpose of the cross is so God can justly fellowship with us!
Isn't it exciting that the God of the universe, the God of all wonder and mystery, loves us so much that he went to these lengths to know us, father us, and befriend us. So why should we worry about provision, whether physical or emotional?
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Rom 8:32 KJV)
Monday, March 28, 2011
Less can be More
But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Tim 6:6 KJV)
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: (2 Pet 1:3 KJV)
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (Phil 4:11 KJV)
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. (Psa 16:6 KJV)
The phrase 'less can be more' has been used in various scenarios, and there is truth in it. A painting, a manufactured item, or a piece of music, can be too cluttered for optimum effect. Some things are best left out. A recipe can be the same, or decor.
The same is true in God. We can get greedy, but less can be more. In God, what He gives will be enough. In fact, it will be the optimum, the best. The Devil may tantalise you with excellence and options galore. The things themselves, in context, are good. But they are not your portion. They may give a very brief response of pleasure, but they will not make you lastingly happy and joyful.
God will not generally lead us to meet our greed. It takes from what is meant for others and it does not even do us any good.
If we fail to gain fulfilment in God in an area, we will likely try to compensate by being greedy in another. We may, to use a pertinent example for Westerners, try to compensate for emotional and relational poverty by being overly lavish with material things. God is not against the things themselves. Indeed Judas accused Mary, and by implication, Jesus, of being unnecessarily extravagant. But there is a time and a place for most things. Pointless ongoing extravagance, the shopaholic syndrome, is a sign of an inner void.
Contentment is largely a matter of the emotions. If we cannot abide in a state of contentment, it may be we need to seek the Lord for healing of our emotions; throwing off bitterness, resentment, deceit, guile, idolatry. We will always be much happier for it.
Another thing; sometimes we can enjoy aspects of something legitimately, without insisting on tasting the whole. It is OK to enjoy the aroma of a meal in a restaurant when you are just having coffee without feeling compelled to order it then and there. It is OK to admire a beautiful woman without lusting after her. Indeed, to truly live, we must abstain from lusts.
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:14-17 KJV)
Lusts try to compel. They allure. They promise. But they deceive; they offer very temporary pleasure and they poison, bruise and kill. They spoil our appetites and appreciation of what God is seeking to bless us with. It is God alone who can give us pure and undefiled pleasure.It is God alone who can really satisfy and delight us. When tempted, we must resist the Devil trusting that God has a better way, better pleasures, ongoing fulfilment, and a way out of the temptation which is viable for us. Some things will always be wrong for us, some will be right only on occasion. God is not totally rigid, but the Spirit will always lead us in love and often in moderation.
Most importantly, every truly good and complete thing is freely given to you by the Father who delights in you. Whether emotionally, intellectually, with the senses, physically, or in any combination of these things, God always leads us into complete satisfaction and contentment.
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: (2 Pet 1:3 KJV)
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (Phil 4:11 KJV)
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. (Psa 16:6 KJV)
The phrase 'less can be more' has been used in various scenarios, and there is truth in it. A painting, a manufactured item, or a piece of music, can be too cluttered for optimum effect. Some things are best left out. A recipe can be the same, or decor.
The same is true in God. We can get greedy, but less can be more. In God, what He gives will be enough. In fact, it will be the optimum, the best. The Devil may tantalise you with excellence and options galore. The things themselves, in context, are good. But they are not your portion. They may give a very brief response of pleasure, but they will not make you lastingly happy and joyful.
God will not generally lead us to meet our greed. It takes from what is meant for others and it does not even do us any good.
If we fail to gain fulfilment in God in an area, we will likely try to compensate by being greedy in another. We may, to use a pertinent example for Westerners, try to compensate for emotional and relational poverty by being overly lavish with material things. God is not against the things themselves. Indeed Judas accused Mary, and by implication, Jesus, of being unnecessarily extravagant. But there is a time and a place for most things. Pointless ongoing extravagance, the shopaholic syndrome, is a sign of an inner void.
Contentment is largely a matter of the emotions. If we cannot abide in a state of contentment, it may be we need to seek the Lord for healing of our emotions; throwing off bitterness, resentment, deceit, guile, idolatry. We will always be much happier for it.
Another thing; sometimes we can enjoy aspects of something legitimately, without insisting on tasting the whole. It is OK to enjoy the aroma of a meal in a restaurant when you are just having coffee without feeling compelled to order it then and there. It is OK to admire a beautiful woman without lusting after her. Indeed, to truly live, we must abstain from lusts.
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:14-17 KJV)
Lusts try to compel. They allure. They promise. But they deceive; they offer very temporary pleasure and they poison, bruise and kill. They spoil our appetites and appreciation of what God is seeking to bless us with. It is God alone who can give us pure and undefiled pleasure.It is God alone who can really satisfy and delight us. When tempted, we must resist the Devil trusting that God has a better way, better pleasures, ongoing fulfilment, and a way out of the temptation which is viable for us. Some things will always be wrong for us, some will be right only on occasion. God is not totally rigid, but the Spirit will always lead us in love and often in moderation.
Most importantly, every truly good and complete thing is freely given to you by the Father who delights in you. Whether emotionally, intellectually, with the senses, physically, or in any combination of these things, God always leads us into complete satisfaction and contentment.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Life performs Law
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Rom 8:4 KJV)
The life of the Spirit within will fulfil the righteous requirements of the Law. The issue is not the Law. The Law is good, righteous. The issue is how we fulfil the Law. God's way is to commune with Him, blend our hearts with His, be nurtured by His grace, enjoy His Fatherhood.
The life of God is inherently, intrinsically, completely good. Anything else is not. It is only a sham. God is looking for His own life within us.
When James asks us to look at our lives, he mentions virtues garnered form the Law, see James Ch 2. Favouritism, judging and bearing grudges and lack of compassion and justice are all condemned by the Law, see Lev 19 esp. v15,18. There are many similarities between James Ch2 and Lev Ch19, similarities in the types of behaviour commended in each book.
Leviticus Ch 19 is from the Pentateuch, the OT books of the Law. James, of course, is from the NT, the Covenant of Faith.
God is not a God of lawlessness. The NT condemns lawlesness. Sharing in the life of God, the life of the Spirit, results in the righteous requirements of the Law being fulfilled. It is not that we strive to keep the Law. What we need to do is pursue intimacy with God. If we do, the righteous requirements of the Law will be fulfilled in us with ever increasing fidelity to the heart of God.
James is not revoking righteousness by faith or suggesting an alternative. He is asking us to realistically assess whether our faith, our fellowship with God, is alive and well. If it is, it will be bearing fruit. Our lives will be fulfilling the righteous requirements of the Law.
James is turning Romans 8v4 back on itself. If your faith is real and you are indeed walking in the Spirit, you will be seeing the righteous requirements of the Law met in your life.
If you are not, don't strive to keep the Law to earn God's favour and life. Come to Him and seek Him for answers, and for more of His life. Confess your sins and shortcomings to Him. Receive forgiveness. Ask Him for what you need. Agree with him that you need help to produce the fruit He desires in your life.
The life of the Spirit within will fulfil the righteous requirements of the Law. The issue is not the Law. The Law is good, righteous. The issue is how we fulfil the Law. God's way is to commune with Him, blend our hearts with His, be nurtured by His grace, enjoy His Fatherhood.
The life of God is inherently, intrinsically, completely good. Anything else is not. It is only a sham. God is looking for His own life within us.
When James asks us to look at our lives, he mentions virtues garnered form the Law, see James Ch 2. Favouritism, judging and bearing grudges and lack of compassion and justice are all condemned by the Law, see Lev 19 esp. v15,18. There are many similarities between James Ch2 and Lev Ch19, similarities in the types of behaviour commended in each book.
Leviticus Ch 19 is from the Pentateuch, the OT books of the Law. James, of course, is from the NT, the Covenant of Faith.
God is not a God of lawlessness. The NT condemns lawlesness. Sharing in the life of God, the life of the Spirit, results in the righteous requirements of the Law being fulfilled. It is not that we strive to keep the Law. What we need to do is pursue intimacy with God. If we do, the righteous requirements of the Law will be fulfilled in us with ever increasing fidelity to the heart of God.
James is not revoking righteousness by faith or suggesting an alternative. He is asking us to realistically assess whether our faith, our fellowship with God, is alive and well. If it is, it will be bearing fruit. Our lives will be fulfilling the righteous requirements of the Law.
James is turning Romans 8v4 back on itself. If your faith is real and you are indeed walking in the Spirit, you will be seeing the righteous requirements of the Law met in your life.
If you are not, don't strive to keep the Law to earn God's favour and life. Come to Him and seek Him for answers, and for more of His life. Confess your sins and shortcomings to Him. Receive forgiveness. Ask Him for what you need. Agree with him that you need help to produce the fruit He desires in your life.
In Spirit and In Truth
Western man seems to have a remarkable ability to dissociate the rational analytical mind from the actual practice of his life; to deceive himself about his true spirituality.
Our godliness must be in deed and power, in lives and resources and treasures laid down, in real sacrifices made for the Kingdom. Otherwise our professed faith means little. It is dead, of the intellect only. A rich man can make nominal sacrifices which may look impressive, but which are not really very sacrificial and costly to the heart. In the modern age, with money and technology, he can make a 'christian' impact. It may be a clanging gong if it does not come from the depth of the spirit, from communion with the Spirit. It is possible to be born again and just live from ourselves, from a heart not rent before God. We will beget Ishmaels. We may be an obstacle and hindrance to those walking more genuinely before God. What we need is consecration, yieldedness, not resources. The resources will follow the yierldedness. They must, God has promised they will.
Our godliness must be in deed and power, in lives and resources and treasures laid down, in real sacrifices made for the Kingdom. Otherwise our professed faith means little. It is dead, of the intellect only. A rich man can make nominal sacrifices which may look impressive, but which are not really very sacrificial and costly to the heart. In the modern age, with money and technology, he can make a 'christian' impact. It may be a clanging gong if it does not come from the depth of the spirit, from communion with the Spirit. It is possible to be born again and just live from ourselves, from a heart not rent before God. We will beget Ishmaels. We may be an obstacle and hindrance to those walking more genuinely before God. What we need is consecration, yieldedness, not resources. The resources will follow the yierldedness. They must, God has promised they will.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Knowing One Another after the Spirit
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Cor 5:16-17 KJV)
Are we looking for Christ in one another? It is easy to find fault, to be disappointed in ourselves and others. Let us look firstly for Christ in one another. Christ will bring out the flavour of each of us! See Matt 5v13.
Let's pray that the new man comes forth in one another.
We have a new identity in Christ. We have a new name. We are the only people on Earth with a truly solid sense of identity if we learn to abide in Christ.
There is a general aspect to our new identity; those things from Scripture which apply to us all. There is also a specifric revelation of our new nature; those things which are specific to us. We need to know who we are, what we are for. Prophecy will help you, ask God for it. God will give us a revelation, because He alone knows who we really are. The world will have distorted our character to some degree or other, God knows the intended shape.
Again, we must lose our life to gain it; surrender, yield, put on the new man. The Holy Spirit will guide us.
Everyone has a distinct and special character in Christ, we are not clones. We will all be righteous though.
Are we looking for Christ in one another? It is easy to find fault, to be disappointed in ourselves and others. Let us look firstly for Christ in one another. Christ will bring out the flavour of each of us! See Matt 5v13.
Let's pray that the new man comes forth in one another.
We have a new identity in Christ. We have a new name. We are the only people on Earth with a truly solid sense of identity if we learn to abide in Christ.
There is a general aspect to our new identity; those things from Scripture which apply to us all. There is also a specifric revelation of our new nature; those things which are specific to us. We need to know who we are, what we are for. Prophecy will help you, ask God for it. God will give us a revelation, because He alone knows who we really are. The world will have distorted our character to some degree or other, God knows the intended shape.
Again, we must lose our life to gain it; surrender, yield, put on the new man. The Holy Spirit will guide us.
Everyone has a distinct and special character in Christ, we are not clones. We will all be righteous though.
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