I could just as rightly title this "Shattering Complacency In Middle Class American Christianity" but, man, that title sounds so boring it nearly put me to sleep writing it.
I think God's shaking me up again.
Sure, I spew "you gotta be transformed, you gotta be transformed" but it's a continual thing too, not a one shot deal. I think I hit a plateau in my walk with the LORD, and while that makes for easy walking...it's not all about making things easy, is it?
Let's review though.
I'm a sinner. Through and through. All kinds of junk in my life, living for myself, selfish as can be, thinking I'm "good enough". Good enough for what I don't know, but not as bad as those drug dealers, murderers, and child molestors. Yeah, there's always someone worse you can compare yourself to when you want to think you're "good". Except for that one guy out of billions. Truth be told, there is all kinds of garbage in my past that I'm ashamed of, some of which I keep tucked away in the vaults of my memory, accessible to myself and God alone.
Thank God for grace.
He draws me in like a magnet. Flips my heart, my mind, my life around. I've got peace. I've got joy. I want to learn about him more and know about him more. Note that I said "about" him. We'll come back to that. I feed on the Word. I search solid sites on the net. I suck info out of my bro's brain. Thanks, David. Then I want more. Join a small group and study this. Go to the weekly Bible teaching and learn about that. Take some classes and get even more. All good stuff. All edifying. But I got lazy. No, I got complacent.
I had my checklist in order. Easy peasy plateau for me. What a leech. Time for a good shaking up.
Alright, I'll serve. I'll serve in this ministry and that one. And I'll do this other thing over here and maybe give over there and help out with this. Yes, that sounds good. I'm producing. I'm giving back from what I've been given. I'm doing my part to tell people big and small about Jesus. Again, all good stuff, but note again that I said "about". I'm still going to get to that.
Until this week I had my checklist in order again. Another easy peasy plateau. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.
I wanted to know about Jesus and tell about Jesus, but I have not wanted to be Jesus. I have not wanted, really, deep down, to give like Jesus, to serve like Jesus, to care like Jesus, to imitate Christ like his Word says to do. I don't know that I want to now. I'm more like the Pharisee giving out of his wealth than the old widow giving everything she had to live on and trusting recklessly in God. I don't make myself nothing for the sake of others so they may see Christ in me.
Like someone said in a book I read once upon a time -- it's not that we have a hard time understanding what God's Word says. We just have a hard time wanting to do what it says, so we complicate it to get around it. You know -- take up your cross, deny yourself, follow me, imitate Christ -- it's all pretty clear.
So I guess I'm getting sick of knowing about God and would rather know God. It's time to get away from falling in love with the idea of Jesus and just fall in love with Jesus, madly and deeply.
I don't know how to do that. But God's pretty big.
Thanks for reading. I pray you fall in love with Jesus. Selfishly even, so I can bug you about how that happened.
Showing posts with label Glorifying God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glorifying God. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, October 25, 2010
Solomon's Blessing
I was reading through 1 Kings and came across one of Solomon's public blessings. I love how much truth is jam packed into this little bit of time and wanted to share.
First, here it is altogether:
"Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers. And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time." - 1 Kings 8:56-61
Now let's break it down to see what Biblical truth Solomon echoes in his blessing, and see what we can apply in our own lives and petitions to God. I think a lot. Solomon was a pretty wise guy you know. Much wiser than me, so I bet I miss something.
1) "Praise be to the LORD,"
Always a good idea to start out with praise for God. Whatever good it was, guess what? We didn't do it. All him.
2) "who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses."
God always keeps his promises, period. If we think he hasn't kept a promise to us, it either wasn't a promise from God, or we didn't understand it.
3) "May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us."
An echo back to the time of Moses where he encouraged the people, telling them not to be afraid or discouraged, because God will never leave them. Nor will he leave us. If we're apart from God, we did something to cause it. Figure it out. Fix it. In my life the barrier has always been sin in my life, failure to stay in the Word, or failure to connect with God in prayer. Typically those all go together.
4) "May he turn our hearts to him,"
I love this. It doesn't say "may we turn our hearts toward him" because that isn't going to happen. His Spirit moves like the wind. In my experience, it wasn't me who decided to look into Jesus and follow him. No. It was him drawing me to himself little by little, until I came to believe the Bible was true and knew that Jesus was who he claimed to be -- the savior of the world. Only in recognition of my terrible condition and the impossibility of doing anything about it on my own could I really cry out to Jesus to save me. And he did! He pulled one of those inside-out, new-creation, new-heart deals on me. I don't regret it.
5) "to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers."
Duh. I don't know why people are so deaf to this sometimes. Even Jesus said it. "If you love me, obey my commandments." This is not a burden, but a blessing to us. If its a burden to us, we need to go back to #4 here -- if our hearts are turned totally toward God, how hard could #5 be? Jesus said "my yoke is easy and my burden light." Yeah, we all fall down. We all get convicted when we do. That's not the issue. When that happens, we repent, and we're restored. The issue is living in habitual willful sin versus living a godly life. That's not some monastery or priest thing -- that's just walking with the LORD every day. Keep our thoughts continually on him and we're golden.
6) "And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night,"
God hears all prayers!
7) "that he may uphold the cause of his servant"
And he's got our back!
8) "and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need,"
This so reminds me of the "Lord's prayer" because of its focus on daily needs. We don't just come to the LORD when we're in a pickle. Maybe we do, but we shouldn't. It's a daily thing. It's a dependence thing. Learning that dependence on God in all things is huge. It's a life long lesson too.
9) "so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other."
Oh, oh oh! Here's a kicker. This isn't about us just getting taken care of and looking all goody two shoes and stuff. This isn't just about get right with God and we're done. Israel was supposed to be a light to the world. Now we are supposed to be a light to the world. Little lights all over the place pointing people to Jesus Christ. Remember what Jesus said? "Do good works before men so they may tell you how awesome you are." No! "Do good works before me so they may glorify your father in heaven!" That whole glorifying God in all we do thing again!
10) "But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.
No lukewarm here. No half-in, half-out. No one foot in the world and one foot in God. Like the guy in the Fireproof movie said -- "You have to be all in." Weekly church seat filling doesn't cut it. Being a "cultural Christian" doesn't cut it. Checking religious things off the list doesn't cut it. This isn't about religion; this is about a relationship with God. He wants the best, not the rest.
I love these nuggets in the Word. Grace and Peace friends!
First, here it is altogether:
"Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers. And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time." - 1 Kings 8:56-61
Now let's break it down to see what Biblical truth Solomon echoes in his blessing, and see what we can apply in our own lives and petitions to God. I think a lot. Solomon was a pretty wise guy you know. Much wiser than me, so I bet I miss something.
1) "Praise be to the LORD,"
Always a good idea to start out with praise for God. Whatever good it was, guess what? We didn't do it. All him.
2) "who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses."
God always keeps his promises, period. If we think he hasn't kept a promise to us, it either wasn't a promise from God, or we didn't understand it.
3) "May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us."
An echo back to the time of Moses where he encouraged the people, telling them not to be afraid or discouraged, because God will never leave them. Nor will he leave us. If we're apart from God, we did something to cause it. Figure it out. Fix it. In my life the barrier has always been sin in my life, failure to stay in the Word, or failure to connect with God in prayer. Typically those all go together.
4) "May he turn our hearts to him,"
I love this. It doesn't say "may we turn our hearts toward him" because that isn't going to happen. His Spirit moves like the wind. In my experience, it wasn't me who decided to look into Jesus and follow him. No. It was him drawing me to himself little by little, until I came to believe the Bible was true and knew that Jesus was who he claimed to be -- the savior of the world. Only in recognition of my terrible condition and the impossibility of doing anything about it on my own could I really cry out to Jesus to save me. And he did! He pulled one of those inside-out, new-creation, new-heart deals on me. I don't regret it.
5) "to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers."
Duh. I don't know why people are so deaf to this sometimes. Even Jesus said it. "If you love me, obey my commandments." This is not a burden, but a blessing to us. If its a burden to us, we need to go back to #4 here -- if our hearts are turned totally toward God, how hard could #5 be? Jesus said "my yoke is easy and my burden light." Yeah, we all fall down. We all get convicted when we do. That's not the issue. When that happens, we repent, and we're restored. The issue is living in habitual willful sin versus living a godly life. That's not some monastery or priest thing -- that's just walking with the LORD every day. Keep our thoughts continually on him and we're golden.
6) "And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night,"
God hears all prayers!
7) "that he may uphold the cause of his servant"
And he's got our back!
8) "and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need,"
This so reminds me of the "Lord's prayer" because of its focus on daily needs. We don't just come to the LORD when we're in a pickle. Maybe we do, but we shouldn't. It's a daily thing. It's a dependence thing. Learning that dependence on God in all things is huge. It's a life long lesson too.
9) "so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other."
Oh, oh oh! Here's a kicker. This isn't about us just getting taken care of and looking all goody two shoes and stuff. This isn't just about get right with God and we're done. Israel was supposed to be a light to the world. Now we are supposed to be a light to the world. Little lights all over the place pointing people to Jesus Christ. Remember what Jesus said? "Do good works before men so they may tell you how awesome you are." No! "Do good works before me so they may glorify your father in heaven!" That whole glorifying God in all we do thing again!
10) "But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.
No lukewarm here. No half-in, half-out. No one foot in the world and one foot in God. Like the guy in the Fireproof movie said -- "You have to be all in." Weekly church seat filling doesn't cut it. Being a "cultural Christian" doesn't cut it. Checking religious things off the list doesn't cut it. This isn't about religion; this is about a relationship with God. He wants the best, not the rest.
I love these nuggets in the Word. Grace and Peace friends!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
What Does It Mean To Glorify God?
In response to the statement "we're here to glorify God" I have had it said to me that God is not vain. That is true -- and such a response comes from a misunderstanding of what it means to glorify God.
Let's clear it up a bit.
My own definition is "to make God look so awesome and so good like he really is". And the reason for it? Because he's the only one who deserves it!
He's the one who made the universe. He's the one who made people. He's the one who reached down into humanity to reveal himself to use through his creation, through his prophets, and ultimately through the person of Jesus Christ. He's the one who waits patiently for people to come to him. He's the one who changes hearts and minds and transforms lives. He's the one who brings peace and joy. And he's the only one that did and does these things!
How do we do that?
We can praise and worship him. Not because of some "religious" requirement. Not because that's what we're expected to do. Not because of anything other than a thankful and joyful heart for all that God has done for us! Our prayers, our songs, our messages -- they all mean nothing if our hearts are not right. We are to love God with all our hearts, and when we do, we can't help but lift up his name!
We can do good works. Jesus told us when he said to let our light shine before men -- so that people see them and praise our father in heaven. You don't do good works just to meet people's needs. YOu don't do good works just because it makes you feel good. You definitely don't do good works to make yourself look good. Nor do you do them with a bad attitude. No, you don't good works because you're a sign, a billboard, a pointer. You're a big fat blinking arrow that points people to God. Think about it, what good is filling someone's belly or fixing their house going to do if they remain spiritually dead? Worthless. When you go out there in the name of Jesus to do good things, people see it, know why you are doing it -- and that changes lives for all of eternity. That's freaking awesome.
That takes care of Sunday and our outreach times, right? Ding ding ding, wrong. Now what I'm about to write, I suck at too at times. I don't do it all the time either. I don't think anyone does. That's because we're a stiff necked sinful people. It happens. Pay attention to it and it keeps you humble before a holy God.
It's more.
It's our whole lives. Our entire lives should be an act of praise, worship, and pointing people to the awesome God that made us and loves us. Paul wrote that in everything we do, we should do for the glory of God. Really, everything? Drinking orange juice? Yup. John Piper even wrote about that. Check it out here:
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/how-to-drink-orange-juice-to-the-glory-of-god
Can we do that completely? Yes, if we're totally sold out to Jesus. I don't think any man is totally sold out to Jesus. Chuck Smith often has said something about wondering how God would use a man that is totally, 100%, committed to him. I wonder that myself.
Really, I can knowingly glorify God, even if not perfectly, when I help people in need. When I give. When I teach. When I encourage. When I share the Word. When I stand up for the truth. When I study the Word. When I sing (well, in my way) praises. When I impart spiritual knowledge to my children. Those fall in the box of some sort of "typical Christian life".
But I can also glorify God when I do the dishes because my wife hates doing them. When I eat my lunch with a thankful heart. When I go to the store to pick something up for someone else. When I take out the trash as a duty and stop to check for stuff other people could use in there. When I play with my kids and soak in the joy that brings. When I go to work and work hard to support my family and have money to give. Those are day to day things that can adorn the gospel and glorify God when done with a right heart and motivation.
In those examples from my own life, know that I've screwed up every single one of those by having the wrong motivation and a bad attitude. Praise God for the conviction the Holy Spirit brings when that happens!
Know also that I don't think about glorifying God in some of the things that I do. I don't think about it when I play basketball and even less when I play Halo. I'm thankful for those things. I enjoy them. I like the mentally untaxing down time. Am I glorifying God in them? Maybe, but I'd chalk those up more to being yet another one of a billion who are not 100% sold out. I just don't know sometimes.
Even so, we learn and we grow. We are convicted and we change. Getting cleaned up is a lifelong process that doesn't end this side of eternity. As I have heard said, "imperfect action is better than no action." And right action to glorify God with all of our lives starts with an understanding of what that means and why he deserves it.
Grace and Peace
Let's clear it up a bit.
My own definition is "to make God look so awesome and so good like he really is". And the reason for it? Because he's the only one who deserves it!
He's the one who made the universe. He's the one who made people. He's the one who reached down into humanity to reveal himself to use through his creation, through his prophets, and ultimately through the person of Jesus Christ. He's the one who waits patiently for people to come to him. He's the one who changes hearts and minds and transforms lives. He's the one who brings peace and joy. And he's the only one that did and does these things!
How do we do that?
We can praise and worship him. Not because of some "religious" requirement. Not because that's what we're expected to do. Not because of anything other than a thankful and joyful heart for all that God has done for us! Our prayers, our songs, our messages -- they all mean nothing if our hearts are not right. We are to love God with all our hearts, and when we do, we can't help but lift up his name!
We can do good works. Jesus told us when he said to let our light shine before men -- so that people see them and praise our father in heaven. You don't do good works just to meet people's needs. YOu don't do good works just because it makes you feel good. You definitely don't do good works to make yourself look good. Nor do you do them with a bad attitude. No, you don't good works because you're a sign, a billboard, a pointer. You're a big fat blinking arrow that points people to God. Think about it, what good is filling someone's belly or fixing their house going to do if they remain spiritually dead? Worthless. When you go out there in the name of Jesus to do good things, people see it, know why you are doing it -- and that changes lives for all of eternity. That's freaking awesome.
That takes care of Sunday and our outreach times, right? Ding ding ding, wrong. Now what I'm about to write, I suck at too at times. I don't do it all the time either. I don't think anyone does. That's because we're a stiff necked sinful people. It happens. Pay attention to it and it keeps you humble before a holy God.
It's more.
It's our whole lives. Our entire lives should be an act of praise, worship, and pointing people to the awesome God that made us and loves us. Paul wrote that in everything we do, we should do for the glory of God. Really, everything? Drinking orange juice? Yup. John Piper even wrote about that. Check it out here:
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/how-to-drink-orange-juice-to-the-glory-of-god
Can we do that completely? Yes, if we're totally sold out to Jesus. I don't think any man is totally sold out to Jesus. Chuck Smith often has said something about wondering how God would use a man that is totally, 100%, committed to him. I wonder that myself.
Really, I can knowingly glorify God, even if not perfectly, when I help people in need. When I give. When I teach. When I encourage. When I share the Word. When I stand up for the truth. When I study the Word. When I sing (well, in my way) praises. When I impart spiritual knowledge to my children. Those fall in the box of some sort of "typical Christian life".
But I can also glorify God when I do the dishes because my wife hates doing them. When I eat my lunch with a thankful heart. When I go to the store to pick something up for someone else. When I take out the trash as a duty and stop to check for stuff other people could use in there. When I play with my kids and soak in the joy that brings. When I go to work and work hard to support my family and have money to give. Those are day to day things that can adorn the gospel and glorify God when done with a right heart and motivation.
In those examples from my own life, know that I've screwed up every single one of those by having the wrong motivation and a bad attitude. Praise God for the conviction the Holy Spirit brings when that happens!
Know also that I don't think about glorifying God in some of the things that I do. I don't think about it when I play basketball and even less when I play Halo. I'm thankful for those things. I enjoy them. I like the mentally untaxing down time. Am I glorifying God in them? Maybe, but I'd chalk those up more to being yet another one of a billion who are not 100% sold out. I just don't know sometimes.
Even so, we learn and we grow. We are convicted and we change. Getting cleaned up is a lifelong process that doesn't end this side of eternity. As I have heard said, "imperfect action is better than no action." And right action to glorify God with all of our lives starts with an understanding of what that means and why he deserves it.
Grace and Peace
Monday, September 21, 2009
Meaning Of Life
Who are you going to listen to regarding what life is about?
How about the philosopher? The one that says there is no God and life is meaningless. If evolution were true, which it is not, life would be meaningless. The philosopher would be right. We would just be here because of random chance. We would have no absolute moral standard. We would have nothing to look forward to after death. All the things we do in this life would in the end amount to absolutely nothing. That would be very, very, depressing.
How about the entertainer? The one that says life is all about pleasure. This person could say there is no God (in which case I life would really have no purpose anyway) or there is a God, but he just wants us to have the most fun we can before we die. We would be like those cursed pirates in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie who, no matter how much they have, they are never satisfied. I know that feeling well.
How about the the psychologist? The one that says life is all about self discovery? I don't even know what to say about this one. Self discovery, or finding oneself, just sounds dumb, doesn't it? When you're the lost sheep you can't find yourself; the shepherd comes and finds you.
None of these sound very appealing. Not one bit. No man made explanation regarding the purpose of life is satisfactory.
I'll listen to what the Bible says about what life is about. In a nutshell, glorifying God and enjoying him forever. We do that by fearing him and obeying him. By keeping focused on eternity and not our short time on this earth. By desiring to know deeply know him more and more and come to him in prayer. By following his purpose for our lives.
But first we need to get right with God, and that only comes through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Grace and Peace
How about the philosopher? The one that says there is no God and life is meaningless. If evolution were true, which it is not, life would be meaningless. The philosopher would be right. We would just be here because of random chance. We would have no absolute moral standard. We would have nothing to look forward to after death. All the things we do in this life would in the end amount to absolutely nothing. That would be very, very, depressing.
How about the entertainer? The one that says life is all about pleasure. This person could say there is no God (in which case I life would really have no purpose anyway) or there is a God, but he just wants us to have the most fun we can before we die. We would be like those cursed pirates in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie who, no matter how much they have, they are never satisfied. I know that feeling well.
How about the the psychologist? The one that says life is all about self discovery? I don't even know what to say about this one. Self discovery, or finding oneself, just sounds dumb, doesn't it? When you're the lost sheep you can't find yourself; the shepherd comes and finds you.
None of these sound very appealing. Not one bit. No man made explanation regarding the purpose of life is satisfactory.
I'll listen to what the Bible says about what life is about. In a nutshell, glorifying God and enjoying him forever. We do that by fearing him and obeying him. By keeping focused on eternity and not our short time on this earth. By desiring to know deeply know him more and more and come to him in prayer. By following his purpose for our lives.
But first we need to get right with God, and that only comes through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Grace and Peace
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Serve God In All Things
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free." (Eph 6:5-9)
You know I've never really thought about these verse as much as I have today after listening to a message on them. It kind of gave me a different perspective on work. You see in my B.C. days I had once made a bit of an idol out of work. Not as much as some, but enough to call it such. That's the kind of thing that happens when one trusts in money and work brings in the money. Praise God for opening my eyes!
But after I came to Christ I had this totally opposite opinion about work. It was this necessary thing I had to do for now to feed my family. Don't get me wrong, I was still very grateful for the very good job I have, but I didn't see the work itself as all that important. I mean, really, what am I doing for the Lord in it? I'm not preaching. I'm not teaching the word of God. I'm not helping the sick, the poor, the lonely, etc. How does what I do serve God?
Then along comes Ephesians and knocks me in the head. Ouch.
But before I go on, one thing must be understood about that word "slaves". Slaves in Biblical times, specifically when Paul penned this letter, were not the same as what we normally think of. When I hear "slave" I think of slavery in the U.S. less than 200 years ago, and some may think of similar slavery in the U.K. Not so back in the day. In fact today's employer-employee relationship is a closer comparison than anything like recent slavery.
So what's Paul saying to us? Quite simply, to do the jobs we've been given and do them well. To be thankful we have them. To respect those above us and below us. And so on. To do everything as if we're serving God, not men.
That comes out of the idea that gets forgotten sometimes -- that all of life is sacred. There is no such thing as this sacred/secular divide where there are the "godly, churchy, things" and the "worldly things". The reformers sought to bring this understanding back to the people. In fact, that is exactly where the work ethic in western culture (that used to exist and is falling off the earth) has its roots. I forgot that sort of thing, and I divided the two in my head. But, no, everything is sacred. Every task we could possibly do, we can do as a service to God.
So know this. You are serving God wherever he placed you. Serving in one capacity is not more important than the other. There are those who are called to serve mainly within the confines of a church building doing "church" things (Bible teaching, preaching, etc), but really most Christians are called to serve outside those walls, even though we don't always want to.
Maybe a lot of us would like to go and hang out at the church or go on missions trips and serve that way, but really can't, but we should realize that we're all still serving. Many are called to be out among unbelievers in an unbelieving world. That's the mission field. That's where the darkness is. That's where the light of the world needs to shine and the salt of the earth needs to preserve. That's the focus we should have and the attitude we should have. I didn't pay much attention to that until today. Shame on me for that and for neglecting my duty far too often.
Now maybe, even knowing this truth, we are discontent with our place. Well, the Lord really may be calling us to move in a different direction. But for those of us that, like me, compartmentalized the sacred and the secular, maybe that discontent feeling is not justified. We must consider prayerfully which is the case. If it is the latter, then we need get back out there with a renewed sense of purpose and the knowledge that the Lord has put us exactly where he wants us to serve him. And the we need to serve him with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength!
Grace and Peace
You know I've never really thought about these verse as much as I have today after listening to a message on them. It kind of gave me a different perspective on work. You see in my B.C. days I had once made a bit of an idol out of work. Not as much as some, but enough to call it such. That's the kind of thing that happens when one trusts in money and work brings in the money. Praise God for opening my eyes!
But after I came to Christ I had this totally opposite opinion about work. It was this necessary thing I had to do for now to feed my family. Don't get me wrong, I was still very grateful for the very good job I have, but I didn't see the work itself as all that important. I mean, really, what am I doing for the Lord in it? I'm not preaching. I'm not teaching the word of God. I'm not helping the sick, the poor, the lonely, etc. How does what I do serve God?
Then along comes Ephesians and knocks me in the head. Ouch.
But before I go on, one thing must be understood about that word "slaves". Slaves in Biblical times, specifically when Paul penned this letter, were not the same as what we normally think of. When I hear "slave" I think of slavery in the U.S. less than 200 years ago, and some may think of similar slavery in the U.K. Not so back in the day. In fact today's employer-employee relationship is a closer comparison than anything like recent slavery.
So what's Paul saying to us? Quite simply, to do the jobs we've been given and do them well. To be thankful we have them. To respect those above us and below us. And so on. To do everything as if we're serving God, not men.
That comes out of the idea that gets forgotten sometimes -- that all of life is sacred. There is no such thing as this sacred/secular divide where there are the "godly, churchy, things" and the "worldly things". The reformers sought to bring this understanding back to the people. In fact, that is exactly where the work ethic in western culture (that used to exist and is falling off the earth) has its roots. I forgot that sort of thing, and I divided the two in my head. But, no, everything is sacred. Every task we could possibly do, we can do as a service to God.
So know this. You are serving God wherever he placed you. Serving in one capacity is not more important than the other. There are those who are called to serve mainly within the confines of a church building doing "church" things (Bible teaching, preaching, etc), but really most Christians are called to serve outside those walls, even though we don't always want to.
Maybe a lot of us would like to go and hang out at the church or go on missions trips and serve that way, but really can't, but we should realize that we're all still serving. Many are called to be out among unbelievers in an unbelieving world. That's the mission field. That's where the darkness is. That's where the light of the world needs to shine and the salt of the earth needs to preserve. That's the focus we should have and the attitude we should have. I didn't pay much attention to that until today. Shame on me for that and for neglecting my duty far too often.
Now maybe, even knowing this truth, we are discontent with our place. Well, the Lord really may be calling us to move in a different direction. But for those of us that, like me, compartmentalized the sacred and the secular, maybe that discontent feeling is not justified. We must consider prayerfully which is the case. If it is the latter, then we need get back out there with a renewed sense of purpose and the knowledge that the Lord has put us exactly where he wants us to serve him. And the we need to serve him with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength!
Grace and Peace
Saturday, August 8, 2009
There Is Nothing Secular
Brian said something that spoke to me in one of his archived talks as he was going through the Sermon on the Mount. "For the Christian there is nothing secular." Amen! May all Christians take that to heart and never forget it.
May we never forget that the whole world belongs to God.
May we never forget that we are working for Christ.
May we use everything in his service. Our "natural" abilities, our spiritual gifts, our resources, and our position in life. Because, really, its not ours anyway. Its all his.
May we remember that in every thing we do, at every place we go, with every person that we meet, at every time, there is an opportunity to serve our Lord in some way.
May we never be content to have God in our lives only for an hour on Sundays.
May we never be content to let "the church" do the service work, as if we were not part of the body of Christ ourselves.
May we never be content to shove prayer only into a 5 minute time slot every night and maybe now and again before we eat.
May we never be content to know the gist of God's Word without opening it up and studying it with a pure heart.
May we always love and serve the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, doing everything for his glory. If we do that, guess what? There's nothing left. There's nothing for another master. There's no separation of the "sacred" and the "secular". There's no putting God in a box.
Grace and Peace
May we never forget that the whole world belongs to God.
May we never forget that we are working for Christ.
May we use everything in his service. Our "natural" abilities, our spiritual gifts, our resources, and our position in life. Because, really, its not ours anyway. Its all his.
May we remember that in every thing we do, at every place we go, with every person that we meet, at every time, there is an opportunity to serve our Lord in some way.
May we never be content to have God in our lives only for an hour on Sundays.
May we never be content to let "the church" do the service work, as if we were not part of the body of Christ ourselves.
May we never be content to shove prayer only into a 5 minute time slot every night and maybe now and again before we eat.
May we never be content to know the gist of God's Word without opening it up and studying it with a pure heart.
May we always love and serve the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, doing everything for his glory. If we do that, guess what? There's nothing left. There's nothing for another master. There's no separation of the "sacred" and the "secular". There's no putting God in a box.
Grace and Peace
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Ranking Snares
That's an odd title for sure, but bear with me.
I think in my head I have had this notion that some snares are worse than others. For the record, I'm using the word snare here to mean "a lie that pulls us away from God". I.e. a "snare of the devil" as Paul might say.
Let's say there are these things I could find myself doing with all of my free time: A) drinking, gambling, and sleeping with prostitutes B) playing Scrabble and Mario Kart C) playing with my kids and D) protesting against some injustice in another country and trying to get some oppressed people more rights.
I think its a no-brainer that A isn't a "good" thing, but what about the rest of them? B seems kind of neutral -- just something to relax and take my mind off the troubles of the world. C and D seem "good" -- in the former I'd be showing my children love and in the latter I'd be doing something noble to help other people.
However, I think that ALL of these COULD be snares. It all depends on the motivation behind them, doesn't it?
I don't think A requires much explanation.
What about B, a "neutral" one? Am I obsessed with beating other people to show how good I am? Am I so addicted to these games that I don't feel "right" if I don't play them?
What about C, a "good" one? Is it really good? Am I making idols of my own children so that I ignore other relationships in my life, especially the most important one? Am I interested in only appearing to them or others as a good dad? Am I even bothering to tell them about God as we play together? Am I so jaded against the rest of the world that they are the only ones who bring me joy?
What about D, another "good" one? Is it really good? As I fight for social justice, am I bothering to spread the gospel as well? Or am I just trying to do the "social gospel" thing and not tell people about Jesus? What good is that going to do them in the end?
I think in all of these its possible to look for joy in the wrong place. I'm not saying its wrong to drink sometimes and gamble sometimes. I'm not saying we shouldn't take the time to relax and place games sometimes. I'm not saying we shouldn't play with our kids or find joy in them. I'm not saying we shouldn't try to stand up for the rights of others in this world.
However what I am saying is that we shouldn't make false gods of anything or anyone, even though it appears "neutral" or "good" by the world's standards. Just because it appears to be "good" on the surface doesn't mean its not getting between us and God.
After all, we're supposed to do everything to the glory of God. Given that, I ask this -- is it sinful to do something NOT for the glory of God? :-) If there was some tiny fragment of a thought in someone's mind that he could go through life and not sin, the answer to that question alone should shatter it!
On the same note, here's a great post on drinking orange juice to the glory of God (I find it funny I didn't realize it was by John Piper until just a second ago):
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1986/1489_How_To_Drink_Orange_Juice_to_the_Glory_of_God/
I think in my head I have had this notion that some snares are worse than others. For the record, I'm using the word snare here to mean "a lie that pulls us away from God". I.e. a "snare of the devil" as Paul might say.
Let's say there are these things I could find myself doing with all of my free time: A) drinking, gambling, and sleeping with prostitutes B) playing Scrabble and Mario Kart C) playing with my kids and D) protesting against some injustice in another country and trying to get some oppressed people more rights.
I think its a no-brainer that A isn't a "good" thing, but what about the rest of them? B seems kind of neutral -- just something to relax and take my mind off the troubles of the world. C and D seem "good" -- in the former I'd be showing my children love and in the latter I'd be doing something noble to help other people.
However, I think that ALL of these COULD be snares. It all depends on the motivation behind them, doesn't it?
I don't think A requires much explanation.
What about B, a "neutral" one? Am I obsessed with beating other people to show how good I am? Am I so addicted to these games that I don't feel "right" if I don't play them?
What about C, a "good" one? Is it really good? Am I making idols of my own children so that I ignore other relationships in my life, especially the most important one? Am I interested in only appearing to them or others as a good dad? Am I even bothering to tell them about God as we play together? Am I so jaded against the rest of the world that they are the only ones who bring me joy?
What about D, another "good" one? Is it really good? As I fight for social justice, am I bothering to spread the gospel as well? Or am I just trying to do the "social gospel" thing and not tell people about Jesus? What good is that going to do them in the end?
I think in all of these its possible to look for joy in the wrong place. I'm not saying its wrong to drink sometimes and gamble sometimes. I'm not saying we shouldn't take the time to relax and place games sometimes. I'm not saying we shouldn't play with our kids or find joy in them. I'm not saying we shouldn't try to stand up for the rights of others in this world.
However what I am saying is that we shouldn't make false gods of anything or anyone, even though it appears "neutral" or "good" by the world's standards. Just because it appears to be "good" on the surface doesn't mean its not getting between us and God.
After all, we're supposed to do everything to the glory of God. Given that, I ask this -- is it sinful to do something NOT for the glory of God? :-) If there was some tiny fragment of a thought in someone's mind that he could go through life and not sin, the answer to that question alone should shatter it!
On the same note, here's a great post on drinking orange juice to the glory of God (I find it funny I didn't realize it was by John Piper until just a second ago):
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1986/1489_How_To_Drink_Orange_Juice_to_the_Glory_of_God/
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Eternal Punishment
I think there are a lot of people these days who have a big problem with the concept of hell and eternal punishment, and don't talk about it, or the seriousness of sin. They choose to pick and choose a more palatable picture of God the Father and the gospel of Jesus Christ, ignoring these very important things.
Watering down or altering what the Word of God says can never be helpful in the end, so let's have a look at what's what.
First, let's talk about the purpose of man. Man was not created just to live out life and enjoy it for no good reason. Man was not created because God was bored or lonely. Man was created to glorify God. God could have created robot-people to glorify Him, or He could have created people with free choice to glorify Him. I think its a no-brainer that He did the latter. Would you feel more love from a robot that did nice things for you because it was programmed to do so, or from a human being that could choose not to do those nice things, but did them anyway? An act of love only has value if there is an option to choose not to do the act!
Second, let's talk about the nature of man. There is a habit of painting man as generally good. Yes, there are a lot of "good people" by the standards of men, but we are still all in the same boat by the standards of God. We are all sinners in His eyes, and without His grace, we rebel against Him and become slaves to sin. Even the good things we would do would be tainted by sin, because they would only be done for some man-centered motive. In short, on our own, we don't do our job to glorify God -- we take our free choice and make choices that glorify ourselves.
That might not seem right to some. Why did God create us but make us sinners? He didn't. He gives us the choice, and we screw it up. He gave Adam and Eve the first choice, and they screwed it up. Is it that hard to believe that sin has tainted us, and we by nature now will choose something against God? Do we actually have to teach our children to be greedy? To not share? To lie? To be ungrateful because of one little thing in the face of all the blessings they have? No, certainly not! They figure that out all on their own, and we (should) teach them the exact opposite.
Third, let's talk about the nature of God. There is a habit of painting God as this loving old guy with a white beard whose love for use overrides all his other attributes. Yes, God is merciful, God is kind, and God loves us; however, God is also holy and righteous, and He will not tolerate sin. He hates it. Wickedness makes God very angry, and there are limits to His patience and mercy.
That might not seem right to some. Why did God create us and then hate a lot of what we do? Is it really so hard to believe? He nearly destroyed the world once because of His hatred for sin. Why would he have a more lax attitude to it now? If He were to be so merciful that people could get to heaven by just by being "a good person" according to man's standards, even while still rejecting Him and not glorifying Him in any way, then Jesus Christ died for nothing.
In short, we have a job to do. We don't do it. Instead, we do what God hates. That makes God angry. Since He is a just God, He must punish us for it; however, since He is also a loving and merciful God, He offers us a way out of this terrible predicament through the atoning sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. If we repent and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we're good. Not just Savior. Lord and Savior.
Let's assume we reject the offer, since that gets us to the point of this post. Why should we expect eternal punishment? Well, given God is an eternal and infinite being, there can be nothing less. He is outside of time, and the sin He hates would be before Him for all eternity. To satisfy His holy justice, our punishment must also be for all eternity.
Now what if people have never heard about the offer? That depends. Are these people seeking God, or not? Jesus said that those who ask will receive and that those who seek will find. I trust that God is a perfect judge of all men, and I also trust that He is big enough to help out those who earnestly seek Him. Depending on the answer, the "what if" question here could prevent people from spreading the gospel message, or it could block people's spiritual growth because its a tough one to get past. Let's not let it do either for us personally, and leave these really difficult answers in God's hands.
You'd think that this eternal punishment thing would be a good deterrent, wouldn't you? Many don't believe it, so the idea is completely rejected or watered down. People can't really do that and still line up with what the Bible says. People can try, but then they're ignoring scripture and just picking and choosing what they like -- with no basis for it other than their own rationalization.
So in the end, don't reject the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, and don't water down the reality of hell or God's complete hatred for sin because its distasteful.
Watering down or altering what the Word of God says can never be helpful in the end, so let's have a look at what's what.
First, let's talk about the purpose of man. Man was not created just to live out life and enjoy it for no good reason. Man was not created because God was bored or lonely. Man was created to glorify God. God could have created robot-people to glorify Him, or He could have created people with free choice to glorify Him. I think its a no-brainer that He did the latter. Would you feel more love from a robot that did nice things for you because it was programmed to do so, or from a human being that could choose not to do those nice things, but did them anyway? An act of love only has value if there is an option to choose not to do the act!
Second, let's talk about the nature of man. There is a habit of painting man as generally good. Yes, there are a lot of "good people" by the standards of men, but we are still all in the same boat by the standards of God. We are all sinners in His eyes, and without His grace, we rebel against Him and become slaves to sin. Even the good things we would do would be tainted by sin, because they would only be done for some man-centered motive. In short, on our own, we don't do our job to glorify God -- we take our free choice and make choices that glorify ourselves.
That might not seem right to some. Why did God create us but make us sinners? He didn't. He gives us the choice, and we screw it up. He gave Adam and Eve the first choice, and they screwed it up. Is it that hard to believe that sin has tainted us, and we by nature now will choose something against God? Do we actually have to teach our children to be greedy? To not share? To lie? To be ungrateful because of one little thing in the face of all the blessings they have? No, certainly not! They figure that out all on their own, and we (should) teach them the exact opposite.
Third, let's talk about the nature of God. There is a habit of painting God as this loving old guy with a white beard whose love for use overrides all his other attributes. Yes, God is merciful, God is kind, and God loves us; however, God is also holy and righteous, and He will not tolerate sin. He hates it. Wickedness makes God very angry, and there are limits to His patience and mercy.
That might not seem right to some. Why did God create us and then hate a lot of what we do? Is it really so hard to believe? He nearly destroyed the world once because of His hatred for sin. Why would he have a more lax attitude to it now? If He were to be so merciful that people could get to heaven by just by being "a good person" according to man's standards, even while still rejecting Him and not glorifying Him in any way, then Jesus Christ died for nothing.
In short, we have a job to do. We don't do it. Instead, we do what God hates. That makes God angry. Since He is a just God, He must punish us for it; however, since He is also a loving and merciful God, He offers us a way out of this terrible predicament through the atoning sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. If we repent and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we're good. Not just Savior. Lord and Savior.
Let's assume we reject the offer, since that gets us to the point of this post. Why should we expect eternal punishment? Well, given God is an eternal and infinite being, there can be nothing less. He is outside of time, and the sin He hates would be before Him for all eternity. To satisfy His holy justice, our punishment must also be for all eternity.
Now what if people have never heard about the offer? That depends. Are these people seeking God, or not? Jesus said that those who ask will receive and that those who seek will find. I trust that God is a perfect judge of all men, and I also trust that He is big enough to help out those who earnestly seek Him. Depending on the answer, the "what if" question here could prevent people from spreading the gospel message, or it could block people's spiritual growth because its a tough one to get past. Let's not let it do either for us personally, and leave these really difficult answers in God's hands.
You'd think that this eternal punishment thing would be a good deterrent, wouldn't you? Many don't believe it, so the idea is completely rejected or watered down. People can't really do that and still line up with what the Bible says. People can try, but then they're ignoring scripture and just picking and choosing what they like -- with no basis for it other than their own rationalization.
So in the end, don't reject the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, and don't water down the reality of hell or God's complete hatred for sin because its distasteful.
Monday, October 13, 2008
4 Steps To Lasting Joy
First, Seek And Believe.
God gives us evidence of His existence:
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse
Jesus says we should seek the kingdom of God:
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Jesus says that if we seek, we will find:
Luk 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Luk 11:10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
We will also be rewarded for seeking:
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Next, Trust.
Jesus says we must trust Him:
Mar 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Luk 17:6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
Joh 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Next, Follow And Do.
Jesus says we must follow Him:
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Mar 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Luk 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
In Christ we are a new creation, for good works:
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Works come from trusting Jesus and following Him:
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Finally, Enjoy It.
Jesus says that His commandments, which we keep partially through the works we do, are so our joy may be full:
Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Now, we must not forget that none of this is because of anything we did.
No one seeks for God on their own:
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
It is God the Father who draws us to Jesus:
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Thus, we are saved by God's grace alone, not anything we do:
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Thank you!
So, thank you Father; thank you Jesus!
Thank you for the grace that you have given me that allows me to see that Jesus suffered and died for my sins and rose from the dead. Thank you for the grace you have given me that allows me to put my trust in you for everything, including guiding me through my life on earth, providing for me and my family, and, most importantly, my salvation. Thank you for the grace that replaced a slavery to sin with a desire to do good for your glory.
God gives us evidence of His existence:
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse
Jesus says we should seek the kingdom of God:
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Jesus says that if we seek, we will find:
Luk 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Luk 11:10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
We will also be rewarded for seeking:
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Next, Trust.
Jesus says we must trust Him:
Mar 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Luk 17:6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
Joh 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Next, Follow And Do.
Jesus says we must follow Him:
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Mar 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Luk 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
In Christ we are a new creation, for good works:
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Works come from trusting Jesus and following Him:
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Finally, Enjoy It.
Jesus says that His commandments, which we keep partially through the works we do, are so our joy may be full:
Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Now, we must not forget that none of this is because of anything we did.
No one seeks for God on their own:
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
It is God the Father who draws us to Jesus:
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Thus, we are saved by God's grace alone, not anything we do:
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Thank you!
So, thank you Father; thank you Jesus!
Thank you for the grace that you have given me that allows me to see that Jesus suffered and died for my sins and rose from the dead. Thank you for the grace you have given me that allows me to put my trust in you for everything, including guiding me through my life on earth, providing for me and my family, and, most importantly, my salvation. Thank you for the grace that replaced a slavery to sin with a desire to do good for your glory.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Christian Hedonism
A couple times when I was talking with David, the term "Christian Hedonism" (along with John Piper who coined the term) came up. I finally took a cursory look myself at the concept tonight.
John Piper's short and sweet summary is that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. That didn't help me a whole lot, but these did:
"Obeying God is the only route to final and lasting happiness."
"Don't do good deeds for worldly advantage; rather do them for spiritual, heavenly benefits."
That last one just summed up something that has been on my mind as of late, especially after watching one of Duncan's talks on storing up your treasure in heaven. I was wrestling lately with these two approaches to doing good deeds: 1) do good deeds solely to please God without thinking about any future heavenly reward or 2) do good deeds because you're seeking to build up your treasure in heaven. Piper answers this very clearly for me, showing that we are in fact commanded to do #2.
I have yet to read Piper's book (Desiring God) or explore the Bible verses he quotes myself, but this was just the answer to the big question running around in my head tonight -- yes it is definitely okay to seek opportunity to build up my treasure in heaven and find joy in it -- in fact, that's what we're supposed to do!
My big problem now is working on finding the joy more and more often, rather than taking a more duty-driven approach; I suspect it will be easier now. :-)
Here is the great article about Christian Hedonism is:
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/2006/1797_We_Want_You_to_Be_a_Christian_Hedonist/
John Piper's short and sweet summary is that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. That didn't help me a whole lot, but these did:
"Obeying God is the only route to final and lasting happiness."
"Don't do good deeds for worldly advantage; rather do them for spiritual, heavenly benefits."
That last one just summed up something that has been on my mind as of late, especially after watching one of Duncan's talks on storing up your treasure in heaven. I was wrestling lately with these two approaches to doing good deeds: 1) do good deeds solely to please God without thinking about any future heavenly reward or 2) do good deeds because you're seeking to build up your treasure in heaven. Piper answers this very clearly for me, showing that we are in fact commanded to do #2.
I have yet to read Piper's book (Desiring God) or explore the Bible verses he quotes myself, but this was just the answer to the big question running around in my head tonight -- yes it is definitely okay to seek opportunity to build up my treasure in heaven and find joy in it -- in fact, that's what we're supposed to do!
My big problem now is working on finding the joy more and more often, rather than taking a more duty-driven approach; I suspect it will be easier now. :-)
Here is the great article about Christian Hedonism is:
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/2006/1797_We_Want_You_to_Be_a_Christian_Hedonist/
Monday, September 15, 2008
Role Playing
I've been watching more of Duncan's series of videos going through Matthew, and its very good. One in particular that ties in with the message from Pastor Harry at CRB last weekend is called "Role-play or Relationship", found here:
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=4452205795069909664
The message from this weekend was about being sick of religion but hungry for God. I can testify to being sick of "religion" where I'm just going through the motions, doing what's expected, but not really engaging in it, believing it, or enjoying it. I can also testify to getting further and further from a relationship with God as I withdrew from "religion", thinking it was all the same empty junk. Lastly I can testify to how when I started to have a relationship with God, it changed my heart and my perspective. For me this really started to happen when I repented, accepted that Jesus Christ died in payment for my sins, was raised from the dead, and asked Him to take control of my life.
From the message notes: "You need an Abraham in your life because just going through the motions is never enough to satisfy the heart God put in you!"
And on the same note, the study Duncan went through focuses on the first part of Matthew 6, show various actions, their purpose, and the result. Doing good deeds in public so that others see you only glorifies yourself, and you get no reward from God. Telling people about the gifts you've given to look good in front of other people only glorifies yourself, and you get no reward from God. Praying in public to be noticed by other people only glorifies yourself, and you get no reward from God. And so on.
The point is to ask oneself why do I do things? Do I do them for God's glory or my own? Do I do things just to look like a good Christian to the world, or do I have a relationship with God and do things for HIS glory?
I think it was two weeks ago when Pastor Harry asked why he does a lot of the things he does...and promptly answered (paraphrased, as my memory doesn't function too well): "its not for YOU, its for HIM". May I never forget that in my own life.
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=4452205795069909664
The message from this weekend was about being sick of religion but hungry for God. I can testify to being sick of "religion" where I'm just going through the motions, doing what's expected, but not really engaging in it, believing it, or enjoying it. I can also testify to getting further and further from a relationship with God as I withdrew from "religion", thinking it was all the same empty junk. Lastly I can testify to how when I started to have a relationship with God, it changed my heart and my perspective. For me this really started to happen when I repented, accepted that Jesus Christ died in payment for my sins, was raised from the dead, and asked Him to take control of my life.
From the message notes: "You need an Abraham in your life because just going through the motions is never enough to satisfy the heart God put in you!"
And on the same note, the study Duncan went through focuses on the first part of Matthew 6, show various actions, their purpose, and the result. Doing good deeds in public so that others see you only glorifies yourself, and you get no reward from God. Telling people about the gifts you've given to look good in front of other people only glorifies yourself, and you get no reward from God. Praying in public to be noticed by other people only glorifies yourself, and you get no reward from God. And so on.
The point is to ask oneself why do I do things? Do I do them for God's glory or my own? Do I do things just to look like a good Christian to the world, or do I have a relationship with God and do things for HIS glory?
I think it was two weeks ago when Pastor Harry asked why he does a lot of the things he does...and promptly answered (paraphrased, as my memory doesn't function too well): "its not for YOU, its for HIM". May I never forget that in my own life.
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