This is one of those passages that people struggle with. How could a loving God ask Abraham to do something as horrible as sacrificing his only son? Isn't human sacrifice detestable to God? What is going on here? I believe that God is sending a powerful two-part message to Abraham and all of humanity through this intense experience. The first message is one of allegiance - who or what are you committed to? We see clearly that God holds Abraham's allegiance. Without argument, after God tells Abe to go and sacrifice his son, he packs up and leaves to complete the task. He straps his son to the makeshift altar and raises the knife to slaughter him. Abraham totally and completely trusts God. He has seen God move so powerfully, so often in his life that he knows that God is greater even than death. Abraham holds nothing back from God and completely trust that God knows what He is doing. How about you? Where does you allegiance lie? Are you willing to trust God with everything in your life? Do you believe that God is in control of everything...even death? It seems like so many of us refuse to fully trust God. We say we trust God, but we always hold something back. We say we trust God...but when something heartbreaking happens - when we lose a loved one, lose a friend, things don't go "our" way - we blame God. Scripture teaches us that God is faithful...that God is just...that God is working all things for the good of all people. Pledge your allegiance to God above anything else and you will be blessed as Abraham was.
The second message is one of love...God wants to lay the groundwork for us to understand the depth of His love for us. Did you see all the similarities between Isaac's experience and the crucifixion of Jesus. Isaac is Abraham's one and only son (By Sarah anyway). An innocent son is condemned to die. The wood that he would be killed on was laid on his back for Isaac to carry. Abraham says, "God will provide the lamb for a burnt offering (Which He does through Jesus eventually)." The similarities end when Abraham is about to kill his one and only son, because God stops him. All of the readers of this story are relieved because we cannot even fathom the depth of sorrow that would coming from killing your own son. Yet that is exactly what God has done for us. He did not stop the hand of the killers of Jesus. He allowed created human beings to kill their own Creator. He felt the sorrow of losing a son. Felt the separation from a integral part of Himself for the first time in eternity. He knows what it is to suffer. He knows what it is to hurt. He was willing to go through all of that so that He could offer forgiveness to selfish people who did not deserve it. That is love!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Genesis 18:22-33
This passage brings up some really interesting questions. Is Abraham more insightful than God? Is Abraham more gracious and concerned about the righteous than God is? Is Abraham's plan better than God's? This passage has the first biblical recording of a discussion between a man and God, where it seems that the man changes God's mind (There are other occasions where this happens later in the Bible - Ex. Moses convincing God not to destroy the idolatrous Hebrew people). These are always difficult passages for readers to understand, because it seems like a flawed, finite human being corrects the one and only perfect and Holy God. How are we supposed to interpret that? If God can be wrong in this situation...if God doesn't know what's best and gets talked out of a course of action by a provably flawed person...how do we know that God's will is always best?
Well, you have to start from the beginning. You have to start from what you know about God, not from what you think you know about God from this one discussion with Abraham. What do we know about God? We know that God is love - I John 4:8. We know that God is just and without flaw - Deut. 32:4. We know that God is holy - Lev. 19:2. We know that God is perfect - Psalm 18:30. These are things we know about God according to scripture (And these are just some of the countless examples of verses that speak to God's perfect nature). So if we start from this place - a place where we understand that God is perfect, just, holy and loving - we know that Abraham could not have been correcting God. God was not wrong in the judgment He eventually poured out on Sodom. The perfect God of love and justice decided that the most loving and just thing He could do for all of creation was to remove Sodom from the earth. That is the truth...that is a fact!
Then why did God allow Abraham to question Him and even concede a point to Abraham in agreeing to save the town in 10 righteous people were found? Because God is love. He knows that Abraham cannot see the big picture (Just like you and I often cannot). He knows that Abraham is confused by his limited human perspective and cannot understand how this decision by God is actually a reflection of His perfect and loving nature. God knows that death is not the end (Because He is in charge of how the "end" is gonna play out). God knows that the few righteous who might happen to be in Sodom would be justified in eternity. God knows that both the righteous and wicked will all face stand before God at judgement, and has chosen to bring judgement day to them sooner rather than later for the sake of all of humanity. The destruction of Sodom is actually an act of merciful love as God looks at the big picture. Yet because God loves Abraham and understands his lack of knowledge, He postpones the destruction to accommodate Abraham's shortsightedness. This story actually just shows us another perspective on God's love and reminds me that God cares about His people. Take heart in that!
Well, you have to start from the beginning. You have to start from what you know about God, not from what you think you know about God from this one discussion with Abraham. What do we know about God? We know that God is love - I John 4:8. We know that God is just and without flaw - Deut. 32:4. We know that God is holy - Lev. 19:2. We know that God is perfect - Psalm 18:30. These are things we know about God according to scripture (And these are just some of the countless examples of verses that speak to God's perfect nature). So if we start from this place - a place where we understand that God is perfect, just, holy and loving - we know that Abraham could not have been correcting God. God was not wrong in the judgment He eventually poured out on Sodom. The perfect God of love and justice decided that the most loving and just thing He could do for all of creation was to remove Sodom from the earth. That is the truth...that is a fact!
Then why did God allow Abraham to question Him and even concede a point to Abraham in agreeing to save the town in 10 righteous people were found? Because God is love. He knows that Abraham cannot see the big picture (Just like you and I often cannot). He knows that Abraham is confused by his limited human perspective and cannot understand how this decision by God is actually a reflection of His perfect and loving nature. God knows that death is not the end (Because He is in charge of how the "end" is gonna play out). God knows that the few righteous who might happen to be in Sodom would be justified in eternity. God knows that both the righteous and wicked will all face stand before God at judgement, and has chosen to bring judgement day to them sooner rather than later for the sake of all of humanity. The destruction of Sodom is actually an act of merciful love as God looks at the big picture. Yet because God loves Abraham and understands his lack of knowledge, He postpones the destruction to accommodate Abraham's shortsightedness. This story actually just shows us another perspective on God's love and reminds me that God cares about His people. Take heart in that!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Genesis Chapter 12
12:1-3 - This is the covenant that started it all...the beginning of the Israelite nation - a chosen people, a priest nation, a light to the world...from this foundation would come the Savior of the world - God made flesh - Jesus. Did you notice how the covenant starts out? Go! God calls Abram into action. He calls him into leaving everything that Abram knows...the place where he feels safe...to go out into the wilds...to start a nation when Abram and Sarai have never even been able to have any children. God is going to do all the work...God will be ever faithful...but He demands that Abram move...He demands that he go...He demands that He trust in His Creator. As Christians we are people under a different covenant...we are under a covenant bought by the blood of Jesus Christ - God Himself. He paid the price for our failure. He took away our shame. He made a personal relationship with God possible for us once again. And our end of this covenant is very similar to Abram's...Go! And make disciples. Trust that God's way is better. Offer your bodies as living sacrifices. Abram trusted God and without a word...he went. If we trust in Jesus Christ and the power of his sacrifice...we will go too. We will leave the "safety" and "comfort" of our little self-focused worlds and MOVE. We will act. We will trust. We will love. We will be true disciples of Jesus Christ.
12:10-20 - Thank you Abram...seriously, thank you. I hope this doesn't sound terrible, but from time to time I need confirmation that I am not the only screw up in the world. Just before this, Abram leaves everything he knows to blindly wander into the desert because he trusts God. That is incredible...it is an amazing picture of faith...I want to have faith like that! Yet, a short while later he is heading into Egypt and he decides to forget all about trusting God and take matters into his own hands. He lies and gets his wife to lie...he takes advantage of Pharaoh financially ...his choices lead to his wife being apparently becoming one of Pharaoh's concubines...he royally screws up! Abram, who will become Abraham...the Father of the Jewish nation...the man revered in the Old and New Testaments because of his faith...he had moments where his faith was lacking. And I am sorry for that, but I also need to know that. I need to have the hope that this story brings. God continues to work even through our failure. God continues to love us, even when our actions show that our faith is lacking. I need to be reminded from time to time that God's faithfulness never fails...even when mine does.
12:10-20 - Thank you Abram...seriously, thank you. I hope this doesn't sound terrible, but from time to time I need confirmation that I am not the only screw up in the world. Just before this, Abram leaves everything he knows to blindly wander into the desert because he trusts God. That is incredible...it is an amazing picture of faith...I want to have faith like that! Yet, a short while later he is heading into Egypt and he decides to forget all about trusting God and take matters into his own hands. He lies and gets his wife to lie...he takes advantage of Pharaoh financially ...his choices lead to his wife being apparently becoming one of Pharaoh's concubines...he royally screws up! Abram, who will become Abraham...the Father of the Jewish nation...the man revered in the Old and New Testaments because of his faith...he had moments where his faith was lacking. And I am sorry for that, but I also need to know that. I need to have the hope that this story brings. God continues to work even through our failure. God continues to love us, even when our actions show that our faith is lacking. I need to be reminded from time to time that God's faithfulness never fails...even when mine does.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Genesis 11:1-9
I preached on Sunday and talked about the humorous nature of Genesis 11:5 - "And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower. which the children of man had built." Why is this funny? Because the people were building a tower to the heavens, right? They were putting themselves on equal ground with God...making themselves "gods" through their hard work. Now I realize that is more heartbreakingly sad than funny...but the hilarious part is how the ancient author describes God's interaction with the tower. He has to go DOWN from the dimension He exists in to get a good look at the tower. This so-called "Tower to the Heavens" is so insignificant...so pathetic...so far below the majesty of God, that He has to come down to get a good look at it. It's funny. Imagine God getting down on His hands and knees like a child looking at ants in the grass and saying, "Oh, that's a cute little tower to the heavens!" LOL!
Why is this important for us to understand? Because we need to take some time to think about the things that we give all our time and effort to. We need to think about the things that worry us...the things that bother us...the things we pour endless amounts of resources into. Do they really matter? Are we making a bigger deal out of them then we need to? Do you worry too much about how you look...what you wear...what you accomplish...what you own...who you know...how much you are liked? Because those things are just tiny little towers when viewed from an eternal perspective. What matters is loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. What matters is loving others as much as we love ourselves (And that's saying something isn't it!?). What matters is living our lives as if we actually believe that "Jesus is Lord." If Jesus is Lord, all the things we worship and get caught up in and obsess over and freak out about matter less and less. If Jesus is Lord, than I am not. If Jesus is Lord, than my worth is not tied up in what I accomplish or what other people think of me. If Jesus is Lord, than nothing can destroy my faith...my hope...my love...my freedom. Let go of the tiny towers you are holding onto and cling to the huge God who loves you!
Why is this important for us to understand? Because we need to take some time to think about the things that we give all our time and effort to. We need to think about the things that worry us...the things that bother us...the things we pour endless amounts of resources into. Do they really matter? Are we making a bigger deal out of them then we need to? Do you worry too much about how you look...what you wear...what you accomplish...what you own...who you know...how much you are liked? Because those things are just tiny little towers when viewed from an eternal perspective. What matters is loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. What matters is loving others as much as we love ourselves (And that's saying something isn't it!?). What matters is living our lives as if we actually believe that "Jesus is Lord." If Jesus is Lord, all the things we worship and get caught up in and obsess over and freak out about matter less and less. If Jesus is Lord, than I am not. If Jesus is Lord, than my worth is not tied up in what I accomplish or what other people think of me. If Jesus is Lord, than nothing can destroy my faith...my hope...my love...my freedom. Let go of the tiny towers you are holding onto and cling to the huge God who loves you!
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Genesis Chapter 7
A few thoughts on the Noah flood narrative...
7:5 - How would you like that to be said about your life? "And (Your name here) did everything the Lord had commanded of him (or her)." What a legacy...what a way to be known by the people around you! This is such a simple verse...such a simple way to live your life that Noah models for us. God tells Noah that the whole earth is going to be flooded. Tells him to build a huge boat (Do people even know what boats are at this point?). Tells him to pile wild animals on this thing and get ready for the entire earth to flood like a giant washing machine cleaning off all the vile sinfulness that exists. (Genesis 6:5 tells us that every single thought of the people on earth at this point was corrupt - every moment they were thinking only of ways to serve themselves and please themselves.) And how does Noah respond to these insane sounding instructions...he immediately does everything that the Lord commanded him to do. So many times it seems like the things that God is calling us to do are impossible. Bless those who curse you? It seems like the people God is calling us to be are crazy. Love your enemies? But if we have the courage to follow in the footsteps of Noah...the faith to trust that God knows what He is doing...the wisdom to believe that God's way is better - we will see God at work boldly in our lives just like Noah did. I need to stop making excuses for myself and live out the life God is calling me to live. How about you?
That was the challenging part - now on to the fun sidebar discussion...
7:11 - I like the term the English Standard Version of the Bible uses, "The windows of heaven were opened...". I think maybe there were different types of cloud layers at this point in earth's history. Maybe the clouds were insanely low and thick so that the entire earth was like a greenhouse...enabling the people to live hundreds and hundreds of years.You will notice that after the flood, the ages of people start to drastically decline. Maybe God caused the greenhouse clouds to collapse causing the flood and He didn't put them back the way they were? What do you think?
7:5 - How would you like that to be said about your life? "And (Your name here) did everything the Lord had commanded of him (or her)." What a legacy...what a way to be known by the people around you! This is such a simple verse...such a simple way to live your life that Noah models for us. God tells Noah that the whole earth is going to be flooded. Tells him to build a huge boat (Do people even know what boats are at this point?). Tells him to pile wild animals on this thing and get ready for the entire earth to flood like a giant washing machine cleaning off all the vile sinfulness that exists. (Genesis 6:5 tells us that every single thought of the people on earth at this point was corrupt - every moment they were thinking only of ways to serve themselves and please themselves.) And how does Noah respond to these insane sounding instructions...he immediately does everything that the Lord commanded him to do. So many times it seems like the things that God is calling us to do are impossible. Bless those who curse you? It seems like the people God is calling us to be are crazy. Love your enemies? But if we have the courage to follow in the footsteps of Noah...the faith to trust that God knows what He is doing...the wisdom to believe that God's way is better - we will see God at work boldly in our lives just like Noah did. I need to stop making excuses for myself and live out the life God is calling me to live. How about you?
That was the challenging part - now on to the fun sidebar discussion...
7:11 - I like the term the English Standard Version of the Bible uses, "The windows of heaven were opened...". I think maybe there were different types of cloud layers at this point in earth's history. Maybe the clouds were insanely low and thick so that the entire earth was like a greenhouse...enabling the people to live hundreds and hundreds of years.You will notice that after the flood, the ages of people start to drastically decline. Maybe God caused the greenhouse clouds to collapse causing the flood and He didn't put them back the way they were? What do you think?
Monday, June 3, 2013
Genesis Chapter 3
Verse 4 - In my sermon this week, I focused on the Tower of Babel and we talked about how the invention of the brick made people believe that they could "be like gods." In Genesis chapter 3, we see that human beings have always been fallen for the same line. Whether it is whispered in our ear by the Deceiver or springing from the selfishness within ourselves...we give into the temptation of wanting to be like God. And the sentiment is understandable - God is awesome! God is perfection. God is holy. We want to be like God because He is everything we are not - there is no weakness within Him...there is no flaw within Him...He is God. But the reality is...the truth is...the thing that we have to get into our thick skulls is...we are not God. We are not gods. We are never going to be gods. We are human beings, and you know what? There are some amazing things about that too. God Himself blessed us by creating mankind in His image. He gave us life. He infused us with His creativity. He made us for community. We are truly blessed...but we are not God. When we stop obsessing over how to become gods...we will be able to find satisfaction in who we really are...children of God who are passionately loved by God.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Romans 12:9-13...part one
For the blog today, I am going to share how I worked through the passage in Lectio Divina style.
Read - I start out by quietly sitting in my office chair and trying to "still" my mind. I like to turn on my fan because the ambient noise drowns out the other office noise around me. I close my eyes and focus on emptying my mind. Today there are thoughts about what I need to do later bouncing around in my head, and I mentally chase them down and get rid of them. "I will deal with you later," I say to each thing that pops into my mind, "This is my time with God." When there are particularly annoying things that keep coming into mind, I start to say the name of "Jesus" over and over...I call on the help of God and ask Him to fill my mind so that nothing else can intrude. Once I get to a place of peace and quiet internally, I slowly read through the passage out loud a few times. It is actually more difficult for me to read out loud and still comprehend the passage, so I also read through it silently a few times. There is one phrase from the passage that I cannot get out of my head. Each time I read through it, "Be devoted to one another in love" jumps off the page at me. I know that God really wants me to hear these words today.
Meditate - Because I will be contemplating this passage all week, instead of meditating on the entire passage, I spend time meditating on the simple phrase that jumped out at me before - "Be devoted to one another in love." I think about this very short verse from every angle that I can. What does it mean to be devoted? It means - committed, faithful, loyal, dedicated. What does it mean to devote yourself to something? It means that you are willing to sacrifice other things so that you can focus on the one thing that you are going to devote yourself to. To devote yourself to another person is to make sacrifices to ensure that the relationships grows in a healthy way. What does "one another" mean? Specifically in this passage I believe it means fellow Christians. Paul is not just saying that we can commit ourselves to our spouses (We should be doing that anyway!) or people who are just like us - we are supposed to be committed to fellow Christians. I spend some time thinking about whether or not I live a life devoted to fellow Christians. I think that I often devote myself to the work of ministry, but not necessarily other Christians. That doesn't sit well with me. What is love? The Greek word for love used in this passage is the world "philadelphia," which means brotherly love. This is a love that Christians should have for one another. This is a love that causes us to live our lives like Christ. This is a servant love. This is a sacrificial love. Love is about commitment and not affection. It is about dedication and not about warm fuzzy feelings. This is a love that says, I am going to put your needs ahead of my own.
Pray - After meditating on the passage, I spend some time in prayer. I pray that God will really drive the message of this passage into my heart and out through my life. I pray that I will be a better and more dedicated friend. I pray for the strength to open up to people outside of my family and to love more deeply. I also spend some time praying for the rest of the day, but I will not list those prayers here.
Contemplate - To close out the Lectio Divina, I once again sit quietly. I ask God to take everything I have read/thought about this morning and give me a direct challenge. I want to become more Christ-like on a daily basis, and to do so I must be in-tune with what God is calling me to be. I need to listen for His voice...focus on the way He is moving and shaping my heart. I ask Him to meet me and to speak to me, and His truth comes through with great clarity...
I have got to be a better friend. I fill my life with so much ministry work...so many extracurricular family activities...so much "veg" time in front of some sort of technological device...that I am not devoted myself to my Christian brothers as I should (I'll leave the devoting to Christian sisters to my wife...it's less awkward that way!). There are so many times when I have been unwilling to make sacrifices in my life, so that I could pour into another person's life. My comfort...my laziness...my whatever...get in the way and keep me from being a Christ-like friend. God is calling me to truly care about what is going on in the lives of my friends. To truly care, I have to spend time with them. To truly care, I have to listen...really listen, not just wait for my turn to talk about my stuff. I have to care more about what is going on in their lives, then what is going on in my life...and that is so hard for me. God is calling me once again to be a living sacrifice. To sacrifice my time, my selfishness, my comfort...so that I can be a true friend.
Read - I start out by quietly sitting in my office chair and trying to "still" my mind. I like to turn on my fan because the ambient noise drowns out the other office noise around me. I close my eyes and focus on emptying my mind. Today there are thoughts about what I need to do later bouncing around in my head, and I mentally chase them down and get rid of them. "I will deal with you later," I say to each thing that pops into my mind, "This is my time with God." When there are particularly annoying things that keep coming into mind, I start to say the name of "Jesus" over and over...I call on the help of God and ask Him to fill my mind so that nothing else can intrude. Once I get to a place of peace and quiet internally, I slowly read through the passage out loud a few times. It is actually more difficult for me to read out loud and still comprehend the passage, so I also read through it silently a few times. There is one phrase from the passage that I cannot get out of my head. Each time I read through it, "Be devoted to one another in love" jumps off the page at me. I know that God really wants me to hear these words today.
Meditate - Because I will be contemplating this passage all week, instead of meditating on the entire passage, I spend time meditating on the simple phrase that jumped out at me before - "Be devoted to one another in love." I think about this very short verse from every angle that I can. What does it mean to be devoted? It means - committed, faithful, loyal, dedicated. What does it mean to devote yourself to something? It means that you are willing to sacrifice other things so that you can focus on the one thing that you are going to devote yourself to. To devote yourself to another person is to make sacrifices to ensure that the relationships grows in a healthy way. What does "one another" mean? Specifically in this passage I believe it means fellow Christians. Paul is not just saying that we can commit ourselves to our spouses (We should be doing that anyway!) or people who are just like us - we are supposed to be committed to fellow Christians. I spend some time thinking about whether or not I live a life devoted to fellow Christians. I think that I often devote myself to the work of ministry, but not necessarily other Christians. That doesn't sit well with me. What is love? The Greek word for love used in this passage is the world "philadelphia," which means brotherly love. This is a love that Christians should have for one another. This is a love that causes us to live our lives like Christ. This is a servant love. This is a sacrificial love. Love is about commitment and not affection. It is about dedication and not about warm fuzzy feelings. This is a love that says, I am going to put your needs ahead of my own.
Pray - After meditating on the passage, I spend some time in prayer. I pray that God will really drive the message of this passage into my heart and out through my life. I pray that I will be a better and more dedicated friend. I pray for the strength to open up to people outside of my family and to love more deeply. I also spend some time praying for the rest of the day, but I will not list those prayers here.
Contemplate - To close out the Lectio Divina, I once again sit quietly. I ask God to take everything I have read/thought about this morning and give me a direct challenge. I want to become more Christ-like on a daily basis, and to do so I must be in-tune with what God is calling me to be. I need to listen for His voice...focus on the way He is moving and shaping my heart. I ask Him to meet me and to speak to me, and His truth comes through with great clarity...
I have got to be a better friend. I fill my life with so much ministry work...so many extracurricular family activities...so much "veg" time in front of some sort of technological device...that I am not devoted myself to my Christian brothers as I should (I'll leave the devoting to Christian sisters to my wife...it's less awkward that way!). There are so many times when I have been unwilling to make sacrifices in my life, so that I could pour into another person's life. My comfort...my laziness...my whatever...get in the way and keep me from being a Christ-like friend. God is calling me to truly care about what is going on in the lives of my friends. To truly care, I have to spend time with them. To truly care, I have to listen...really listen, not just wait for my turn to talk about my stuff. I have to care more about what is going on in their lives, then what is going on in my life...and that is so hard for me. God is calling me once again to be a living sacrifice. To sacrifice my time, my selfishness, my comfort...so that I can be a true friend.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Romans 12:3-8...Part One
Verse 3...
Why does Paul say that it is because of the grace given to him that he is going to speak to his audience? Well first of all, what is grace? In my mind it is undeserved forgiveness and love. Grace was shown to us by Jesus dying on the cross. He paid the price for our sins...he took away our shame...we did nothing to save ourselves. That is incredible grace. So why does "grace" enable Paul to speak tough words of warning ("Don't think too highly of yourself")? He wants the people reading his letter to know that he is coming from a place of grace...he is addressing them with love not judgment. His warning about not being arrogant is born from love, with the best interest of his audience at heart. Paul is saying, "Hey, I know what it is to be forgiven...I know what it is to be showered in the mercy of God. Because of that, I want you to know that I am speaking to you as one flawed person to another. And as one screw up to another, here is what you need to hear - don't be a self-absorbed idiot. People obsessed with themselves deny their need for God's grace and refuse to use their gifts to serve the kingdom of God." (Brandon paraphrase, obviously) In healthy Christian community, followers of Jesus should be able to speak hard truth to one another in love. They should be able to say tough things from a place of mercy, and they should be able to hear tough things graciously. Is that what your community looks like?
We should be able to look at our own lives with a sober judgment that is born from our faith? What does that mean? What does that look like? Well, first of all, it is a judgement that grows out of faith - so what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us very clearly, "Faith is being sure of what you hope for an certain of what you do not see." Faith is having certainty in God...it is understanding that this world is not our home - this is not our end goal. Faith is understanding what really matters. So how does faith drive sober judgment of ourselves? When you have a foundation of true faith, you can look at your life honestly. Faith helps to remove the defensive pride that often blinds us to the flaws within our own character. Sober judgment that comes from faith makes it so that you don't have to be right...you don't have to be selfish...you can be honest about who you are and where you fit in the workings of the Body of Christ. Why? Because your faith in God has showed you who you are - you are not in a constant competition to be better than everyone else...to prove your worth...because you know what you are worth to God. Faith offers us the freedom to look honestly at ourselves and to see what needs work and to understand how deeply we need God's mercy. When you look at life through the eyes of faith, you can ask other people for help...you can celebrate other peoples' victories...everything is not a competition - you can function in community! It is a beautiful thing.
Why does Paul say that it is because of the grace given to him that he is going to speak to his audience? Well first of all, what is grace? In my mind it is undeserved forgiveness and love. Grace was shown to us by Jesus dying on the cross. He paid the price for our sins...he took away our shame...we did nothing to save ourselves. That is incredible grace. So why does "grace" enable Paul to speak tough words of warning ("Don't think too highly of yourself")? He wants the people reading his letter to know that he is coming from a place of grace...he is addressing them with love not judgment. His warning about not being arrogant is born from love, with the best interest of his audience at heart. Paul is saying, "Hey, I know what it is to be forgiven...I know what it is to be showered in the mercy of God. Because of that, I want you to know that I am speaking to you as one flawed person to another. And as one screw up to another, here is what you need to hear - don't be a self-absorbed idiot. People obsessed with themselves deny their need for God's grace and refuse to use their gifts to serve the kingdom of God." (Brandon paraphrase, obviously) In healthy Christian community, followers of Jesus should be able to speak hard truth to one another in love. They should be able to say tough things from a place of mercy, and they should be able to hear tough things graciously. Is that what your community looks like?
We should be able to look at our own lives with a sober judgment that is born from our faith? What does that mean? What does that look like? Well, first of all, it is a judgement that grows out of faith - so what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us very clearly, "Faith is being sure of what you hope for an certain of what you do not see." Faith is having certainty in God...it is understanding that this world is not our home - this is not our end goal. Faith is understanding what really matters. So how does faith drive sober judgment of ourselves? When you have a foundation of true faith, you can look at your life honestly. Faith helps to remove the defensive pride that often blinds us to the flaws within our own character. Sober judgment that comes from faith makes it so that you don't have to be right...you don't have to be selfish...you can be honest about who you are and where you fit in the workings of the Body of Christ. Why? Because your faith in God has showed you who you are - you are not in a constant competition to be better than everyone else...to prove your worth...because you know what you are worth to God. Faith offers us the freedom to look honestly at ourselves and to see what needs work and to understand how deeply we need God's mercy. When you look at life through the eyes of faith, you can ask other people for help...you can celebrate other peoples' victories...everything is not a competition - you can function in community! It is a beautiful thing.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Romans 12:1-2...Day Four
"Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will..."
I got an e-mail from a friend the other day, who had just read through Romans 12:1-2, asking, "Does this mean that God needs our approval? That doesn't sound right." There is a good reason that doesn't sound right...it isn't right! I think we can all agree that God does not need the approval of mankind. So what is this verse talking about?
Let's review what we have been talking about all week...
- When you experience God's mercy truly, it changes you
- This mercy drives people to lay down their own life to live fully for God
- Living sacrifices refuse to buy into the lies of the world and allow themselves to be shaped by God's love
- When you live like this, you are walking in God's will
But what about all that testing and approving of God's will stuff? Well, when you are walking in God's will...experiencing His will...seeing His will for your life...you WILL approve of it. It is that plain and simple. God does not need your approval. In fact, this verse does not say that we will "give our approval"...it simply says, "You will approve." That is the only response possible when you really experience what it is like to walk in God's will. Approval is the only option because God's will is good...God's will is pleasing...God's will is perfect. Those are the facts about what God's will is, so it is understandable that when human beings come in contact with it they respond with approval. There is no other possible response, because His will is flawless.
God's will is right. We were made to be in God's will...God's will is our home...it is where we belong and we will know when we get there.
I got an e-mail from a friend the other day, who had just read through Romans 12:1-2, asking, "Does this mean that God needs our approval? That doesn't sound right." There is a good reason that doesn't sound right...it isn't right! I think we can all agree that God does not need the approval of mankind. So what is this verse talking about?
Let's review what we have been talking about all week...
- When you experience God's mercy truly, it changes you
- This mercy drives people to lay down their own life to live fully for God
- Living sacrifices refuse to buy into the lies of the world and allow themselves to be shaped by God's love
- When you live like this, you are walking in God's will
But what about all that testing and approving of God's will stuff? Well, when you are walking in God's will...experiencing His will...seeing His will for your life...you WILL approve of it. It is that plain and simple. God does not need your approval. In fact, this verse does not say that we will "give our approval"...it simply says, "You will approve." That is the only response possible when you really experience what it is like to walk in God's will. Approval is the only option because God's will is good...God's will is pleasing...God's will is perfect. Those are the facts about what God's will is, so it is understandable that when human beings come in contact with it they respond with approval. There is no other possible response, because His will is flawless.
God's will is right. We were made to be in God's will...God's will is our home...it is where we belong and we will know when we get there.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Romans 12:1-2...Day Three
"Do not conform."
"But be transformed."
6 very powerful words...6 words that have really been challenging me this week. Here are some of the thoughts that came from my time in contemplation today - I would love to read some of your thoughts on this passage as well...
It all goes back to God's mercy. God's mercy is undeserved...it is amazing...it is awe-inspiring...it is transformational. To think that we loved like the Bible describes by the Creator of all things is overwhelming to say the least.
When we come in contact with that incredible mercy, we cannot help but offer ourselves as living sacrifices. It is the only suitable response. What else can we give...what else can we do before such love and mercy? We offer ourselves. We become living sacrifices. This is not a one time deal, it is a continual process of sacrificing my way for His way - because the incredible depth and value of His way demands it.
Being a living sacrifice means that you do not conform to the world. Why? Because conforming is all about self-worship...not God worship. Conforming is denying who God created you to be by trying to become something that the lies of this world have convinced you will make you happy...will satisfy you...will fulfill your deepest desires. Conforming is the opposite of sacrifice...conforming is selfishness. Conforming is saying, "God you don't know what you are doing. You don't know what is best for my life. Becoming just like everyone else is what I need to be happy." That is conformity and it is a one way ticket to empty brokenness, yet we all find a way of spending time on that train!
Living sacrifices allow themselves to be transformed by the loving mercy of God. They allow God's love to fill them...to show them the truth about who they are. The lies of the world absolutely shatter when they come in contact with the solidity of God's grace. Have you let that grace fill you and shape you and direct you?
"But be transformed."
6 very powerful words...6 words that have really been challenging me this week. Here are some of the thoughts that came from my time in contemplation today - I would love to read some of your thoughts on this passage as well...
It all goes back to God's mercy. God's mercy is undeserved...it is amazing...it is awe-inspiring...it is transformational. To think that we loved like the Bible describes by the Creator of all things is overwhelming to say the least.
When we come in contact with that incredible mercy, we cannot help but offer ourselves as living sacrifices. It is the only suitable response. What else can we give...what else can we do before such love and mercy? We offer ourselves. We become living sacrifices. This is not a one time deal, it is a continual process of sacrificing my way for His way - because the incredible depth and value of His way demands it.
Being a living sacrifice means that you do not conform to the world. Why? Because conforming is all about self-worship...not God worship. Conforming is denying who God created you to be by trying to become something that the lies of this world have convinced you will make you happy...will satisfy you...will fulfill your deepest desires. Conforming is the opposite of sacrifice...conforming is selfishness. Conforming is saying, "God you don't know what you are doing. You don't know what is best for my life. Becoming just like everyone else is what I need to be happy." That is conformity and it is a one way ticket to empty brokenness, yet we all find a way of spending time on that train!
Living sacrifices allow themselves to be transformed by the loving mercy of God. They allow God's love to fill them...to show them the truth about who they are. The lies of the world absolutely shatter when they come in contact with the solidity of God's grace. Have you let that grace fill you and shape you and direct you?
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