Grace Roots Blog
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Two natures?
I was doing some online searching yesterday regarding a completely different subject, and I came across several references to Christians having two natures: one righteous and one sinful. After all, God has made us righteous, but we still sin, so that must mean we have two natures, right?
Not so fast.
I find humor in the phrase "act naturally." To me, it's an oxymoron. If you're behaving naturally, then you're not acting. :) "Natural" is who you are. The nature of something or someone is the very essence of what it is or who it is. A person can certainly act or behave like something he or she isn't, but that doesn't change his or her true nature. If I got on all fours and started barking like a dog, chewing bones and chasing the mailman, it's not that I'm behaving out of a "canine nature". I'm simply behaving in a way that doesn't represent my actual nature. I don't have two natures. I'm not a human and a dog. I'm a human who's acting like a dog.
In the same way, a Christian who is sinning is simply not behaving naturally. Your actual, factual nature - given to you as a gift from God - is righteous. You are a saint. The Bible says that you have become a "partaker of the divine nature." There is no sin in the Divine nature. Your nature is not righteous and sinner. You are a righteous person who sometimes sins, but sin is not your nature!
Well, what about when I walk after the flesh? Again, the flesh is not your nature! In fact, quickly, let's talk about the difference between the "flesh" and the "sinful nature," and then discuss how neither one describes the reality of who we are in Christ.
Sinful nature: This is the actual, factual nature that we inherited from Adam. When we were born, we had this nature. But when we were born again, this nature died and we took on the new nature (we're New Creations, right?) of righteousness - a gift from God. We seem to take it very lightly that Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ" and "I died." But those are powerful statements! So, what died? What was crucified with Christ? Our bodies obviously didn't die. Our souls didn't die - we can still think and feel and we still have a "will." So what died was our spirit that had been born in Adam - our sinful nature. When we were born again, we still had these ol' bodies and souls, but our sinful nature was killed - dead, gone, crucified - forever - and we were raised to life with the righteous nature of Christ.
Flesh: The flesh can be described as our own efforts to live this life apart from God. When we had the sinful nature, it was quite easy for us to simply walk according to the flesh. That is, to walk according to our own way of doing things apart from God. When our sin nature died, and when we were born again as new creations with righteous natures, it became natural for us to walk after the Spirit. But yet anytime our souls (mind, will, emotions) are not secure in the reality of who our spirits have truly become in Christ, we still find ourselves trying to live our lives by our own methods, even by our own religious methods. But all it is, is walking after the flesh.
To make it clear, the flesh and the sinful nature are not synonymous. The NIV unfortunately translates the Greek word "sarx" as "sinful nature" several times, when the word "sarx" actually means "flesh." This can really lead to confusion, because the flesh is NOT the sinful nature! The sinful nature has died. We could not be partakers in the divine nature if we were still partakers of the sinful nature!
So why do we sin? And how is it that we sin, if we have a righteous nature? I believe it's because our new spirit (our righteous nature) still dwells temporarily in a corruptible body! Paul said it this way, that when he sins, "it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me." Sin still dwells temporarily in our bodies - but sin is not who we are. Sometimes, when we're not walking according to the Spirit - who is one with our spirit (1 Cor 6:17) - we let sin that dwells in us (but again, is not who we are) take the reins. This happens anytime we're not resting in His sufficiency. Even religion and law can cause us to walk after the flesh, rather than after the Spirit! (Take a look at Rom 7:8-13).
Paul gives us good news at the end of that chapter. The Lord Jesus will deliver us from these bodies of death! And in another epistle he says that our corruptible bodies will be exchanged for incorruptible bodies and our mortality will be exchanged for immortality. In the meantime, trust, trust, trust in the righteousness of God that is yours as a gift. Trust the reality that you are one with Him, even if you sometimes don't act like it. Trust in who you are in Christ, and end the focus on sin that dwells in you, but is not you. Trust that you have one nature - the divine nature!
Not so fast.
I find humor in the phrase "act naturally." To me, it's an oxymoron. If you're behaving naturally, then you're not acting. :) "Natural" is who you are. The nature of something or someone is the very essence of what it is or who it is. A person can certainly act or behave like something he or she isn't, but that doesn't change his or her true nature. If I got on all fours and started barking like a dog, chewing bones and chasing the mailman, it's not that I'm behaving out of a "canine nature". I'm simply behaving in a way that doesn't represent my actual nature. I don't have two natures. I'm not a human and a dog. I'm a human who's acting like a dog.
In the same way, a Christian who is sinning is simply not behaving naturally. Your actual, factual nature - given to you as a gift from God - is righteous. You are a saint. The Bible says that you have become a "partaker of the divine nature." There is no sin in the Divine nature. Your nature is not righteous and sinner. You are a righteous person who sometimes sins, but sin is not your nature!
Well, what about when I walk after the flesh? Again, the flesh is not your nature! In fact, quickly, let's talk about the difference between the "flesh" and the "sinful nature," and then discuss how neither one describes the reality of who we are in Christ.
Sinful nature: This is the actual, factual nature that we inherited from Adam. When we were born, we had this nature. But when we were born again, this nature died and we took on the new nature (we're New Creations, right?) of righteousness - a gift from God. We seem to take it very lightly that Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ" and "I died." But those are powerful statements! So, what died? What was crucified with Christ? Our bodies obviously didn't die. Our souls didn't die - we can still think and feel and we still have a "will." So what died was our spirit that had been born in Adam - our sinful nature. When we were born again, we still had these ol' bodies and souls, but our sinful nature was killed - dead, gone, crucified - forever - and we were raised to life with the righteous nature of Christ.
Flesh: The flesh can be described as our own efforts to live this life apart from God. When we had the sinful nature, it was quite easy for us to simply walk according to the flesh. That is, to walk according to our own way of doing things apart from God. When our sin nature died, and when we were born again as new creations with righteous natures, it became natural for us to walk after the Spirit. But yet anytime our souls (mind, will, emotions) are not secure in the reality of who our spirits have truly become in Christ, we still find ourselves trying to live our lives by our own methods, even by our own religious methods. But all it is, is walking after the flesh.
To make it clear, the flesh and the sinful nature are not synonymous. The NIV unfortunately translates the Greek word "sarx" as "sinful nature" several times, when the word "sarx" actually means "flesh." This can really lead to confusion, because the flesh is NOT the sinful nature! The sinful nature has died. We could not be partakers in the divine nature if we were still partakers of the sinful nature!
So why do we sin? And how is it that we sin, if we have a righteous nature? I believe it's because our new spirit (our righteous nature) still dwells temporarily in a corruptible body! Paul said it this way, that when he sins, "it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me." Sin still dwells temporarily in our bodies - but sin is not who we are. Sometimes, when we're not walking according to the Spirit - who is one with our spirit (1 Cor 6:17) - we let sin that dwells in us (but again, is not who we are) take the reins. This happens anytime we're not resting in His sufficiency. Even religion and law can cause us to walk after the flesh, rather than after the Spirit! (Take a look at Rom 7:8-13).
Paul gives us good news at the end of that chapter. The Lord Jesus will deliver us from these bodies of death! And in another epistle he says that our corruptible bodies will be exchanged for incorruptible bodies and our mortality will be exchanged for immortality. In the meantime, trust, trust, trust in the righteousness of God that is yours as a gift. Trust the reality that you are one with Him, even if you sometimes don't act like it. Trust in who you are in Christ, and end the focus on sin that dwells in you, but is not you. Trust that you have one nature - the divine nature!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
"The Vision" article for April
I recently started another blog to archive the "Growing in Grace" articles I write for my church's monthly publication called "The Vision." April's edition came out a week early. Here's my article called "The Fertile Soil of Grace."
Friday, March 23, 2007
Analogous
Well I had to do this. :) I can't help but see an analogy between the story I shared about my coffee experience ("But the label is GREEN") and something else that happens in real life.
As I previously wrote, for about 3 or 4 weeks I was using coffee from a green coffee can that I thought was decaffeinated. The can was green, and decaf coffee comes in green cans, right? After a prolonged, unexplained buzz that I just couldn't seem to shake, and a very irritating and somewhat debilitating heaviness and pressure in my head, not to mention chest pain and a fluttering heart, I finally looked at the label and found out that the green coffee can from which I'd made almost a pot of coffee per day (because I'm a sick, twisted coffee freak) actually contained caffeinated coffee.
And so it can be with religion and religious duty vs. freedom and walking in the Spirit. Religion can often look very much like the thing we really want - spiritual living. We can drink from the religion can, working harder and harder out of our own self effort, trying to please God, trying to carve out some sort of spiritual legacy. It can indeed appear very good! And so we get used to the religious lifestyle, putting on the plastic smile and making others (and even ourselves) think that we've got it all together and that we've got this Christian thing down. But before long, we get to a place where we can't deny the pressure in our heads, our fluttering hearts, our chest pain - which may come to each of us in various forms - but no matter how it comes to us we realize that something is wrong about the way we're going about our Christian 'business.' We realize we've been drinking from the wrong can.
My hope and prayer for myself, and for you, is that God will continuously keep our eyes open to understand the subtle differences between fleshly religious duty and the life-giving, life-sustaining life of Christ that is within us. And that we'll always enjoy great coffee.
As I previously wrote, for about 3 or 4 weeks I was using coffee from a green coffee can that I thought was decaffeinated. The can was green, and decaf coffee comes in green cans, right? After a prolonged, unexplained buzz that I just couldn't seem to shake, and a very irritating and somewhat debilitating heaviness and pressure in my head, not to mention chest pain and a fluttering heart, I finally looked at the label and found out that the green coffee can from which I'd made almost a pot of coffee per day (because I'm a sick, twisted coffee freak) actually contained caffeinated coffee.
And so it can be with religion and religious duty vs. freedom and walking in the Spirit. Religion can often look very much like the thing we really want - spiritual living. We can drink from the religion can, working harder and harder out of our own self effort, trying to please God, trying to carve out some sort of spiritual legacy. It can indeed appear very good! And so we get used to the religious lifestyle, putting on the plastic smile and making others (and even ourselves) think that we've got it all together and that we've got this Christian thing down. But before long, we get to a place where we can't deny the pressure in our heads, our fluttering hearts, our chest pain - which may come to each of us in various forms - but no matter how it comes to us we realize that something is wrong about the way we're going about our Christian 'business.' We realize we've been drinking from the wrong can.
My hope and prayer for myself, and for you, is that God will continuously keep our eyes open to understand the subtle differences between fleshly religious duty and the life-giving, life-sustaining life of Christ that is within us. And that we'll always enjoy great coffee.
But the label is GREEN!
Well, I went to the doctor Wednesday because I've had several issues I've been dealing with, including a little bit of chest pain, my heart fluttering from time to time, and MAJOR pressure in my head, unlike anything I've ever had. You know when you're under a lot of stress, or are angry at the kids, and there's pressure in your head. It was that type of pressure. Almost kind of hard to concentrate on things. Thing is, I am under no stress and I'm far from angry at anyone or anything! I generally live a virtually stress-free life. But yet I've been sort of restless for a week or two, and this pressure has been pretty intense for almost a week.
So I was worried, thinking I had some sort of heart or cardiovascular problem, or blood clot. You know how the mind works. Long story short, the doc told me it could be a sinus infection, and to just let it run its course. If it doesn't go away, get checked out again. He didn't really say anything about the chest pain. Come on doc, you're supposed to FIX me!
Well, no worries. Yesterday I found some relief! And this is where it gets a little embarrassing, although I've been sharing it with everyone I see, so I guess it's more funny (at least to me) than anything.
A brief setup: I'm practically like a fish who lives in coffee, not water. I drink a lot of coffee. But I don't like all the caffeine so I usually mix about 3 scoops of decaf with 1 scoop of caffeinated coffee. So I really don't drink a whole lot of caffeine. I don't drink coffee for the caffeine. It's one of those "acquired tastes," and I would drink decaf exclusively if it had a bolder flavor. Well about a month ago I asked my wife to get me some decaf coffee at Walmart, since I was almost out. She brought home a green tin, and I continued mixing my 3:1 ratio of decaf/caf. About a week ago, I was thinking more about how decaf isn't as "strong" as the real stuff, so I started adding an extra scoop of decaf without adding more water. After doing that I thought, "Wow, this stuff tastes AMAZING! I'm gonna keep doing this! Decaf isn't so bad when you just add an extra scoop!"
So there I was yesterday morning, grabbing my green "decaf" tin and my blue "regular" tin. I looked at the label of the green tin. It said "premium coffee." So at first I thought, "OH, maybe that's why it's been tasting so good; I'll have to keep getting this 'premium' decaffeinated coffee." But then I kept looking, and looking and looking all over the tin for the word "decaffeinated." Huh, they forgot to put the word on the label! NOPE.
You probably figured out where I was going before I got to the punchline. Isn't this pathetic! I don't know which is more pathetic - that a company would sell "regular" coffee in a GREEN tin or that I didn't look at the label to make sure what I was drinking! My wife said that the shelf said "Decaffeinated" right where this stuff was. The store clerk probably thought it was decaf. A GREEN coffee label is SUPPOSED to mean DECAF, right???
So this explains EVERYTHING that I've gone through in the past few weeks, especially the past few days. Not only have I been mixing green regular coffee with regular regular coffee, but I've been adding an extra scoop! You know, I even thought about going skydiving one day - and now I know why! Just kidding. But man, simple tasks like reading a simple email had been the hardest thing during the past week. I would catch myself with my eyebrows raised and my forehead in its "stressed out" position, and I would think to myself, "What's going on??? I'm under no pressure here, I'm not stressed about anything!" So I would take a deep breath and sit back and relax, but I just couldn't get this pressure out of my head!
Now I know why! And now I know I'm going to check the labels more closely.
So I was worried, thinking I had some sort of heart or cardiovascular problem, or blood clot. You know how the mind works. Long story short, the doc told me it could be a sinus infection, and to just let it run its course. If it doesn't go away, get checked out again. He didn't really say anything about the chest pain. Come on doc, you're supposed to FIX me!
Well, no worries. Yesterday I found some relief! And this is where it gets a little embarrassing, although I've been sharing it with everyone I see, so I guess it's more funny (at least to me) than anything.
A brief setup: I'm practically like a fish who lives in coffee, not water. I drink a lot of coffee. But I don't like all the caffeine so I usually mix about 3 scoops of decaf with 1 scoop of caffeinated coffee. So I really don't drink a whole lot of caffeine. I don't drink coffee for the caffeine. It's one of those "acquired tastes," and I would drink decaf exclusively if it had a bolder flavor. Well about a month ago I asked my wife to get me some decaf coffee at Walmart, since I was almost out. She brought home a green tin, and I continued mixing my 3:1 ratio of decaf/caf. About a week ago, I was thinking more about how decaf isn't as "strong" as the real stuff, so I started adding an extra scoop of decaf without adding more water. After doing that I thought, "Wow, this stuff tastes AMAZING! I'm gonna keep doing this! Decaf isn't so bad when you just add an extra scoop!"
So there I was yesterday morning, grabbing my green "decaf" tin and my blue "regular" tin. I looked at the label of the green tin. It said "premium coffee." So at first I thought, "OH, maybe that's why it's been tasting so good; I'll have to keep getting this 'premium' decaffeinated coffee." But then I kept looking, and looking and looking all over the tin for the word "decaffeinated." Huh, they forgot to put the word on the label! NOPE.
You probably figured out where I was going before I got to the punchline. Isn't this pathetic! I don't know which is more pathetic - that a company would sell "regular" coffee in a GREEN tin or that I didn't look at the label to make sure what I was drinking! My wife said that the shelf said "Decaffeinated" right where this stuff was. The store clerk probably thought it was decaf. A GREEN coffee label is SUPPOSED to mean DECAF, right???
So this explains EVERYTHING that I've gone through in the past few weeks, especially the past few days. Not only have I been mixing green regular coffee with regular regular coffee, but I've been adding an extra scoop! You know, I even thought about going skydiving one day - and now I know why! Just kidding. But man, simple tasks like reading a simple email had been the hardest thing during the past week. I would catch myself with my eyebrows raised and my forehead in its "stressed out" position, and I would think to myself, "What's going on??? I'm under no pressure here, I'm not stressed about anything!" So I would take a deep breath and sit back and relax, but I just couldn't get this pressure out of my head!
Now I know why! And now I know I'm going to check the labels more closely.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
"It's not your problem," God replied.
Ginny Owens - "I am"
No Lord, he said, you've got the wrong guy
Simple conversation gets me tongue-tied
And you're telling me to speak with a maniac king
Or could it be I've lost my mind
Besides, I am weak, don't you want someone strong
To lead them out of Egypt when they've been there so long
And anyway, they won’t believe You ever spoke to me
It's not your problem, God replied
And the rest is history
There's a bigger picture you can't see
You don't have to change the world, just trust in Me
'Cause I am your creator, I am working out my plan
And through you I will show them, I Am
Now Lord, are you sure? He's just a shepherd boy
Too small for battle gear with a giant to destroy
What on earth can he do with five stones and a sling
It's not your problem, God replied
'Cause I can do anything
There's a bigger picture you can't see
You don't have to change the world, just trust in me
'Cause I am your creator, I am working out my plan
And through you, I will show them
I am the first, I am the last
I am the present and the past
I am tomorrow and today
I am the only way
Great Lord, she said, I'm just a simple girl
You say that I will bring your son into the world
How can I understand this thing You're gonna do
It's not your problem, God replied
'Cause, there's a bigger picture
And you don't have to change the world
I'm your creator, I am working out my plan
And through you, I will show them
There's a bigger picture, you can't see
You don't have to change the world, just trust in me
’Cause I am your creator, I am working out my plan
And through you, I will show them, I Am
I Am
No Lord, he said, you've got the wrong guy
Simple conversation gets me tongue-tied
And you're telling me to speak with a maniac king
Or could it be I've lost my mind
Besides, I am weak, don't you want someone strong
To lead them out of Egypt when they've been there so long
And anyway, they won’t believe You ever spoke to me
It's not your problem, God replied
And the rest is history
There's a bigger picture you can't see
You don't have to change the world, just trust in Me
'Cause I am your creator, I am working out my plan
And through you I will show them, I Am
Now Lord, are you sure? He's just a shepherd boy
Too small for battle gear with a giant to destroy
What on earth can he do with five stones and a sling
It's not your problem, God replied
'Cause I can do anything
There's a bigger picture you can't see
You don't have to change the world, just trust in me
'Cause I am your creator, I am working out my plan
And through you, I will show them
I am the first, I am the last
I am the present and the past
I am tomorrow and today
I am the only way
Great Lord, she said, I'm just a simple girl
You say that I will bring your son into the world
How can I understand this thing You're gonna do
It's not your problem, God replied
'Cause, there's a bigger picture
And you don't have to change the world
I'm your creator, I am working out my plan
And through you, I will show them
There's a bigger picture, you can't see
You don't have to change the world, just trust in me
’Cause I am your creator, I am working out my plan
And through you, I will show them, I Am
I Am
Friday, March 09, 2007
"Blessed are the Uncool" - From the author's POV
Ok, so without actually having read the "Blessed are the Uncool" book yet, I've given my own opinion of the subject a couple of times; an an opinion solely based on my own thoughts about what the title suggests. I hope it's come across that I wasn't attempting in any way to describe the book itself.
But I did come across an interview with the author, Paul Grant, in which he himself defines "cool" and in which I think he explains well how "coolness" can really affect our Christian lives negatively. My summary: Our aim to be "cool" usually has self at the center, and really lacks anything to do with Christ living in us and through us.
To read the author's own words, the interview is found below. I especially like how he answers the question, "So what's wrong with being cool?"
http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=1683
But I did come across an interview with the author, Paul Grant, in which he himself defines "cool" and in which I think he explains well how "coolness" can really affect our Christian lives negatively. My summary: Our aim to be "cool" usually has self at the center, and really lacks anything to do with Christ living in us and through us.
To read the author's own words, the interview is found below. I especially like how he answers the question, "So what's wrong with being cool?"
http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=1683
"Blessed are the Uncool" - updated, revised, clarified or whatever you want to call it
Unfinished thoughts (aren't they all?)...
A few weeks ago I posted about the title of a book I'd seen, "Blessed are the Uncool" by Paul Grant (Thanks to Mr. Grant for his comment on that post). In my post, I said that I "get" that today's culture, even the Christian music culture, is based a lot on "image." To reach today's generation, you have to speak their language and sometimes that means appearing larger than life.
I know that "appearing larger than life" can be abused. I know it can lead to today's youth (and adults) being confused about who they really are, by getting caught up in the "image" of a Christian rock star without actually knowing the person. And so when "image" is abused, I don't think that's cool at all! But my thought is... Just like Samson's strength, Esther's beauty and other scriptural tales of God using the natural talents and personalities that He has developed in people for His purposes, I don't have a problem with "image." But if it's contrived, if it's put together by having to be fake, then I don't like "image" at all. :)
During my 11 years in Christian radio, I met many artists from the Christian music industry. Many times, all I got was a first impression, and that's it, so I can't judge people at all based upon actually knowing them. So solely based upon first impressions (and sometimes on second impressions) I do know that I met many who seemed stuck on themselves and their image, and I also met many who were just plain down to earth and very much like your ordinary average joes. The latter group are the ones who I appreciated the most.
And you know what... I don't have all this figured out. :) I go back and forth between liking and "getting" image vs. not liking it and just wishing artists would simply be themselves all the time. One thing resolved in me is that if "image" and "being yourself" do really line up, then cool... keep being who you are!
BTW, check out more about Paul Grant and his more in-depth look at "uncoolness:"
Uncool Blog
Uncool MySpace
A few weeks ago I posted about the title of a book I'd seen, "Blessed are the Uncool" by Paul Grant (Thanks to Mr. Grant for his comment on that post). In my post, I said that I "get" that today's culture, even the Christian music culture, is based a lot on "image." To reach today's generation, you have to speak their language and sometimes that means appearing larger than life.
I know that "appearing larger than life" can be abused. I know it can lead to today's youth (and adults) being confused about who they really are, by getting caught up in the "image" of a Christian rock star without actually knowing the person. And so when "image" is abused, I don't think that's cool at all! But my thought is... Just like Samson's strength, Esther's beauty and other scriptural tales of God using the natural talents and personalities that He has developed in people for His purposes, I don't have a problem with "image." But if it's contrived, if it's put together by having to be fake, then I don't like "image" at all. :)
During my 11 years in Christian radio, I met many artists from the Christian music industry. Many times, all I got was a first impression, and that's it, so I can't judge people at all based upon actually knowing them. So solely based upon first impressions (and sometimes on second impressions) I do know that I met many who seemed stuck on themselves and their image, and I also met many who were just plain down to earth and very much like your ordinary average joes. The latter group are the ones who I appreciated the most.
And you know what... I don't have all this figured out. :) I go back and forth between liking and "getting" image vs. not liking it and just wishing artists would simply be themselves all the time. One thing resolved in me is that if "image" and "being yourself" do really line up, then cool... keep being who you are!
BTW, check out more about Paul Grant and his more in-depth look at "uncoolness:"
Uncool Blog
Uncool MySpace
Creed
"I did not make it
No, it is making me..."
Rich Mullins
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I used to sing this song in church, and I sang it at my mom's pastoral ordination about a decade ago. Beautiful song. Beautiful music. Sometimes I listen to the accompaniment tape without the words because of the beauty of the music!
No, it is making me..."
Rich Mullins
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I used to sing this song in church, and I sang it at my mom's pastoral ordination about a decade ago. Beautiful song. Beautiful music. Sometimes I listen to the accompaniment tape without the words because of the beauty of the music!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
The Logical Song (please tell me who I am)
The Logical Song
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"The Logical Song" by Supertramp
When I was young
It seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees
Well they'd be singing so happily
Joyfully, playfully watching me
But then they sent me away
To teach me how to be sensible
Logical, responsible, practical
And they showed me a world
Where I could be so dependable
Clinical, intellectual, cynical
There are times when all the world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am
Now watch what you say
Or they'll be calling you a radical
A liberal, fanatical, criminal
Won't you sign up your name
We'd like to feel you're
Acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable
At night when all the world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am, who I am, who I am.
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"The Logical Song" by Supertramp
When I was young
It seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees
Well they'd be singing so happily
Joyfully, playfully watching me
But then they sent me away
To teach me how to be sensible
Logical, responsible, practical
And they showed me a world
Where I could be so dependable
Clinical, intellectual, cynical
There are times when all the world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am
Now watch what you say
Or they'll be calling you a radical
A liberal, fanatical, criminal
Won't you sign up your name
We'd like to feel you're
Acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable
At night when all the world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am, who I am, who I am.
Church is(n't)...
Church isn't something we do.
Church isn't some place we go.
Church is who we are!
I've heard more than one person talk about the above thoughts lately, and I just wanted to echo them.
I don't believe that when Adam (man) was created, God meant for him to get a group of people together and find a building and meet together each week and get some instruments and sing some songs and start some programs and get everyone to give some of their income and... you know the story.
And after Adam ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and sin entered the world, I don't believe that God's remedy was to send Jesus for the purpose of getting people together for the above activities.
Rather, I believe, according to several New Testament passages, that God sent Jesus to take the penalty and to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:21)... and that those people who are in Christ are all part of the Body of Christ, with Christ as the Head... and this is otherwise known as the church. The worldwide body of Christ (the church) may indeed have times when they meet together in various sized groups for various reasons, either regularly or from time to time. One of the biggest reasons, at least to me, for "doing" this is for the purpose of spending time encouraging each other in who we already are in Christ, and to encourage each other in the various "parts" that we are in the body of Christ.
But "church" is so much more than getting together in a weekly meeting or worship service or Sunday School, or (add your own reason for "going to church" here). Church is eating, sleeping, breathing... being who we are in Christ 24/7. Whether we're in a smaller, local gathering of "the church," or if we're doing something entirely different, that doesn't have any appearance of "church-like" activity, we never cease to be the church, and we never cease to be the individual parts of the body that we are, and the Head of the Body never ceases to use great wisdom in making all the parts work together as He ordains!
The point is, if today's "church" is your thing, that's great, but may your gathering together with other saints not simply be something you do with the thought that God wants you to "go to church." May it be because the Head of the Body is working some great things out in His Body, and your local gathering may just be something He is doing as part of the much bigger picture of His entire Body! And remember too, that His Body isn't confined to "a church." His Body is what it is, wherever it is!
For a related article that I wrote for "my church" (a local, organized, regular gathering of saints) a year and a half ago, click here.
Church isn't some place we go.
Church is who we are!
I've heard more than one person talk about the above thoughts lately, and I just wanted to echo them.
I don't believe that when Adam (man) was created, God meant for him to get a group of people together and find a building and meet together each week and get some instruments and sing some songs and start some programs and get everyone to give some of their income and... you know the story.
And after Adam ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and sin entered the world, I don't believe that God's remedy was to send Jesus for the purpose of getting people together for the above activities.
Rather, I believe, according to several New Testament passages, that God sent Jesus to take the penalty and to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:21)... and that those people who are in Christ are all part of the Body of Christ, with Christ as the Head... and this is otherwise known as the church. The worldwide body of Christ (the church) may indeed have times when they meet together in various sized groups for various reasons, either regularly or from time to time. One of the biggest reasons, at least to me, for "doing" this is for the purpose of spending time encouraging each other in who we already are in Christ, and to encourage each other in the various "parts" that we are in the body of Christ.
But "church" is so much more than getting together in a weekly meeting or worship service or Sunday School, or (add your own reason for "going to church" here). Church is eating, sleeping, breathing... being who we are in Christ 24/7. Whether we're in a smaller, local gathering of "the church," or if we're doing something entirely different, that doesn't have any appearance of "church-like" activity, we never cease to be the church, and we never cease to be the individual parts of the body that we are, and the Head of the Body never ceases to use great wisdom in making all the parts work together as He ordains!
The point is, if today's "church" is your thing, that's great, but may your gathering together with other saints not simply be something you do with the thought that God wants you to "go to church." May it be because the Head of the Body is working some great things out in His Body, and your local gathering may just be something He is doing as part of the much bigger picture of His entire Body! And remember too, that His Body isn't confined to "a church." His Body is what it is, wherever it is!
For a related article that I wrote for "my church" (a local, organized, regular gathering of saints) a year and a half ago, click here.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Licentiousness, Law, or Something Else...
A life of Licentiousness or a life of Law – which would you choose?
I choose neither! Real Life is found in neither one, but yet we tend to gravitate towards law because we’re not secure in our faith. We gravitate towards rules and regulations – law – because we’re not confident in Christ-in-us.
We know we don’t want to preach licentiousness. We know life in Christ isn’t about “anything goes.” So we try to control others and ourselves through law.
Tony Vincent, in his song “Shake the Money Tree” from his self-titled album (over a decade ago), put it this way:
“Too insecure to live by faith
We’re always looking for some other way.”
The song is actually about trusting in Jesus rather than money. It’s about being content regardless of our financial status. It’s about trusting that God provides.
But that little line speaks much more to me in other ways too. Our Christian walk is “by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). “Walk by the Spirit and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). Somehow we’ve made “walking by the Spirit” into a Law-walk rather than a faith walk - and I think that's because we're not fully convinced that the good news of the gospel and the power contained in it is really that good and that powerful! We find a sense of security in rules and standards. And we've come to realize that walking by the Spirit is like the wind... you never know where it's coming from and which way it will blow! (John 3:8) But yet the fruit of the Spirit is not the same as the fruit of the Law! Compare Galatians 5:22-23 with Romans 7:5 and Romans 7:9-11.
The fruit of walking by the Spirit (walking by faith, not by sight) is so much different than the fruit of walking by Law. Trusting in the Spirit (as opposed to our own fleshly attempts at righteous living) results in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. But trying to live by the Law results in aroused sinful passions, revival of sin, the deceit of sin, and death!
People naturally resist forced behavior change. Even if we want to change, even if we want to do wonderful, loving, kind deeds... if someone tells us “you must do this,” we naturally resist doing even what we want to do! But when we step aside and let the life of the Spirit who is in us take over, and just let Him do what He supernaturally does in us (not forcibly, but gently... and usually not logically!), the fruit will be so much greater than anything we could conjure up on our own.
I choose neither! Real Life is found in neither one, but yet we tend to gravitate towards law because we’re not secure in our faith. We gravitate towards rules and regulations – law – because we’re not confident in Christ-in-us.
We know we don’t want to preach licentiousness. We know life in Christ isn’t about “anything goes.” So we try to control others and ourselves through law.
Tony Vincent, in his song “Shake the Money Tree” from his self-titled album (over a decade ago), put it this way:
“Too insecure to live by faith
We’re always looking for some other way.”
The song is actually about trusting in Jesus rather than money. It’s about being content regardless of our financial status. It’s about trusting that God provides.
But that little line speaks much more to me in other ways too. Our Christian walk is “by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). “Walk by the Spirit and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). Somehow we’ve made “walking by the Spirit” into a Law-walk rather than a faith walk - and I think that's because we're not fully convinced that the good news of the gospel and the power contained in it is really that good and that powerful! We find a sense of security in rules and standards. And we've come to realize that walking by the Spirit is like the wind... you never know where it's coming from and which way it will blow! (John 3:8) But yet the fruit of the Spirit is not the same as the fruit of the Law! Compare Galatians 5:22-23 with Romans 7:5 and Romans 7:9-11.
The fruit of walking by the Spirit (walking by faith, not by sight) is so much different than the fruit of walking by Law. Trusting in the Spirit (as opposed to our own fleshly attempts at righteous living) results in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. But trying to live by the Law results in aroused sinful passions, revival of sin, the deceit of sin, and death!
People naturally resist forced behavior change. Even if we want to change, even if we want to do wonderful, loving, kind deeds... if someone tells us “you must do this,” we naturally resist doing even what we want to do! But when we step aside and let the life of the Spirit who is in us take over, and just let Him do what He supernaturally does in us (not forcibly, but gently... and usually not logically!), the fruit will be so much greater than anything we could conjure up on our own.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Looking for true stories of Grace
I guess I don't even know for sure "why" I'm doing this. On the one hand it's a wild hair; on the other hand I've thought for a long time about asking people for stories. If nothing else, I'm just interested to hear from you! Perhaps I'll blog a compilation of some stories (let me know if you would want to remain anonymous). Who knows, maybe some day they'll be in a book.
What I'm looking for... your real life experience(s) with God's grace.
And the word "grace" covers A LOT! Your story may be long or it may be short. It may have to do with your "salvation" experience. It may have to do with forgiveness. It may have to do with knowing that God has given you what you know you don't deserve... but He gave it to you because He is full of grace. The apostle Paul said "by the grace of God I am what I am," so "grace" to you may mean a story of how your life has been a result of nothing more than His grace working in and through you! Your story may be how God has shown Himself to you outside of the "normal" bounds of church and religion. So much of my life is like that.
On the other side of the coin, maybe you've resisted grace because you thought you had to prove yourself to God. Maybe like the "foolish Galatians," you've fallen from grace because you've trusted in your own religious works rather than God's grace, but now you've come back around to trusting that you are His workmanship, not your own workmanship.
I could write so much more... giving so many more examples... because I know that grace is HUGE! Those who know me, know that I am not your ordinary-average rank-and-file "religious" Christian. I'm not big on slogans and churchianity. I'm trying real hard to get myself and God out of the box that religion likes to keep Him in, and instead get to know Jesus Christ, the Person.
I want to change, I want to grow, I want to learn and to live, and I've found that the only real change, growth, life, and knowledge that's worth anything comes from the One who created it all! He gives us His life by grace, and the life He gives us freely is Abundant Life.
So if you have anything that you'd like to share with me (and quite possibly others), about His grace in your life, please share it with me by emailing me:
What I'm looking for... your real life experience(s) with God's grace.
And the word "grace" covers A LOT! Your story may be long or it may be short. It may have to do with your "salvation" experience. It may have to do with forgiveness. It may have to do with knowing that God has given you what you know you don't deserve... but He gave it to you because He is full of grace. The apostle Paul said "by the grace of God I am what I am," so "grace" to you may mean a story of how your life has been a result of nothing more than His grace working in and through you! Your story may be how God has shown Himself to you outside of the "normal" bounds of church and religion. So much of my life is like that.
On the other side of the coin, maybe you've resisted grace because you thought you had to prove yourself to God. Maybe like the "foolish Galatians," you've fallen from grace because you've trusted in your own religious works rather than God's grace, but now you've come back around to trusting that you are His workmanship, not your own workmanship.
I could write so much more... giving so many more examples... because I know that grace is HUGE! Those who know me, know that I am not your ordinary-average rank-and-file "religious" Christian. I'm not big on slogans and churchianity. I'm trying real hard to get myself and God out of the box that religion likes to keep Him in, and instead get to know Jesus Christ, the Person.
I want to change, I want to grow, I want to learn and to live, and I've found that the only real change, growth, life, and knowledge that's worth anything comes from the One who created it all! He gives us His life by grace, and the life He gives us freely is Abundant Life.
So if you have anything that you'd like to share with me (and quite possibly others), about His grace in your life, please share it with me by emailing me:
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