As I ever so slooowwly put material together that will eventually turn into a book, I sometimes find it helpful to look back on my old blog posts. Sometimes I'm reminded of some things that I would truly love to include in a book and sometimes I'm reminded of how I once saw things and how my thinking has changed, even if only slightly most of the time.
When this blog was still brand new in June 2006, I wrote Let it go... Depend on Him!
At the time, it went like this:
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I've been "growing in grace" for a long time now. I mean, trusting in God's power in me - Christ's life - to be my victory and to be my sufficiency. But still I don't do everything perfectly. "I'm not what I want to be but I'm not what I used to be."
Growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus doesn't mean everything changes instantly! Growing "slowly" hurts as it is, but forcing it to happen quickly is deadly! There are certain things I wish God would change in me right now, and I've prayed for certain changes in my life. Sometimes I can see how I've changed and sometimes I can only see just how far I have to go! But the thing about resting in God's grace and sufficiency is that YOU don't control the changes in your life. The One who knows best is the one who's life is working in you according to His perfect plan. Jesus said if you rest in Him, you will bear fruit... right?
Take a deep breath. Hold it for a few seconds. Let it go..
Literally, let it go.
The only power in you to change is the perfect power of the Almighty. He may not be doing things the way you think you should be doing things. That's OK! He's got your -- WHOLE LIFE -- in His hands. You might not have come as far as you wish but you haven't slipped so far as to be out of His plan!
He has taken into account your weakness.
In fact... He has said that His strength is made perfect in your weakness. He is not depending upon YOU. Rather, you are fully dependent upon Him. And He will accomplish what He wants to accomplish in your life. Don't doubt it!
Man looks on the outside. God looks on the heart. You are a person after God's own heart - not because you have done everything perfectly, but because you trust Him.
-------
I like a lot of what I said back then, but some things that I would add or change today would be to say that the reason we are weak is due to the fact that we no longer live! But Christ lives in us! When we are weak, then we are strong... but also when we are dead, then we are alive! "I have died, and I no longer live," says the Apostle Paul, "but Christ lives in me." Christ is my life. I'm not worried about "becoming" something better. I'm not concerned with "how far I've come" and "how far I have to go." I'm concerned with "today." I'm concerned with "right now." And Christ is my life right now, and I'm fully alive with Him right now! That's what matters!
Sure, I do look ahead. I "press on," as Paul would say. But press on toward what? Toward becoming a better person or a "better Christian?" Toward my own personal growth goals? Toward bigger and better "supernatural experiences?" No, I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ has already laid hold of me! It's a pressing on toward experiencing more and more fully who Christ is in me, and who I am in Him. A maturing... not of my actions, but of the realization of the fullness of Christ. I keep my eyes on Him.
Will my actions change? Sure! Will my attitudes change? The outward expression of the inward reality will truly change as I grow and mature, and as the life of Christ is more fully developed in me. And it all happens as I rest in Him, realizing more and more that He Himself is my life and sufficiency.
Grace Roots Blog
Showing posts with label Alive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alive. Show all posts
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Saturday, February 07, 2009
No struggle
As a sinner, I didn't have to struggle and strive to maintain my standing as a sinner. I was in Adam, and even when I did "good" things, my standing in Adam was maintained.
As a saint, I now don't have to struggle and strive to maintain my standing as a saint. I am in Christ, and even when I do "bad" things, my standing in Christ is maintained!
I was born in Adam.
Alive to sin, dead to God.
My very identity was a matter of sin and death.
I've been born again in Jesus.
Dead to sin, alive to God.
My very identity is a matter of righteousness and life!
Life in Christ isn't a matter of a bad person becoming a good person. It's a matter of a dead person becoming alive!
As a saint, I now don't have to struggle and strive to maintain my standing as a saint. I am in Christ, and even when I do "bad" things, my standing in Christ is maintained!
I was born in Adam.
Alive to sin, dead to God.
My very identity was a matter of sin and death.
I've been born again in Jesus.
Dead to sin, alive to God.
My very identity is a matter of righteousness and life!
Life in Christ isn't a matter of a bad person becoming a good person. It's a matter of a dead person becoming alive!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
No Longer Identified By Sin
[No Longer Identified By Sin]
In the second of twenty articles that I wrote for Heartland Vineyard Church between 2005 and 2007, I decided to "introduce" myself to the rather large congregation. However, while I did mention some details about me and the activities in my life at the time, the main purpose was not to talk about "me," but to point to the Christian's identity as "saint" and not "sinner." (Note: I fully understand the difference in opinion among my friends here of the interpretation of the Apostle Paul's words about "sin that dwells in me." That's all right, and it's not the focus of this article).
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Hi, I’m Joel Brueseke. It has been no less than a wonderful, joyful experience for the past 5 years for my wife and I to worship with and connect with the various parts of Christ’s body who call the Vineyard their home, as we do. Along with our two children, Jared and Noelle, we thank God daily in our prayers for extending our family by a couple of thousand people! I work part time at Covenant Medical Center as a Courier and I work part time at the New 89.1-The Spirit (aka KWOF-850AM in Waterloo). You might know me as Joel Sommers on the radio, and if you do know me in that capacity, my sincerest apologies!
As I share a little bit more about myself, I’ll use someone else’s words to describe my thoughts:
The Bible says that my identity – who I am – is not “me” anymore! When I was born, I was identified with Adam and unfortunately it was a life which didn’t quite cut the mustard when it came to being right with God. So, as an act of His great love for us, God made a way for all of us who were born in Adam to be “born again” into Christ. But in order become this “New Creation,” as Paul phrases it in II Cor. 5:17 and Gal. 6:15, it was necessary for the old “me” to die. So, that identity was crucified with Christ. It is dead and buried, expired, six feet under, bereft of life, pushing up daisies. It’s rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. It’s stone dead. (Thanks to a Monty Python skit for those synonyms for DEAD!) My new identity (who I really, actually am) is identified by the very life of Christ in me.
Plainly put, before coming to Christ we were identified as “sinners.” Now, after coming to Christ by faith, we have a new identity as saints! As Bill Gillham writes in his book, “What God Wishes Christians Knew About Christianity,” and as our pastor has often said, we are not “sinners saved by grace.” It is grace alone which has saved us, but now in addition to having been forgiven of our sins, we have been made holy, blameless and righteous - saints! That is actually, factually what God has made us to be! He doesn’t just “see” us as holy and righteous. We are holy and righteous.
We do contain the capacity to sin, and the reason is that sin dwells “in” us (see Rom. 7:17,20). The good news is that we are not identified by what is in us but rather by who we actually are! When you have a virus “in” you, you don’t say “I am a virus” or “I am a runny nose and swollen tonsils.” What is in you might temporarily have power over your bodily functions, but it does not define who you are. In Christ, sin doesn’t define us. We are defined as a saints. Nothing we “do” can change that identity, just as nothing we did created that identity in the first place. It was all the work of God and it will always continue to be the work of God. The prodigal son didn’t lose his identity as a son, even when he went off and squandered his inheritance.
The book mentioned above says, “Believe you are a ‘sinner saved by grace’ and you’ll act like one; believe you are a holy, purified saint who admittedly sins at times, but who hates that life-style, and you’ll be highly motivated to act like such a saint.” Our new life in Christ is lived by trusting and resting in what God has already done, and in His very life which is in union with ours!
In the second of twenty articles that I wrote for Heartland Vineyard Church between 2005 and 2007, I decided to "introduce" myself to the rather large congregation. However, while I did mention some details about me and the activities in my life at the time, the main purpose was not to talk about "me," but to point to the Christian's identity as "saint" and not "sinner." (Note: I fully understand the difference in opinion among my friends here of the interpretation of the Apostle Paul's words about "sin that dwells in me." That's all right, and it's not the focus of this article).
----------
Hi, I’m Joel Brueseke. It has been no less than a wonderful, joyful experience for the past 5 years for my wife and I to worship with and connect with the various parts of Christ’s body who call the Vineyard their home, as we do. Along with our two children, Jared and Noelle, we thank God daily in our prayers for extending our family by a couple of thousand people! I work part time at Covenant Medical Center as a Courier and I work part time at the New 89.1-The Spirit (aka KWOF-850AM in Waterloo). You might know me as Joel Sommers on the radio, and if you do know me in that capacity, my sincerest apologies!
As I share a little bit more about myself, I’ll use someone else’s words to describe my thoughts:
“I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Paul, in Galatians 2:19-21, The Message)My friend Mike Kapler (also with KWOF and this church) has often brought up that we humans tend to identify ourselves by what we “do.” You find out what other people “do” and you tell them what you “do.” “I’m a salesman.” “I’m a hairdresser.” “I do construction work.” “I work in radio.” “I race cars.” “I’m a pastor.” “I work in a factory.” In introducing myself above, I first told you what I “do.” But because what I do is generally the fruit of who I am, or even the fruit of who I perceive I am, I first want to grow in and be grounded in who I am.
The Bible says that my identity – who I am – is not “me” anymore! When I was born, I was identified with Adam and unfortunately it was a life which didn’t quite cut the mustard when it came to being right with God. So, as an act of His great love for us, God made a way for all of us who were born in Adam to be “born again” into Christ. But in order become this “New Creation,” as Paul phrases it in II Cor. 5:17 and Gal. 6:15, it was necessary for the old “me” to die. So, that identity was crucified with Christ. It is dead and buried, expired, six feet under, bereft of life, pushing up daisies. It’s rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. It’s stone dead. (Thanks to a Monty Python skit for those synonyms for DEAD!) My new identity (who I really, actually am) is identified by the very life of Christ in me.
Plainly put, before coming to Christ we were identified as “sinners.” Now, after coming to Christ by faith, we have a new identity as saints! As Bill Gillham writes in his book, “What God Wishes Christians Knew About Christianity,” and as our pastor has often said, we are not “sinners saved by grace.” It is grace alone which has saved us, but now in addition to having been forgiven of our sins, we have been made holy, blameless and righteous - saints! That is actually, factually what God has made us to be! He doesn’t just “see” us as holy and righteous. We are holy and righteous.
We do contain the capacity to sin, and the reason is that sin dwells “in” us (see Rom. 7:17,20). The good news is that we are not identified by what is in us but rather by who we actually are! When you have a virus “in” you, you don’t say “I am a virus” or “I am a runny nose and swollen tonsils.” What is in you might temporarily have power over your bodily functions, but it does not define who you are. In Christ, sin doesn’t define us. We are defined as a saints. Nothing we “do” can change that identity, just as nothing we did created that identity in the first place. It was all the work of God and it will always continue to be the work of God. The prodigal son didn’t lose his identity as a son, even when he went off and squandered his inheritance.
The book mentioned above says, “Believe you are a ‘sinner saved by grace’ and you’ll act like one; believe you are a holy, purified saint who admittedly sins at times, but who hates that life-style, and you’ll be highly motivated to act like such a saint.” Our new life in Christ is lived by trusting and resting in what God has already done, and in His very life which is in union with ours!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The gift of God
Eph 2:4-10
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Alive
Look over there. The tomb is empty. The body is not there. It has risen. It is alive again!
I'm not talking about Jesus 2000 years ago. I'm talking about YOU right now!
YOU are alive! Why do you keep living as if you were still dead!
Are you still trying to eek out an existence through the letter of the law? Why not fully trust in and embrace the life given FREELY by the Spirit through the new covenant?
2 Cor 3:4-6
And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Rom 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Col 2:13-15
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Eph 2:1-10
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Col 3:3-4
For you died, and your life [your new life] is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
I'm not talking about Jesus 2000 years ago. I'm talking about YOU right now!
YOU are alive! Why do you keep living as if you were still dead!
Are you still trying to eek out an existence through the letter of the law? Why not fully trust in and embrace the life given FREELY by the Spirit through the new covenant?
2 Cor 3:4-6
And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Rom 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Col 2:13-15
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Eph 2:1-10
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Col 3:3-4
For you died, and your life [your new life] is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Alive
I love the lyrics to this song by P.O.D.
It's basically a song about the freshness and the great feelings that come with being alive in Christ!
The music gives so much more "life" to the lyrics, so here's the video too, although it may not be everyone's taste of music.
P.O.D. - Alive
Everyday is a new day
I'm thankful for every breath I take
I won't take you for granted
So I learn from my mistakes
It's beyond my control
Sometimes it's best to let go
Whatever happens in this lifetime
So I trust in love
You have given me peace of mind
Chorus:
I, I feel so alive
For the very first time
I can't deny you
I feel so alive
I, I feel so alive
For the very first time
And I think I can fly
Sunshine upon my face
A new song for me to sing
Tell the world how I feel inside
Even though it might cost me everything
Now that I know it's all beyond my control
I can never turn my back away
Now that I've seen you
I can never look away
I, I feel so alive..
Now that I know you
I could never turn my back away
Now that I see you
I could never look away
Now that I know you
I could never turn my back away
Now that I see you
I believe no matter what they say!
It's basically a song about the freshness and the great feelings that come with being alive in Christ!
The music gives so much more "life" to the lyrics, so here's the video too, although it may not be everyone's taste of music.
P.O.D. - Alive
Everyday is a new day
I'm thankful for every breath I take
I won't take you for granted
So I learn from my mistakes
It's beyond my control
Sometimes it's best to let go
Whatever happens in this lifetime
So I trust in love
You have given me peace of mind
Chorus:
I, I feel so alive
For the very first time
I can't deny you
I feel so alive
I, I feel so alive
For the very first time
And I think I can fly
Sunshine upon my face
A new song for me to sing
Tell the world how I feel inside
Even though it might cost me everything
Now that I know it's all beyond my control
I can never turn my back away
Now that I've seen you
I can never look away
I, I feel so alive..
Now that I know you
I could never turn my back away
Now that I see you
I could never look away
Now that I know you
I could never turn my back away
Now that I see you
I believe no matter what they say!
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