Justification as the Key the Authentic Living

Today is the final day of 2011.  I am pleased that this post was the most viewed of 2011.  It is the heart of what I wish to proclaim.  It begins with a long quote from one of my seminary professors, Richard Lovelace, and it continues with some basic reflections upon this quote.  May the Lord bless your reading!  Happy New Year!

"Only a fraction of the present body of professing Christians are solidly appropriating the justifying work of Christ in their lives.  Many have so light an apprehension of God's holiness and of the extent and guilt of their sin that consciously they see little need for justification, although below the surface of their lives, they are deeply guilt-ridden and insecure.  Many others have a theoretical commitment to this doctrine, but in their day-to-day existence they rely on their sanctification for justification, in the Augustinian manner, drawing their assurance of acceptance with God from their sincerity, their past experience of conversion, their recent religious performance or the relative infrequency of their conscious, willful disobedience.  Few know enough to start each day with a thoroughgoing stand upon Luther's platform: you are accepted, looking outward in faith and claiming the wholly alien righteousness of Christ as the only ground for acceptance, relaxing in the quality of trust which will produce increasing sanctification as faith is active in love and gratitude."

Richard Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life, 101.

In recent years much of the scholarly literature on the gospel has turned away from Luther's understanding of justification to an understanding that emphasizes our faithfulness as the key to being right with God.  I think this theological move is rife with error on a number of fronts.  

The most important is that it dooms Christianity to be a religion for the strong- those who can get their act together through their will-power.  Such a theological move makes spirituality shallow, and it denies hope to those who are not smart enough or strong enough to make surface changes.  In a brief paragraph, Lovelace diagnoses the symptoms of shallow spirituality, and he describes the basis of true spirituality. 

Why?  First, Luther's though emphasizes the holiness of God.  Many of us do not understand the true holiness of God.  We have made God in our image instead of letting His image challenge and confront our sin.  Thus, we believe that surface changes are all that is needed to be "right with God".  

What is needed is a heart transformation not just surface changes!  Because we cannot change our heart, we feel guilt-ridden and insecure.  Instead of understanding the real issue of our heart, we blame others or events for our condition instead of confessing our need for God.  At other times, we profess belief in God’s work in Christ, but we judge our relationship with God by how well we are doing.  Again, we feel guilt-ridden and insecure, but what can we do about it?

Luther's answer is simple yet profound.  He consistently encourages us to believe the gospel.  The gospel is not just a ticket to heaven, but a way of daily life.  God does not just accept me, but He loves me!  Why?  Because of Jesus: His perfection and life have been given to me.  My righteousness comes wholly from Him.

From this point the entirety of Luther's and Protestant spirituality makes a consistent refrain: take time to remember and believe the gospel!  We often want something deeper, but what is deeper than the gospel?  Pray.  Read the Word of God.  Confess your sins and needs.  Repent of your self-effort and lack of faith.  Ask for grace to love others.  Make all these activities Gospel-centered.  Repeat daily.  

There really is nothing deeper than living in light of our new identity in Christ!

The Myth of the Pure Church

As I stated yesterday, I am concluding 2011 with our "greatest hits (most viewed, not best written!)" of the year.  This post was a surprise addition.  I find the subject fascinating and intriguing.  I find that many confuse the Church with the church.  The result is frustration and confusion!  How can there be so much conflict and so many mean people in the church?!  The answer is simple. ... read on.

How do we guard the church from division and evil?  An entire branch of Christianity states that the way to do so is to "make sure" everyone who joins is a believer.  While I do not disagree with the sentiment, I do wonder how we can "make sure" someone is authentically transformed by faith.  In my experience, people can say the right things, act the right way, and still turn out to be a great cause of division.  Their later actions illustrate that they were working evil and not the fruit of the spirit (Matt. 7:20; Luke 3:8-9; Jude 12).  At times their action even illustrate that they were not redeemed, but like the evil one himself, "masquerading as an angel of light." (2 Cor. 11:14)

So what does this mean?  Several distinctions are in order.  First, I believe in the absolute purity of the universal, invisible, true Church!  All of those authentically called, justified, and adopted by Jesus, throughout all of time and space, are part of this true family of God.  These folks are the true body of Christ in the world.  

The problem is that until heaven we will not be united together.  At this time, we live in a fallen world composed of many local churches.  These local congregations are the expressions of the Church universal, but they are mixed bodies full of the redeemed and those not yet or not ever redeemed.  We do the best we can in encouraging to membership those who truly believe in Jesus; but because the leadership and the individuals are fallen, sometimes an unredeemed person comes into membership.  In fact, all to often these unredeemed folks become leaders within the local congregation!

Let me give an example to illustrate my point.  In Acts 20:28-30, Paul is speaking his farewell to the Ephesian Elders.  He is giving his final encouragement and instruction.  He states, 

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, 

among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, 

to shepherd the Church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  

I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, 

not sparing the flock;

and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them."

What does this mean?  The Ephesian church leaders had among themselves those who would lead the church astray.  How is this possible?  Did not Paul train them and help install them?  Yes.  Did they not later in the chapter kneel down and pray with Paul?  Yes they did.  "By their fruits you will recognize them." Matt 7:20.  What matters is how you run the race and how you finish.

The Christian life is meant to be a life marked by dependent faith in Christ.  It is marked by authentic humility expressed in repentance and faith.  Have you noticed how leadership often is not marked by these traits?  In particular, leadership that goes wrong is not marked by these traits!

Living in a fallen world means that we must always be on guard against the schemes of the evil one.  He is a liar, a murderer (the root of all anger, jealousy, lack of love), and a pretender to authentic grace.  His schemes include placing false assurance into the hearts of some in hope that they will later wreck the mission and testimony of the church through their pride.

Again I ask, what does this mean?  Should we not join a church since it might be a mixed crew?  No!  It is important to join a church.  

Joining the church means willingly submitting to the order and authority of the local church.  It does not mean that you will agree with every decision made by the church, but that you will work to maintain the peace and purity of the church through healthy discussion, quick repentance when you wrong someone, and quick forgiveness when wronged.  It means that you willingly allow the Elders to speak the gospel into your life.  Most importantly, it also means that you are willingly ingrafted into the a local expression of the body of Christ.  It was an assumed condition for the Jews of Jesus' time.  It is important!

Yet, we should not be surprised or shocked when the behavior of others turns ugly.  We live in a fallen world!  We should not allow ugly behavior to continue in the name of being nice.  If we do so, we are encouraging and allowing evil.  We should lovingly confront and encourage repentance and faith.  Often the response will be repentance.  It might take time, but it will be so.  

Other times the response will be a striking out at you for mentioning their sin.  Does this surprise you?  Remember we live in a fallen world.  By their fruits you will recognize them.  One who refuses to repent from obvious sin should be treated as an unbeliever.  In other words, they need to hear the gospel.  Repentance, faith, trust in Christ, confession of sin, and walking in grace and truth should be lovingly proclaimed and announced.

Again, more can be said and probably should be said.  This post is getting long, so I will stop for today.  Comments and discussion are always welcome!

Evangelism, The Gospel, and Real Revival

As we prepare to end another year, I thought I would follow the media trend by finishing the year with an Authentic Grace for Life most viewed list.  I wish I was that creative!  I am actually traveling to visit some friends this morning, so I do not have time to write an original post.  This is a re-posting of this blog from September 22.  I was convicted and encourage as I re-read it, so I hope and pray you are also!

"Jesus's teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day.  However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect.  The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones.  We tend to draw conservative. buttoned-down, moralistic people.  The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church.  That can only mean one thing.  If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did.  If our churches aren't appealing to younger brothers, they must be more full of elder brothers than we'd like to think."  

Tim Keller, The Prodigal God, 15-16.

Just last evening in a discipleship class, we had a discussion on how to reach out into our postmodern world.  The state of Maine is a follower among the states in most social and economic categories.  Regardless of this status, we do lead in secular thinking!  What I mean is that most in Maine do not even think of religion as having any answers for their lives.  Most folks live a life completely apart from God.

In our discussion, it was mentioned that waiting for someone to notice you life and have questions doesn't seem to work.  I could not agree more!  Why?  We have the largest population of "noners", those who claim no religious affiliation, than any other area of the country.  This means that most folks do not even think of religion as a category for providing answers to life's problems and issues.  In fact, most people are very skeptical of anyone who comes from an overtly religious position.  If an individual or church desires to reach out to others in this culture, you need to learn new strategies.

All of this to say that Keller's opening quote should provide us with a basis to think of these new strategies.  The point of his book is that the real gospel provides a basis to reach out to those with no religious background or inclination.  It also provides a basis for reaching out to the confused and moralistic religious folks.  

The Prodigal God is about the parable of the two sons, which some mistakenly call the parable of the prodigal son.  He points out that the parable is really about three scandalous people: the younger son, the eldest son, and the Father.  We only focus on the younger son because so many of us are eldest brother types whose lives are marked by doing the right thing and hard work.  Unfortunately, the elder brother also is marked not by his love for the Father (God in this case), but his desire to work for the Father so he can get something back in return.  As Keller argues, true or authentic faith is marked by repentance from both our outright sin and our religious self-effort.  In other words, we must repent of the evil we do and the good we do.  What a scandalous message!  I would recommend reading the brief book.  I have heard Keller preach on the topic, and it was life-changing.  His book carries on that life-changing message.

Overall, I was struck and affirmed by his opening quote.  I know as a young pastor, I was very good at attracting the "conservative, buttoned-down, type."  I preached the Bible, thought I was building people up in their faith, and felt pretty good about myself.  Unfortunately, I saw no one come to faith outside the mold of conservative, buttoned-down type or those repenting of a brief foray into sin from their conservative, button-down type upbringing.  In other words, I had a great ministry to Pharisees!

The problem is that Jesus did not have a good ministry to Pharisees, but he had a great ministry to everyone else.  In my life, I encountered the grace of God through a series of bad decisions and failures.  I was a strong man who had not failed.  I learned that success in ministry does not depend upon me.  I learned personally that I was, and probably still am, a Pharisee.  As I repented of my sin, I tied into the grace of the Lord Jesus.  I found unmerited love.  This is the same Love that the Father gives freely to both the younger and eldest son in the parable of the two sons.  As I did, I found that my ministry changed as did my message.

How?  Well, first of all I was attractive to the broken-hearted, downtrodden, and out-right sinners.  They liked me.  We talked about Jesus.  They felt comfortable.  Many came to faith or at least began a faith journey that I pray and trust will lead to faith.  I also became much more comfortable in my own skin, and I believe I became more authentic as a person.  I have even seen a few eldest brother types come to faith, though the going on that front has been slow.  Yes, the opening quote encourages me that I was doing something right!

Yet, my ministry also changed with the eldest brother types.  While I was once their darling, now I am an outcast.  I have found that the religious types just do not understand me.  They might like me, but they do not trust me.  I have found that religious types judge me and find me wanting.  I  have seen their sideways glances at their friends, and I know I have been judged not good enough.  Often these folks come to church or a class I teach and then walk away unchanged by the grace of God.

At first this reaction of the eldest brother types was very dismaying.  It even made me angry (a true mark of an eldest brother type!).  Could they not see the grace of God?  Did they not want it?  I judged them.

Notice the Father in the parable.  He offered grace and restoration for the eldest brother.  We do not know if he took the offer since as an excellent story-teller, Jesus left that response untold.  Yet, the Father had an open heart.  I think in the past few years I have learned to a greater degree to leave my heart open to the eldest brother types, and to leave the grace of God wide-open for them.  I do not find myself judging them as much, and I repent when I do.  Still, the eldest brother types are the hardest to win to the gospel of grace.  They are so right that they do not need Jesus.

May all of us this day be amazed at the awesome grace of God.  May this grace shatter our younger brother and eldest brother tendencies to bring us to repentance and rest.

Entering the Presence of God

"And one called to another and said,

'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!'

And the foundations of the threshold shook at the voice of him who called,

and the house was filled with smoke.

And I said, 'Woe is me!  For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips,

and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips,

for my eyes have seen the King,

the Lord of hosts!" 

Isa. 6: 3-5

This morning I awoke very early after a good night's sleep.  I have been so tired after Christmas!  In all of my years of education, I have felt this tiredness often.  As a semester ends, I discovered a reoccurring pattern.  After the major assignment was completed, I had about 48 hours to get everything done before I crashed.  When I crashed, it took about three or four days of constant sleep and tiredness before I began to feel better.  I would feel completely brain dead and lifeless.  This current tiredness has felt the same!

I do not know why I had this type of letdown/crash this week, but I have had it.  It was so good to wake up this morning with a clear and active mind.  I came downstairs and enjoyed a warm house (it is very warm in Maine this morning), so I did not have to remake the fire.  Instead, I got a cup of coffee and began to meet with the Living God.

What happened?  First, I got out my journal and recorded the thoughts I woke up with this morning.  I know if I do not write them down quickly, I will forget!

I was thinking, in my sleep, about what would I like to write about for the next year.  Then I thought, I have been writing about it already!  Instantly a theme for all of the writing and thinking I have been doing for the past seven months jumped into my head: I am interested in personal and corporate revival!  I love this topic.  I already have materials that I have been working on about this topic.

Then I thought of my neglected website, www.authenticgrace.com.  I picked up this domain and parked a brief web presence on it because I loved the domain name.  Then I pictured this site with pages full of resources for personal renewal, corporate renewal, spiritual warfare, leadership development, and church leadership.  I could see it all so clearly.

Then I woke up.  

As I finished writing these ideas in my journal, I opened the word of God and began to pray.  For years I have doubted whether the Lord could use someone like me for His work.  I still do.  I asked for His wisdom and strength and guidance.  I asked as Moses did in Psalm 90, "Establish the work of our hands.  Yes, establish the work of our hands."  

I then read in the later Psalms David's cries for God to protect him from the schemes of evil men.  I read of the times David was helped.  I thought of those exact same experiences in my life.  I thanked the Lord.  I felt a washing of His Spirit and a renewed joy, peace, and hope (Rom. 15:13).  

Then I turned in Isaiah to this passage.  At times in my life, I have felt like Isaiah as I entered into the Lord's presence.  "I am undone."  I felt this way initially as I came into the Kingdom by faith.  As I cried out for mercy, God radically changed me.  Jesus entered my life and gave me great joy and hope!

Then I remembered my years in the desert.  I remember how I spent so much time without this understanding.  What do I mean?  After I had walked with the Lord for several years, I began to take the Lord for granted.  I knew of His love and presence, but I became content.  I was a "good Christian" but not a loving and growing believer!  I had great and a growing knowledge of scripture and theology, but I lost the humility of coming into His presence.

What happened?  I became a candidate for revival and renewal!  Through life and the calling of the Spirit, the Lord led me to a place of repentance.  For what?  Horrible outward sins?  No.  I had put many of these behind me.  God led me to repentance for my self-centered and self-focused heart that rejected the living God.  He led me to see His holiness and my sinfulness.  

Such a recognition is always the first step toward real revival!

I was undone.  I cried out for mercy and God gave it!  How?  Through Jesus Christ the lover of sinners like me.  The one whose blood wet the alter and made possible renewed hope from God.  As Isaiah puts it,

"Then one of the seraphim flew to me,

having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the alter.

And he touched my mouth and said: 

'Behold, this had touched your lips;

your guilt is taken away,

and your sin atoned for.'"

Isaiah 6: 6-7

Friends, revival and renewal is constantly available.  It is not something that only happens once.  It is found in repentance and humility which lead us to cry out before God, "Have mercy on me a sinner!"  Such a prayer, Jesus always answers.

Take some time today to quiet yourself before the Living God.  Open His word to Isaiah chapter six.  Ask Him to give a glimpse of His holiness (most likely you will not be able to stand much more than a glimpse!).  Ask Him to show you the love of Christ for you which removes guilt and atones for sin.

May you enjoy His presence and may you be filled with joy, peace, and hope!

Hearing the Voice of God

Greetings and happy days after Christmas!  It has been a wonderful celebration of Christ's birth in our household.  It was extra special, though busy, having Christmas on a Sunday.  It is so good to gather with the Lord's people to praise His name!  At the end of last week, I posted this, but it did not get many hits.  Perhaps I gave it a poor title?  I believe it is important for all of us to hear the voice of the Lord.  The clearest expression is always found in His Word!  This post describes how I listen for the voice of the Lord through reading the OT.

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." 

James 4:8

"All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, 

for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness." 

2 Tim 3:16 

In my post on December 21, I presented a way of reading scripture and praying that I recommend for anyone who struggles with how to apply the bible to their every day life.  I know that there is much that can be confusing.  I also know that many folks have been led astray into believing very weird ideas that someone told them were scriptural.  Let's get beyond that!

No matter what others may do, each of us are responsible and called to develop a relationship with the Living God.  Sometimes, I do wish others could do it for me!  It does require that I desire such a relationship.  Sometimes I do not!

When this occurs, repent and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into God's presence.  Remember that the promise of scripture still stands:  "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." James 4:8  The key is understanding how to draw near to the living God!

As I presented on the 21st, this is where scripture and prayer draw us close to the Living God.  First and foremost, you might need to change the way you read the bible.  It is not a novel, but the active and living Word of God.  Read it reflectively, with an open heart and mind.  I also encourage you to read it while praying for wisdom and for God to give guidance (Pro 2:1-6 gives a good model).

In addition to the gospels, I also encourage folks to read in the Psalms and Proverbs.  The Psalms are located right in the middle of the modern bible.  These 150 Psalms are the OT prayer book.  They are model prayers, and they are great for focusing my thoughts and prayers toward God and toward gaining His perspective.  Prayerfully reading one or two a day will be plenty!  When you get to Psalm 119, it might even take three or four days!  (Ps. 119 has 176 verses!)

For over 20 years, I have also read a chapter in Proverbs each day.  There are 31 chapters, so one per day for a month works out great.  These Proverbs never grow old!  I find and have found much practical wisdom in their pithy statements of general truth.

Let me give an example of how to use the Proverbs to listen to God.  I began writing the post for the 21st, but I realized it was way to long for a one day post.  On the 21st, as I read Proverb chapter 21, the Holy Spirit drew me to a verse at the end of the chapter.  As I was reading, not the most carefully I might add, this one jumped off the page.

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord."

Prov. 21:31

In prayer, I asked the Lord, what does this mean?  I was reminded of the busyness of this fall season.  There have been many trips to complete, pages to write, sermons to prepare, and decisions to make.  Overall, I have not been stressed or overloaded.  I am thankful for each opportunity that the Lord has presented.  I believe the Lord used me in building His kingdom as I interacted with many different folks.

So, what did I learn as the Lord brought this to mind?  First, He has prepared me, like a well-armored war horse for writing and the ministry.  I praise Him for this!  Yet, completion of writing and ministry always will be by His blessings, not my supposedly great preparation or abilities.  In fact, without His help, I can assure you nothing in ministry would succeed.  I cannot labor in such a way that I see lives ultimately changed.  My victory rests with the Lord.

I have learned this lesson many times, but I have to keep learning it.  I am forgetful.  I am drawn to repentance for the times I have walked in my strength instead of the Lord's.  I look to Jesus for mercy and grace.  I believe my victory and rest comes by walking with Him.  He gives me grace!  As it overflows, I am transformed so I can offer that grace to others.

Friends, our success in life or in coping with difficulties rests not in our strength- not even our "spiritual" strength and knowledge.  It rests in Jesus working in and through us, by His grace, to equip us, strengthen us, and empower us to be His witnesses in the world.  His power and grace comes as we repent of our self-effort and ask Him to work in and through us for His glory.

Second, I was challenged to remember that a grace-filled life must be a God-centered life.  It is not about me nor what I can do.  It is about the Lord and His grace working through a cracked and frail earthen pot!  May He receive the glory.

In encourage you to start the practice today of reflectively reading and praying through scripture!

"All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness." 

2 Tim 3:16

Sometimes we just need a guide to help us start understanding how all of scripture fits together!  You mostly likely cannot go wrong if you read through the very practical OT wisdom literature and the gospels!

Revival and Developing a Christian Worldview

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  

This is the first and greatest commandment.  

And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  

All the Law and the Prophets hand on these two commandments."  

Matt. 22:37-39

Earlier this week, we began a discussion on developing a Christian mind.  We discussed our contemporary understanding of religion as private and making little impact on how we live because of a worldly and false dichotomy borrowed from the Enlightenment.  

Instead, I proposed that authentic spirituality will always seek to grow in its understanding of God and the implications of belief on life.  I know that for many professing faith there is little evidence in this regard!  This means nothing except that we have many in our churches who need either regeneration or revival.

Today's passage is a direct quote from Jesus as the Pharisees tried to test and trick him.  Their question is an attempt to get Jesus to divide the Law into parts so they can accuse him of neglecting some element of the Law.  It is similar to today when people ask you if you are someone who engages in active evangelism or seeking justice and truth in the world.  The answer should be yes- I do both.  Jesus' answer to the trick question dove-tales perfectly with our discussion concerning developing authentic spirituality and the Christian mind.  

Jesus answers by cutting to the heart of the Pharisee's misunderstanding of scripture.  There should not be an active debate on the most important commandment in scripture.  The answer should be yes!  All of the Law is equally important.  You just need to understand the principles that in-power the Law.  

These principles include there is only one God who is to be worshipped by all creation with abandon, and humans are created in the image of God and as image bearers so they should be loved and respected.  Notice these are the principles that manifest in the idea that creation is good!  Jesus answers the trick question by saying that the essence of the Law breaks down into two principles: Love God and love neighbor.  This is the theme of the positive side of the Law.

Of course for the sensitive of heart, this positive declaration of the Law also should promote repentance and humility.  How can we keep these commands?  I fall so short of continual love of God and neighbor.  Even as I affirm the rightness of Jesus' command, I cannot keep it perfectly.  I need God's help.  I need a savior.  

The proper preaching and teaching of the Law should promote a humble reliance on the Holy Spirit leading to dependence upon Christ.

Unfortunately, many of us, like the Pharisees of old, hear this and do not understand our struggle to obey.  We do not depend upon the Holy Spirit.  We muster up our own will power and try our hardest.  Then we count this as good enough, and we judge those who do not do as good as we do!

Now we know where most of us live, most of the time.  We also know the cause.  If we do not develop a solid understanding of God, we will make Him in our image instead of allowing His image and glory to shape us.  If we do not develop a solid understanding of humanity, we will sit in judgment upon everyone who does not fit our "mold" as the ideal.  We will establish our culture, our habits, our thoughts, as the standard for all other cultures, habits and thoughts.  We might even use the Law to justify our opinions, but we will neglect other elements of the Law to do so.  Jesus tells us that we all this to our own peril!

Our biggest problem is that we can find a church somewhere that will affirm us in our opinions.  Thus the church becomes worldly, Christians become unsavory to those not "just like them," and the teaching of truth about God and humanity sounds foreign and strange to us.

How do we escape this trap?  We develop an informed and growing Christian mind.  We learn.  We repent of our false understandings and allow scripture to shape our mind.  This is the path not taken by many because it is hard!  Nevertheless, an informed Christian mind is the path to recovering our created good and overcoming our fallen tendency toward self.

May the Lord lead each of us to grow in our understanding of God and our neighbor!  May we develop a Christian mind that informs our understanding so we may Love God and others with authenticity and grace!

Advice to New Believers about the Bible Concluded

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." 

James 4:8

"All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, 

for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness." 

2 Tim 3:16 

In yesterday's post, I presented a way of reading scripture and praying that I recommend for anyone who struggles with how to apply the bible to their every day life.  I know that there is much that can be confusing.  I also know that many folks have been led astray into believing very weird ideas that someone told them were scriptural.  Let's get beyond that!

No matter what others may do, each of us are responsible and called to develop a relationship with the Living God.  Sometimes, I do wish others could do it for me!  It does require that I desire such a relationship.  Sometimes I do not!

When this occurs, repent and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into God's presence.  Remember that the promise of scripture still stands:  "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." James 4:8  The key is understanding how to draw near to the living God!

As I presented yesterday, this is where scripture and prayer draw us close to the Living God.  First and foremost, you might need to change the way you read the bible.  It is not a novel, but the active and living Word of God.  Read it reflectively, with an open heart and mind.  I also encourage you to read it while praying for wisdom and for God to give guidance (Pro 2:1-6 gives a good model).

In addition to the gospels, I also encourage folks to read in the Psalms and Proverbs.  The Psalms are located right in the middle of the modern bible.  These 150 Psalms are the OT prayer book.  They are model prayers, and they are great for focusing my thoughts and prayers toward God and toward gaining His perspective.  Prayerfully reading one or two a day will be plenty!  When you get to Psalm 119, it might even take three or four days!  (Ps. 119 has 176 verses!)

For over 20 years, I have also read a chapter in Proverbs each day.  There are 31 chapters, so one per day for a month works out great.  These Proverbs never grow old!  I find and have found much practical wisdom in their pithy statements of general truth.

Let me give an example of how to use the Proverbs to listen to God.  I began writing this post yesterday, but I realized it was way to long for a one day post.  Yesterday, as I read Proverb chapter 21 the Holy Spirit drew me to a verse at the end of the chapter.  As I was reading, not the most carefully I might add, this one jumped off the page.

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord."

In prayer, I asked the Lord, what does this mean?  I was reminded of the busyness of this fall season.  There have been many trips to complete, pages to write, sermons to prepare, and decisions to make.  Overall, I have not been stressed or overloaded.  I am thankful for each opportunity that the Lord has presented.  I believe the Lord used me in building His kingdom as I interacted with many different folks.

So, what did I learn as the Lord brought this to mind?  First, He has prepared me, like a well-armored war horse for writing and the ministry.  I praise Him for this!  Yet, completion of writing and ministry always will be by His blessings, not my supposedly great preparation or abilities.  In fact, without His help, I can assure you nothing in ministry would succeed.  I cannot labor in such a way that I see lives ultimately changed.  My victory rests with the Lord.

I have learned this lesson many times, but I have to keep learning it.  I am forgetful.  I am drawn to repentance for the times I have walked in my strength instead of the Lord's.  I look to Jesus for mercy and grace.  I believe my victory and rest comes by walking with Him.  He gives me grace!  As it overflows, I am transformed so I can offer that grace to others.

Friends, our success in life or in coping with difficulties rests not in our strength- not even our "spiritual" strength and knowledge.  It rests in Jesus working in and through us, by His grace, to equip us, strengthen us, and empower us to be His witnesses in the world.  His power and grace comes as we repent of our self-effort and ask Him to work in and through us for His glory.

Second, I was challenged to remember that a grace-filled life must be a God-centered life.  It is not about me nor what I can do.  It is about the Lord and His grace working through a cracked and frail earthen pot!  May He receive the glory.

In encourage you to start the practice today of reflectively reading and praying through scripture!

"All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness." 2 Tim 3:16

Sometimes we just need a guide to help us start understanding how all of scripture fits together!  You mostly likely cannot go wrong if you read through the very practical OT wisdom literature and the gospels!

Advice to Young Christians and Not Yet Believers about the Bible

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord." 

Pro. 21: 31

Christmas is almost here!  It is lightly snowing in Maine, all the shopping is done, and my last ministry responsibility is over until Christmas Eve (except music practice).  Yea!  I hope each of you experience the same joy and anticipation.

Today I wish to speak of an important topic: how do we use the bible to grow in grace?  I know that the bible can be a confusing and huge book for those not familiar with its contents.  Many folks pick up the bible and starting reading in Genesis.  By the time they get to the middle of Exodus (if they make it that far), they are bored, confused, and ready to give up the whole book!  I do not blame them.  These OT stories without their redemptive content make little sense.

I suggest that a new believer or a not quite yet believer start somewhere other than Genesis when they begin to learn about the bible.  All of the scriptures are useful, but some of them require some background knowledge before their true message can be understood.  Do not let this discourage you!  Start by getting some of that background knowledge!

First and foremost, start reading in the gospels- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John at the beginning of the NT.  In these books, an honest reader will encounter the person of Jesus.  Read a chapter.  Take your time and ask the Lord to give you wisdom as to what the message means.  The bible is not a novel to be finished, but a message from God to be listen to and transformed by.  Read and think of your life. Ask God for wisdom.

After reading in the gospels, I encourage folks to take some time to pray.  I remember the first time I engaged in this pattern.  I closed by eyes and began to tell God all about my concerns.  I prayed for everyone and everything I could think of.  When I finished, I had prayed for only 5 minutes!  I have heard stories of folks praying for hours.  How is this possible?!

I have since learned that prayer is not just me telling God about my concerns, but also learning how to listen!  Here is where scripture actively works.  As I read the gospels, I ask God for wisdom.  When thoughts come to mind, I pray about them.  I ask for wisdom with people and situations.  I also find that ideas and thoughts come to mind from the scripture that help me get perspective.  Often this perspective concerns my heart and attitude!

Here is where the gospel informs my reading.  As I encounter Jesus, He often uses the Word of God to drive me to repentance.  I see my failings.  I repent of these failings, and I look to Him for mercy.  Praise be to God, He gives it!  This love poured out to me, which is the gospel promise, then allows me to see other differently.  It gives me new perspective.  It gives me love to give to others.

I also find that God will use the scriptures to encourage me as I have made good choices.  He uses His word to give me an insight before I encounter something unexpected in a day.  In other words, God's word is active in the life of those who seek Him and His wisdom!  Please seek Him and His wisdom!

This post is growing long, so I will offer some more encouragement and insight about the bible in tomorrow's post.  I will conclude by stating that God's word is life-changing.  I implore you to pick it up and read it reflectively!  It will change your life as you read it asking the Lord for wisdom!  As the writer of Hebrews states, 

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Heb 4:12)

Developing a Christian World View

Today, I just did not get up early enough to get a new post written with an 8 AM meeting on the books.  Sorry about that!  Today's blog is a re-post from June.  This blog post did not get as many hits as some others, even through I think it is very important for understanding authentic spirituality.  

"The first step in forming a Christian worldview is to overcome this sharp divide between "heart" and "brain."  We have to reject the division of life into a sacred realm, limited to things like worship and personal morality, over against a secular realm that includes science, politics, economics, and the rest of the public arena.  This dichotomy in our own minds is the greatest barrier to liberating the power of the gospel across the whole of culture today."  

Nancy Pearsey, Total Truth, 20.

One of the marks of authentic spirituality is a quest for truth and its application in every area of life.  Notice I said quest.  It is a life-long pursuit and a trajectory of constant searching and hopefully Spirit-lead growth.  None of us have perfectly apprehended the truth about the world.  

One of the effects of sin is to warp our minds so they are preoccupied with self-concern and self-deceit.  The proper response to understanding this reality should be authentic humility that seeks to learn from God through His word, others, and creation.

So why is authentic humility so lacking in the Christian world?  Why are so many Christians marked by an arrogance that is appalling?  It never ceases to amaze me how a person rescued by God's grace from complete darkness can change in a year into a person who judges and looks down upon others still in darkness!  Why does this happen?  

I think it is primarily because we have not learned how to develop a authentic Christian mind.  We have not been taught even the basics of how to understand and live in this world.

The first basic we should know is that all things were created good.  If we look honestly, the ringing cry of Genesis 1 is God's declaration that what He made is good.  Over and over again, God creates and declares it good.  The final summation of the chapter concludes, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." (vs. 31)  

What does this mean?  All things were created with an inherent goodness.  This includes humanity that is created in the image of God (vs. 26).  Not just individually but also corporately since male and female together reflect the full image of God.  This means that human interaction and culture was created to be good and to reflect the character of the God who created it.

The second basic we should know is that all things were infected and effected by the fall.  Genesis 3 details how Adam and Eve turned away from listening to God to listen to their own desires, prompted by the Evil One, to eat of the so called knowledge of the good and evil.  The result is alienation from God (3:10), alienation from others (3:12), alienation from self (3:13), and alienation from all creation (3:16-19).  

These various forms of alienation from the way we were created cause us great pain.  The more we move away from our created good the more pain, suffering, and alienation we experience and feel.  The closer we are to our created good, the more harmony, peace, and joy we will experience.  The final hope of the Biblical understanding of the universe is that one day we will be set free from the power of sin and death so that we can once again reflect the created good perfectly.  This will be achieved when we die or Christ returns!

Now the tie to our opening quote can be made.  In our fallen state, the reality of our condition is often felt, but not really understood.  We are special because we are created by God to reflect His glory and character.  Yet, all of us are fallen beings struggling to put off the gravitational pull of our sin tendencies. This pull drives us away from trusting in God and instead moves us toward trusting in self: our strength, our judgment, our resources.  The problem is that we forget that our strength, our judgment, and our resources are all infected with the consequences of the fall!  These consequences do not end when someone becomes a believer.  They continue until death or Christ returns!

Many Christians have bought into the dichotomy borrowed from the Enlightenment, which argues that there is a divide between sacred and secular realms.  We have been taught that Church, Bible, and personal faith are good.  We have also been taught that "secular humanism" and all worldly pursuits (anything not related to Church, Bible, and personal faith) are bad.  Hopefully you can see that this is wrong on many sides!  This will be our topic for the next few days as we investigate the implications of our false worldview.

One implication before we end.  There is not a sacred/secular dichotomy in scripture made along the lines we have borrowed from the Enlightenment.  All of us and every area of culture and creation are created good yet fallen.  This includes the Church and all Christian institutions.  It includes all "worldly" activities and enterprises.  The real task of authentic spirituality is to take this truth and apply it to every area of human experience.  We must seek to integrate this Biblical worldview into action.  It must inform all of life.  It creates vision on how we should live and how culture should function.  Yet, our fallenness should create humility and a willingness to grow and learn as we seek to apply these truths into a fallen world by fallen people.

Any observations and comments are welcome!  Let's grow together as we look at this area of authentic spirituality!

Growing in Grace- True Revival

“Woe is me!  I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!” 

Isa. 6:5

So how do we grow in grace?  We know that the scriptures do not teach that growing in grace implies sinless perfectionism, having a life without struggle or some weird gnostic spirituality that does not take place in the confines of this fallen world and our fallen self.  So, what does authentic spirituality and gospel-living look like?

First, walking in grace by the power of the Spirit presupposes a right understanding of both God and ourselves.  In the first section of The Institutes, John Calvin argues there is an inter-relationship between knowing God and knowing ourselves.  He maintains that we cannot really know ourselves until we know the Holy God in such a way that our sin becomes so grievous to us that we cannot rest until we “put on Christ” in the fullest way possible.  Such knowledge can only come by an awakening of our souls by the Holy Spirit.  When awakened to our need, we cling to Christ and find mercy and grace.

In this passage in Isaiah, we see the prophet encountering the Holy God.  He is undone before Him.  He has seen God and he knows he needs grace!  Fortunately in the next verse, a seraph took a live coal from the alter and touched Isaiah’s mouth declaring, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (vs. 8)  As Isaiah met God, he became aware of his need, and he called out for grace.  God answered his need by sending grace.

In my experience, such experiences of grace cannot come often enough.  They often lead to rapid advances in Christian maturity and understanding that work out in increased love for God and others.  Such life-changing times of growth often occur at conversion, but they should also continue at different times throughout our Christian life.  Why?  As we grow to know the Holy God better, we should see our need for grace more since we see our sin more.  This is also the prime mark of authentic revival!

So why do we not see this often as a mark of Christian faith and practice?  Why do we lack such awakenings, which lead to true revival?

There are many factors.  First, we have not been taught this form of spirituality as the norm.  An emphasis on humility and brokenness runs counter to the American spirit of individualism and self-effort. 

Second, this spirituality runs counter to the workings of our fallen soul.  It does not sound nearly as good to us as “self-improvement” through works on the one hand or free and easy grace and forgiveness that doesn’t involve brokenness and humility on the other.  The truth is that many of us would rather keep a holy God at arms length.  Unfortunately, there are always religious peddlers who will wittingly or unwittingly give us what our hearts want by minimizing God’s holiness and our need. 

The result is a watered-down spirituality that lacks vitality.  Thus, we do not have true awakening and revival.  This is particularly true among those profess Christ for years.  New believers often have a glimpse of their need and God’s grace; but as they continue in the Christian faith, they lose their vitality.

Why?  Instead of growing in their understanding of God's holiness, which would lead to deeper repentance and an understanding of our need for Christ, many believers never grow from their initial understanding of God's holiness and their need.  In His mercy, God allows us through life to see our need, but we cover it up with denial or blaming others.  The result is shallowness and fakery!  Instead, we should embrace a deeper repentance, live a life of authentic confession, and find God's incredible mercy in Christ is increasing real for us.

Where are you today?  Do you have a spirit of revival and awakening in your life?  Do you have a vital, living faith?  Do you want such a life?  If so, come before the Holy God and pray for mercy to see both your need for Christ and Christ’s love for you!  True revival awaits.

Growing in Grace Part 1

"But if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." 

Romans 8: 13  

Romans chapter 8 is a famous declaration of what it means to live in and by the Spirit.  Paul builds upon all of the great theological reflection through the first seven chapters of Romans to finally proclaim that there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.  From this incredible and hard to believe statement, he continues to tell us what this means.  He wants all believers to know that because we are "in Christ" we are able to live by the Spirit.  What is Paul trying to say?  How do we live by the Spirit?

For most of us, we have seen few examples of someone who lives "by the Spirit."  In fact, we have seen more negative examples of people who claim to live by the Spirit but live like "sin" than those who are marked by the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23.  

For example, I have met many people who claim to have the Spirit in fuller and deeper ways than anyone from my Christian tradition.  Yet, they do not put to death the misdeeds of the body.  Often they are marked by these misdeeds!  I remember clearly a couple who were brought to me for counseling because their marriage was falling apart due to the man's arrogance and anger and the woman's overspending tendencies.  We never could talk about their issues because the couple informed me they "had the Spirit" and I didn't!

I have also known those who claim great intimacy with God and "victory" over sin.  Yet, they are often filled with arrogance, pride, and judgment of others.  Some of the least teachable people I have ever met have made this claim.  Their sins were like post-it notes all over them that they could not see, but everyone else easily identified!  Where they really living by the Spirit?

Forgetting others, I will speak for myself.  I want to follow God and learn to love others.  I know others do also.  Yet, we struggle and often find the misdeeds of the body (and heart!) keep coming back.  What does this mean?  Amy I living by the Spirit when I struggle?  Are you?

Let's answer these questions in a two part blog post.  Today, we will begin by first figuring out what Paul doesn't mean.

First, Paul does not mean that life in the Spirit will entail sinless perfectionism.  At least if it does, Paul the super-apostle does not live it!  In context, chapter 8 follows chapter 7.  There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (8:1), because Jesus is the one who rescues us from our body of sin and death.  As Paul details his struggles in chapter 7, he affirms that like most of us he knows the good he ought to do.  He just cannot seem to do it!  

He concludes, "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." (7:18)  For Paul, our sin nature/flesh remains with us until death.  At the end of his life, he claims "I am the chief/worst of all sinners." (1 Tim 1:16)  In other words, maturity in Christ does not lead to sinlessness, but a deeper recognition of our sin.  Such a recognition then leads to a deeper dependance upon Jesus for grace and mercy.

Second, Paul does not mean that the Christian life is without struggle.  Some Christians twist Paul's thought to argue that they do not need to grow in increasing personal holiness because God forgives them anyway.  I have met many who recognize their sinfulness- they might even be able to tell you great details concerning their understanding of their sin- yet they do not grow in love for God or others.  In this passage, Paul argues that because of Christ, "we have an obligation- but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it."  Paul knows the struggle (see Romans 7), but he encourages us to grow!  Thus, growth in personal holiness is possible and necessary, "if the Spirit of God lives in you."

Finally, Paul is not embracing a weird gnostic spirituality.  There is not a "higher way" that transcends life in the body and life in the world.  In his mind, Christian growth takes place in this world.  It is here that we "share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." vs. 17  It is here that we learn how to grow "in the Spirit," so that we might bear fruit for God's glory.  Paul recognizes that our body and our world are our laboratories for growing in grace.

So, how do we "live by the Spirit."  What does Paul say positively about this life?  Tomorrow's post will explore Paul's thought further!

Is the Church really Beautiful?

It appears to me that the Church has a huge image crisis.  While scripture declares the Church as the radiant bride of Christ, we often see her as an accessory to true faith.  Some of us have had good experiences with the church, while many others have had horrible experiences.  Some of us have experienced a church that meets our needs and wants, while others have shopped around for a church that "fits" until we have almost given up the search.

Why have so few of us seen the local and universal Church as the most beautiful entity in the universe apart from God?  Why do we not get more glimpses of glory as we meet together in community to praise God and to learn how to walk with Him?  So why do we often not see the church as a shining light of beauty?  Why do we have difficulty seeing her beauty?  While each of us have had different experiences, I believe there are several major reasons why we often do not see the Church as beautiful. 

First, in this world the church is a mixed group.  By that I mean that many within the church are redeemed individuals still struggling with sin.  In addition, in a healthy church there will be those who are not yet redeemed struggling with sin.  So, if we look closely we can see hypocrisy, doubt, anger, and every other sin under the sun.  For many of us, this is a complete turn-off.  How could "holy" people do such things!?

This leads to the second reason we have trouble seeing God's glory in the church.  We have an incorrect understanding of God's glory in this world.  As people, we are learning/relearning how to walk in faith with and through Jesus.  Faith is what changes us and teaches us to love.  We are all so self-centered and turned in on ourselves!

We should not be surprised when others hurt us or act in a selfish manner.  We should not be surprised when we judge "church" by our feelings and immediate desires.  Instead, we should be people who repent quickly of our sins and who forgive quickly the sins of others.  Let us confess sin as sin, but not be shocked we live in a fallen world.  The Church is truly the only place on earth where we can experience and extend grace that allows us to be real about our struggles, sins, and lack of faith.

So what is God's glory through the Church on this fallen earth?  How about restoration of that which has been lost through sin and death?  We should look for and enjoy seeing new people come to the freedom of the children of God (Romans 8).  We should look for and enjoy seeing fellow believers grow deeper in love with God so that they can walk with Him in fuller ways.  This means that we should look for and enjoy seeing love in action.  The church is a place to learn how to love and how to walk with Jesus by faith.  We need to take our attention off of the sins of others or ourselves and place it instead on the love and faith that are expressed.  So much of seeing God's glory is about having eyes to see it instead of focusing on sin and death!

Finally, a third reason why we have trouble seeing God's glory in the church has to deal with a living church versus a dead one.  The church is beautiful when it works well.  It is beautiful when it preaches and lives out the gospel.  This means that it will be marked by Christ-centered worship that promotes true humility and authenticity.  It will also be marked by outreach to a lost world through word and deed.  Such action is the only hope for this world.  Such action is beautiful and lovely.  Such action is also rare in a day and age marked by self-concern and self-centeredness more than God-centered living working itself out in love for others.

May our Church be marked by the beauty of her King, the Lord Jesus Christ.  May each of us worship together in community and promote the beauty of the Church!