I Really Want a Hamburger..., or Do I?

I live in the suburbs of a major U.S. city. One of the joys of living where I live is the plethora of choice. Choice of what? Well...just of about anything. I recall days of driving along Roosevelt Rd and seeing the Burger King sign and thinking I would really love to have some of that. Then I remember that Taco Bell is just down the road a mile, I think that I desire that instead. Suddenly the thought of scrumptious little golden fried nuggets of chicken come dancing along into my mind. Who would not love to have a 9 piece Chicken McNugget from McDonalds?

What I am really trying to say? What is the big deal that we have so many choices? Before I go any further let me say that I believe the ability to have choice is a wonderful blessing. However the blessing can often cause confusion to what we truly desire. At the core we all desire what is good and truly satisfying. This is a gift of God for our enjoyment and for His glory. The question is what "things" do we desire for and what do we delight in.

Psalm 37:4 is a favorite of mine. It reads: "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Unfortunately I have heard this verse used in misguided ways. This verse does not say that if I desire to have $1 million that God will grant it if I desire Him. On the surface level that would be great. God would be like our magic genie that gives us what our selfish hearts want.

We know that things don't work that way. In life if we truly delight in something we will shape our lives around it. We will focus on it. Our values will change in such a way that we are put in position to get the maximum joy that is available for us. The Bible is full of language expressing that God is a treasure to be sought, or a jewel to be searched for. A relationship with God, made possible by the blood of Jesus on the cross, is our greatest good. It is the greatest thing that we can pursue.

When we pursue God like this it will shape our desires. We will no longer settle for what is cheap and leaves us feeling empty and unsatisfied. Our longing for God will increase and we will increasingly desire the things that are truly good and satisfying!

The Carnal Christian?

First disappointing chapter of the Indwelling Life of Christ. Major Thomas is trying to get us to think about what kind of Christian we want to be. This is a good thing to think about but the way he argues for a carnal Christian is weak.
First, we must ask if there are truly any Carnal Christians or do we just have carnal/fleshly moments. This would take us back another step. This would be to think about what it means to be born again. Truly many people claim to be born again believers but their lives reflect nothing of the Savior who demands allegience and died for them.
John Piper wrote an excellent book on what happens when one is born again and the results of that new birth. I think a very short synopsis would be to say that to be born again is to have God himself give us a new heart, give life to a lifeless spirit, enabling us to see and value Christ as our highest treasure and greatest good. I do not believe that the concept of a Carnal Christian can fit inside of being born again.
Second, I think that his use of 1 Corinthians 3:15 is completely out of place. This reference should not be used to argue for the existence of carnal christians. The context that this verse is found in is a passage about church division, not about carnal lives. Can they be related, yes, but not directly in this verse. What we must realize with this verse is that as Paul goes on in the letter we see pretty clearly that not all those in the church were genuine believers.
I agree with the author that we need to think about how we are living out our Christian life. However, I do not think that we can choose what kind of Christian we want to be. There is only one kind of Christian. That Christian is born again and at the root of their being, because of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, they desire to live lives surrendered to the Lordship of Christ even if they still struggle with the flesh. If we allow people to believe that there is a choice then we are doing great damage to the church and are not being faithful stewards of God's Word, which calls people to repentance.

Rest in His Righteous Ways

When Doing Right is Wrong

The underlining question in today's reading was why do so many people/ministers experience burnout? This has been seen to be in issue in the church, at least, within the past 100 years. Major Thomas argues that we fail to enter Christ's rest, that can be experienced now, when we strive towards what we think to be right.

"So long as Christians are busy doing for God what is best in their own eyes, they will never enter into His rest and the true inheritance that is theirs to enjoy now. The will only be sweating it out, and end up weary, discouraged, depressed. The will likely become deeply cynical."

Jesus says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matth. 11:28-30

Come "learn from me." This is the offer of our loving Lord and Savior. I know that far to often I get an idea or a felt conviction but do not take it to the Lord. I do not look to learn from Him. Just because I think that an idea or conviction is good in my eyes does not mean that it is right. It could very well be wrong and can lead to burnout and frustration.

So how do we keep from doing this? First, we need a deeply rooted conviction that God is sovereign over all His creation, including His mission in the world. Even with our greatest effort we cannot change a sinners heart or give life where there is no life. This is the work of God. We need to be intentional with our efforts but we need to prayerfully seek what is from God and what is not. Second, we need to consult God's Word. Is there a part of our plans/schemes that would conflict with a direct command of God causing a compromise in obedience to His declared truth. Third, we should seek wisdom from others. Maybe they see something that we do not and can help us from running into dead ends. Fourth, we need to commit all our plans to God. In doing this we allow him to close doors and say "no."

Sometimes this "no" can be very difficult but we need to believe that we have a good benevolent God who wants the best for His people. It is His desire that we find rest in His righteous ways.

Reasonable Demands...unsettling thought

Two days in a row....woohoo! I am continuing with my thoughts on "The Indwelling Life of Christ. The chapter for today was "God's Reasonable Demands.
In Matthew 5:48 we are told to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Every time I read this verse I gulp. I may not realize the depths of my depravity but I am keenly aware of my battle with sin.
Yet, Jesus calls us to be perfect. Truly we are saved by the finished work of Christ on the cross so it is completely unmeritorious that I can claim to have any favor before my heavenly Father. It is clear in the Scriptures that this is to lead to my sanctification. The goal of this is complete Christlikeness....my perfection.
Jesus was and is the image of the invisible God and Christ is to be formed in me. Gulp...the Bible makes it clear that we are to be light where this is darkness. We are to bring the light of Christ, which now is being formed in us through the power of the Holy Spirit, into the dark places. These may include our homes, neighborhoods, work places, schools, community centers, workout facilities, churches (yes these too), and the world beyond.
Because we are this image bearers, God's Demands are completely reasonable. It is reasonable because He created us, and He did so in His image.
It should not surprise us that His laws lived out through us are meant to shine forth what He is like. Though shall not murder. God is the creator of life, loves people, and prizes them. Because He loves people we should love people and live in such a way that shows that value.
I know that I am not there. As Paul writes in Philippians 3, may I "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Heavenly Father, may I humbly press on toward the prize that awaits. I know that in my flesh that there is nothing good within me. Thank you that in Christ, I am a new creation, the old is gone, the new has come. Help me to die to my flesh every day that I may live a life that is being molded into a life that is being made new.
Amen

His Indespensibility

Recently I started reading "The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me," by Major W. Ian Thomas. The book is meant to be read more as a daily devotional rather than a sit down and plow. Being very early in the book, chapter 4, it is quite unreasonable to give any critique of the book.

Being more of a daily devotion, over a theological treatise, the chapters are no more than three pages long. This is great for someone looking for more than the 1/8 page daily bread but not wanting to read something as meaty to chew on as a work from John Piper, or the like.

The basic premise of the book seems to be (have grace I am only in chapter 4) that God created us to be the bearers of His image in the world; however, because of sin that image has been all but lost completely in humanity and when Christ died on the cross an aspect of His mission was to reboot that image within us, His redeemed.

In Chapter 4, "Instinct for Animals, the Holy Spirit for Man," it is suggested that God has created us to be "functional" only when His presence is instructing or minds, controlling our emotions, directings our wills, and governing our lives. I would resound, absolutely! The Great Commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength.

If God created the entire cosmos, then I believe that it begs the question that he should govern it as well. I believe that it also means that the creation will only "function" appropriately under the design of its Creator.

The good news is that the moment we have received Christ as Lord and Savior we are born again. God sends the Spirit into our hearts that we cry abba, father. These words expressing intimacy and dependence in all of life. The Spirit enables God's image to be reformed in our humanity as we submit to his governance in our lives.