I guess I should have specified in my previous post, but I am planning on starting my Spirit-Led Life Challenge on Monday, February 8th. I figured I would be better off starting at the first of the week rather than in the middle. That way it will be easier to keep track of what I'm doing.
I plan to start Monday with the first characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5- love. My goal is with each week to really seek after the Spirit's leading and to pray and act in supernatural love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Not the kind that the world gives. Not the kind I can do on my own. The kind that will take a power higher than I to accomplish it in my life. The kind that will set me apart. The kind that will draw people to Jesus in me.
I want to make this clear- I am not doing this to draw attention to myself. My desire is simply to inspire others that the Holy Spirit desires to operate in a GREATER way in our lives. We just have to be willing to let Him. I know that I have much room to grow in this area, as we all do. I believe the Holy Spirit does operate in my life now, but I also believe there is so much more He wants to do in and through me. It will take a daily crucifixion of my flesh and submission to His Spirit to accomplish that.
As I blog each day, I will be as open and honest about my experience for that day as possible. I want to be real. I'm sure some days I will feel much more Spirit-led than others. But my prayer is that overall, I will see a difference in my life. And that others will see it as well.
I am excitedly nervous about this challenge. I've never done anything like this and been so open about it. But I believe accountability is important, and even if no one reads this, I am hoping it will help me to be accountable to the commitment I've made to myself and to the Lord to be more Spirit-led. So I hope you'll tune in and join me on this exciting journey into the radical life of living and being powered by the Holy Spirit!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Spirit-Led Experiment
"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want." Gal. 5:16-14
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Gal. 5:22-25
Have you ever felt that though you are a Christian, you really aren't experiencing a life that different from those who aren't? Besides maybe going to church and reading your Bible on occasion, is your life really set apart from the world? Does your life make people WANT to know more about God? Can people see the evidence of the Holy Spirit working in you? Is the Holy Spirit working in you?
Over the course of my journey with Christ, I have asked myself many of these same questions. And more times than I would like to admit, the answer is a humbling, distressing "NO". This does not mean that my heart does not desire these things. But Paul clearly states in the scripture above that we our sinful nature desires what is completely opposite from the Spirit. And if we aren't careful, the sinful nature will win out.
I believe one of the greatest tools of the devil is not to destroy all Christians. It is not to make our lives miserable. It is not even to get us to walk away from the faith. I believe one of his greatest tools is to make us so comfortable with our lives that we don't feel the need to be led by the Holy Spirit. That way we just operate as "Christians" without the true power the Christ offers to His followers. We are simply people living with the sinful nature and covering it up with a label.
I am not here to debate whether one can be saved and still operate in the sinful nature or not. Only you and God know where your soul stands in the scope of eternity. But obviously, just becasuse you become a Christian does not automatically mean that you are perfect. We still struggle. Paul said himself "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." Rom. 7:15 &18
God has been challenging me lately to re-examine my life. To be willing to come to grips with the reality of my humanity. I am flawed. I am subject to the same curse of sin as the rest of the human race. I am born into it. And it will reign in me every day that I do not make the concious choice to crucify it. I cannot do what I want to do on my own. I MUST live by the Spirit.
So here is my challenge. One flawed human. Eight weeks. Eight characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit. Life-altering change.
Over the next eight weeks I will focus on one of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 each week. I will make it my goal to crucify my flesh daily and be led completely by the Holy Spirit. I will endeavour to give the Spirit complete reign over my life and let Him bring this fruit forth in me. I want to see supernatural results. Not love like the world loves. Love that comes only from the Spirit. Joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. Peace that passes all understanding.
I invite you to join me as I take this journey with the Holy Spirit. Let's find out together- is our life meant to be drastically different when led by the Spirit? And if so, what am I missing out on? I believe we will be encouraged and inspired to let the Spirit take complete control of our lives so that this world will see a difference in us. A BIG difference. Something that will draw them to God.
Each day I will blog about my experience, and would love to hear your feedback! I know this won't be easy- "crucify" does not sound like a pleasant thing! But I am ready to move from the mediocre to the extraoridnary in God. Are you? Let's do it!
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Gal. 5:22-25
Have you ever felt that though you are a Christian, you really aren't experiencing a life that different from those who aren't? Besides maybe going to church and reading your Bible on occasion, is your life really set apart from the world? Does your life make people WANT to know more about God? Can people see the evidence of the Holy Spirit working in you? Is the Holy Spirit working in you?
Over the course of my journey with Christ, I have asked myself many of these same questions. And more times than I would like to admit, the answer is a humbling, distressing "NO". This does not mean that my heart does not desire these things. But Paul clearly states in the scripture above that we our sinful nature desires what is completely opposite from the Spirit. And if we aren't careful, the sinful nature will win out.
I believe one of the greatest tools of the devil is not to destroy all Christians. It is not to make our lives miserable. It is not even to get us to walk away from the faith. I believe one of his greatest tools is to make us so comfortable with our lives that we don't feel the need to be led by the Holy Spirit. That way we just operate as "Christians" without the true power the Christ offers to His followers. We are simply people living with the sinful nature and covering it up with a label.
I am not here to debate whether one can be saved and still operate in the sinful nature or not. Only you and God know where your soul stands in the scope of eternity. But obviously, just becasuse you become a Christian does not automatically mean that you are perfect. We still struggle. Paul said himself "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." Rom. 7:15 &18
God has been challenging me lately to re-examine my life. To be willing to come to grips with the reality of my humanity. I am flawed. I am subject to the same curse of sin as the rest of the human race. I am born into it. And it will reign in me every day that I do not make the concious choice to crucify it. I cannot do what I want to do on my own. I MUST live by the Spirit.
So here is my challenge. One flawed human. Eight weeks. Eight characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit. Life-altering change.
Over the next eight weeks I will focus on one of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 each week. I will make it my goal to crucify my flesh daily and be led completely by the Holy Spirit. I will endeavour to give the Spirit complete reign over my life and let Him bring this fruit forth in me. I want to see supernatural results. Not love like the world loves. Love that comes only from the Spirit. Joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. Peace that passes all understanding.
I invite you to join me as I take this journey with the Holy Spirit. Let's find out together- is our life meant to be drastically different when led by the Spirit? And if so, what am I missing out on? I believe we will be encouraged and inspired to let the Spirit take complete control of our lives so that this world will see a difference in us. A BIG difference. Something that will draw them to God.
Each day I will blog about my experience, and would love to hear your feedback! I know this won't be easy- "crucify" does not sound like a pleasant thing! But I am ready to move from the mediocre to the extraoridnary in God. Are you? Let's do it!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
I Am An Artist
I am learning to accept the fact that I am an artist.
No, I have never painted a piece that is hanging in a gallery. I have never written an award-winning song. I have never composed a well-known piece of music. I have never acted or sung in broadway theaters or concert halls. I have never written a best-seller.
But I feel deeply. I see beauty in simple things. I hear music when others don't. I am passionate about expression through the written word. I feel alive when I'm being creative. I thrive on stage. I become the instrument I play. The words I write are the expression of my soul. I AM an artist.
Being an artist is not something you choose. It is something you are destined to be. I did not choose to be an artist because I want people to know my name or see my works and applaud me. I have no desire to see my name in lights or on the front page of the paper. I would be happy to live my life in obscurity creating the things I love to create and doing the things I love to do without anyone knowing about it.
But I am learning something. God- the Master Artist- did not place his thumbprint of artistic creativity on my life for me to hide it away in my notebooks, journals and dreams. God is not shy in expressing the beauty of his creativity. He boldly proclaims his artistic viewpoint with every mountaintop, crescendo, color, and shooting star. I am an extension of that creativity. We all are. We are his masterpiece. A thread in the beautiful tapestry of the history he is creating. And as an artist, God has given me a gift. A voice. A passion.
I am not saying that artists are superior to those who are not, for I think that in some way, we are all artists. An artist is simply someone who expresses themselves through a medium. And we all do that, in one way or another. But some people, those of us with the "artistic temperament" are just...different. To be perfectly honest, being an artist can be supremely difficult. We struggle. We question ourselves and our ability. We compare our talents to those more talented or trained and beat ourselves up about it. We fight with pride, jealousy and envy. Artists tend to be very tortured people.
However, with each passing day, I realize that my true calling as an artist is not to do great things. It is not to be the best singer, dancer, writer, actor, painter, chef, designer, composer or musician. It is not to win awards and become famous.
My calling as an artist is to make the Master Artist famous.
I'll never be so important in a movie that my name will be on screen before it even starts. You know those names at the end of the credits on a movie? The ones who you don't really know what they do, but they must do something because their name is mentioned in little tiny script right before they turn the lights on in the theater? That is me. And God- He is the star. My role is important enough to be mentioned at the end. His name comes at the BEGINNING of the movie. In big, bold print.
I am learning not to diminish the value of the gifts God has given me. If He gives me a song, I am learning how to sing it. If He gives me a poem, I am learning how to write it. If He gives me a dance or a drama, I'm learning how to perform it. Not because I want to be seen. But because I want HIM to be seen. And if I want Him to be seen, I must do what I've been created to do.
Perhaps you feel as I do. You've been given a gift. An ability. A talent. But you've struggled to know how, when, and where to use it. Well, I'll share with you something that the Master Artist told me when I was arguing with Him about a song I had written. He told me:
"I wouldn't give you those gifts if I didn't want you to use them."
Use them. Use them often. Use them to the best of your ability. Don't question. Don't worry. Don't rationalize. Just use them. Because when you do, God is pleased. It thrills Him to see His Creation creating! And it thrills me to know that I can bring pleasure to God through simply being who He created me to be and doing what I love to do.
We are artists. It is our God-ordained destiny. We may never be famous for our masterpieces. But HE can be made famous by us- His greatest masterpiece.
No, I have never painted a piece that is hanging in a gallery. I have never written an award-winning song. I have never composed a well-known piece of music. I have never acted or sung in broadway theaters or concert halls. I have never written a best-seller.
But I feel deeply. I see beauty in simple things. I hear music when others don't. I am passionate about expression through the written word. I feel alive when I'm being creative. I thrive on stage. I become the instrument I play. The words I write are the expression of my soul. I AM an artist.
Being an artist is not something you choose. It is something you are destined to be. I did not choose to be an artist because I want people to know my name or see my works and applaud me. I have no desire to see my name in lights or on the front page of the paper. I would be happy to live my life in obscurity creating the things I love to create and doing the things I love to do without anyone knowing about it.
But I am learning something. God- the Master Artist- did not place his thumbprint of artistic creativity on my life for me to hide it away in my notebooks, journals and dreams. God is not shy in expressing the beauty of his creativity. He boldly proclaims his artistic viewpoint with every mountaintop, crescendo, color, and shooting star. I am an extension of that creativity. We all are. We are his masterpiece. A thread in the beautiful tapestry of the history he is creating. And as an artist, God has given me a gift. A voice. A passion.
I am not saying that artists are superior to those who are not, for I think that in some way, we are all artists. An artist is simply someone who expresses themselves through a medium. And we all do that, in one way or another. But some people, those of us with the "artistic temperament" are just...different. To be perfectly honest, being an artist can be supremely difficult. We struggle. We question ourselves and our ability. We compare our talents to those more talented or trained and beat ourselves up about it. We fight with pride, jealousy and envy. Artists tend to be very tortured people.
However, with each passing day, I realize that my true calling as an artist is not to do great things. It is not to be the best singer, dancer, writer, actor, painter, chef, designer, composer or musician. It is not to win awards and become famous.
My calling as an artist is to make the Master Artist famous.
I'll never be so important in a movie that my name will be on screen before it even starts. You know those names at the end of the credits on a movie? The ones who you don't really know what they do, but they must do something because their name is mentioned in little tiny script right before they turn the lights on in the theater? That is me. And God- He is the star. My role is important enough to be mentioned at the end. His name comes at the BEGINNING of the movie. In big, bold print.
I am learning not to diminish the value of the gifts God has given me. If He gives me a song, I am learning how to sing it. If He gives me a poem, I am learning how to write it. If He gives me a dance or a drama, I'm learning how to perform it. Not because I want to be seen. But because I want HIM to be seen. And if I want Him to be seen, I must do what I've been created to do.
Perhaps you feel as I do. You've been given a gift. An ability. A talent. But you've struggled to know how, when, and where to use it. Well, I'll share with you something that the Master Artist told me when I was arguing with Him about a song I had written. He told me:
"I wouldn't give you those gifts if I didn't want you to use them."
Use them. Use them often. Use them to the best of your ability. Don't question. Don't worry. Don't rationalize. Just use them. Because when you do, God is pleased. It thrills Him to see His Creation creating! And it thrills me to know that I can bring pleasure to God through simply being who He created me to be and doing what I love to do.
We are artists. It is our God-ordained destiny. We may never be famous for our masterpieces. But HE can be made famous by us- His greatest masterpiece.
Prostitute of Love
So I've been reading in Hosea lately and it's such an amazing story! I've read it before, but I guess it's just one of those books in the Bible that no matter how many times you read it, it will take on a different meaning. So just in case you've never heard of or read the story of Hosea, I wanted to fill you in on this incredible truth.
Hosea is a prophet to Israel in a time when Israel has turned away from God (seems like they do that a lot...sound familiar?) So to show Israel, and ultimately us, how faithful He is, God tells Hosea to go and marry a prostitute named Gomer. She was definitely not the type of woman a man of God would marry. She was known for her adulterous ways. But Hosea obeyed the Lord and did what He commanded. Hosea married Gomer and they had two children.
The crazy thing is, Gomer kept going back to her old lifestyle. She would leave Hosea, who treated her better than any of her one-night-stands, and He would come after her each time, taking her back to their home and treating her like a queen. His love for her was unconditional and unfailing. WOW.
God had Hosea go through this for a reason. He wanted to show Hosea (and Israel) how to "Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods..." (Hosea 3:1) God wanted a living example of His faithfulness to us when we are completely unfaithful and prostitute His love. This was a heart-cry from God to His children that no matter how many times they turned their backs on him and left Him for another god, idol, or lifestyle, He would always be coming after them, ready to take them back and fill their lives with blessings.
If you read on in Hosea, you can clearly see God's anger, frustration and hurt with the Israelites. He has been betrayed by people who claimed to love Him. And His judgement is not an easy one. But the reason He lets them endure judgment and suffering is so that "they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." (Hosea 5:15)
God says of their love: "What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that dissappears." (Hosea 6:4) But still, out of His unfailing love, God says "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am GOD, and NOT MAN..." (Hosea 11:8-9)
Thank God that last statement is true- He is God and not man. Man would give up on such an adulterous people. Man would get hurt, frustrated and fed up with people that constantly prosituted their love. But God is not man. He is God- the Holy and Faithful One. His compassion remains when ours would have grown weary. He calls out to us to return to Him from our wicked ways, time and time again. Just like Hosea, he comes and seeks us out, brings us home and treats us better than the world ever could. His love is unfailing, unwavering and unconditional.
I hope that today you know that you have a God who feels this passionately about you. There is no other love you could ever find that is this faithful and true. And there's no number of times that you can walk away from Him that He will not continue to pursue you. Though our love for God is shallow and like "the morning dew that dissappears", His love for us is constant, steady and forgiving. What an amazing, faithful, loving God we have.
"Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." Hosea 14:9
Hosea is a prophet to Israel in a time when Israel has turned away from God (seems like they do that a lot...sound familiar?) So to show Israel, and ultimately us, how faithful He is, God tells Hosea to go and marry a prostitute named Gomer. She was definitely not the type of woman a man of God would marry. She was known for her adulterous ways. But Hosea obeyed the Lord and did what He commanded. Hosea married Gomer and they had two children.
The crazy thing is, Gomer kept going back to her old lifestyle. She would leave Hosea, who treated her better than any of her one-night-stands, and He would come after her each time, taking her back to their home and treating her like a queen. His love for her was unconditional and unfailing. WOW.
God had Hosea go through this for a reason. He wanted to show Hosea (and Israel) how to "Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods..." (Hosea 3:1) God wanted a living example of His faithfulness to us when we are completely unfaithful and prostitute His love. This was a heart-cry from God to His children that no matter how many times they turned their backs on him and left Him for another god, idol, or lifestyle, He would always be coming after them, ready to take them back and fill their lives with blessings.
If you read on in Hosea, you can clearly see God's anger, frustration and hurt with the Israelites. He has been betrayed by people who claimed to love Him. And His judgement is not an easy one. But the reason He lets them endure judgment and suffering is so that "they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." (Hosea 5:15)
God says of their love: "What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that dissappears." (Hosea 6:4) But still, out of His unfailing love, God says "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am GOD, and NOT MAN..." (Hosea 11:8-9)
Thank God that last statement is true- He is God and not man. Man would give up on such an adulterous people. Man would get hurt, frustrated and fed up with people that constantly prosituted their love. But God is not man. He is God- the Holy and Faithful One. His compassion remains when ours would have grown weary. He calls out to us to return to Him from our wicked ways, time and time again. Just like Hosea, he comes and seeks us out, brings us home and treats us better than the world ever could. His love is unfailing, unwavering and unconditional.
I hope that today you know that you have a God who feels this passionately about you. There is no other love you could ever find that is this faithful and true. And there's no number of times that you can walk away from Him that He will not continue to pursue you. Though our love for God is shallow and like "the morning dew that dissappears", His love for us is constant, steady and forgiving. What an amazing, faithful, loving God we have.
"Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." Hosea 14:9
Not-So-Amazing Grace
"Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlesness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." -1 John 3:4-6
Grace- an unmerited divine assistance given humans for their sanctification and regeneration
I'll be honest with you- God has been dealing with me about some very difficult things. Not issues in my life, but issues with my faith. So please know that whatever I write in this note is not directed purposefully at anyone. This is simply my "Mirror of Ink"; a reflection of what God is doing in my own life. If it helps, convicts, or challenges you, that is the Holy Spirit- not me.
I have been raised in church my whole life. Born a granddaughter of two penticostal preachers, this religion is in my blood. Therefore, much of what I believe about God has been due to the teaching I received in these churches. I have been blessed to be under some wonderful, godly teachers and preachers. I believe their motives and hearts were pure, but some of their teachings were humanly flawed.
We are all familiar with the song "Amazing Grace". To this day, it is still holds some of the greatest meaning to me of all my childhood hymns. But lately, through a series of different teachings and my own personal study of God's Word, I am beginning to realize my idea and definition of "Grace" is not at all what it truly is.
The definition of grace given above is from the Mirriam Webster dictionary. It is not even from a theological or Bible dictionary. Yet it totally blows out of the water what most Christians think (or rather, act like) grace is. Look at the definition again:
"An unmerited divine assistance given humans for their sanctification and regeneration"
Ok, so I had to look up what "regeneration" meant, just to help me better understand this. And it totally excited me.
regeneration- to be formed again; to radically change, and for the better
Wow. So my question is, this grace that has been given so freely to us by the act of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ- how many of us have truly experienced it? How many people do you know that claim to be Christians that you can truly say have received and been changed by God's GRACE [God's undeserved help to become radically changed]? Perhaps not as many as we'd like.
You see, many of us who teach or preach have made the mistake of diluting God's grace and making it "not so amazing". We have tried to bring God down to our level and explain what didn't need explaining. For example, I have heard (and have probably been guilty of repeating) the idea that God knew we would make mistakes, and that's why we have grace. Oh, but how mistaken we really are!
God's grace is not a chalkboard eraser to wipe away whatever mistakes we choose to make. Grace is given to help us NOT MAKE THOSE MISTAKES. Grace is God's supernatural power working in our lives to make us more like Him. We do not deserve grace. It has such a steep price that it required the death of God's only Son. But He was willing to pay it so that we could be changed and live a radically different life.
"Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." -Matthew 5:48
How else, besides the grace of God, could Jesus command us to do such a seemingly impossible task? Because its not about us. It's not about what we can do, or how good we can be. It's about learning to rely on and operate in God's grace daily. Moment by moment.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" -Galatians 2:20-21
Paul explains it perfectly. Christ is the embodiment of the gift of grace God offers to us. If we have truly crucified ourselves and allowed the life of Christ to invade our lives, then holiness and righteousness will follow. That is the character of Christ. If it was about what WE can do, Christ's sacrifice was in vain.
When we reject the truth of God's grace in its fullness, we are rejecting God's Son as well. When we choose to live how we want and use grace as a "divine cover-up" for our mistakes, we are deceiving ourselves into thinking its okay to continue living in sin because grace and forgiveness are there to get us out of trouble. There is no standard of holiness. No sanctification. No radical change. Therefore, we are substituting a cheapened version of "grace" for the real thing. And that's a dangerous place to be.
Because of this revelation in my life, I am determined to stop trying to make excuses for sin and wrong choices in my life. When I make mistakes, I will repent and plead for more of God's grace- the undeserved help I need to become a new creation in Him. And I believe He will give it freely to me. Grace- in the truth of what it is- really is amazing. It's a gift that cost Jesus his life so that I, a sinner, could be made new and daily become more and more like Christ.It's not a cover-up for sin. It's the power to be without sin.
And that's amazing.
Grace- an unmerited divine assistance given humans for their sanctification and regeneration
I'll be honest with you- God has been dealing with me about some very difficult things. Not issues in my life, but issues with my faith. So please know that whatever I write in this note is not directed purposefully at anyone. This is simply my "Mirror of Ink"; a reflection of what God is doing in my own life. If it helps, convicts, or challenges you, that is the Holy Spirit- not me.
I have been raised in church my whole life. Born a granddaughter of two penticostal preachers, this religion is in my blood. Therefore, much of what I believe about God has been due to the teaching I received in these churches. I have been blessed to be under some wonderful, godly teachers and preachers. I believe their motives and hearts were pure, but some of their teachings were humanly flawed.
We are all familiar with the song "Amazing Grace". To this day, it is still holds some of the greatest meaning to me of all my childhood hymns. But lately, through a series of different teachings and my own personal study of God's Word, I am beginning to realize my idea and definition of "Grace" is not at all what it truly is.
The definition of grace given above is from the Mirriam Webster dictionary. It is not even from a theological or Bible dictionary. Yet it totally blows out of the water what most Christians think (or rather, act like) grace is. Look at the definition again:
"An unmerited divine assistance given humans for their sanctification and regeneration"
Ok, so I had to look up what "regeneration" meant, just to help me better understand this. And it totally excited me.
regeneration- to be formed again; to radically change, and for the better
Wow. So my question is, this grace that has been given so freely to us by the act of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ- how many of us have truly experienced it? How many people do you know that claim to be Christians that you can truly say have received and been changed by God's GRACE [God's undeserved help to become radically changed]? Perhaps not as many as we'd like.
You see, many of us who teach or preach have made the mistake of diluting God's grace and making it "not so amazing". We have tried to bring God down to our level and explain what didn't need explaining. For example, I have heard (and have probably been guilty of repeating) the idea that God knew we would make mistakes, and that's why we have grace. Oh, but how mistaken we really are!
God's grace is not a chalkboard eraser to wipe away whatever mistakes we choose to make. Grace is given to help us NOT MAKE THOSE MISTAKES. Grace is God's supernatural power working in our lives to make us more like Him. We do not deserve grace. It has such a steep price that it required the death of God's only Son. But He was willing to pay it so that we could be changed and live a radically different life.
"Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." -Matthew 5:48
How else, besides the grace of God, could Jesus command us to do such a seemingly impossible task? Because its not about us. It's not about what we can do, or how good we can be. It's about learning to rely on and operate in God's grace daily. Moment by moment.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" -Galatians 2:20-21
Paul explains it perfectly. Christ is the embodiment of the gift of grace God offers to us. If we have truly crucified ourselves and allowed the life of Christ to invade our lives, then holiness and righteousness will follow. That is the character of Christ. If it was about what WE can do, Christ's sacrifice was in vain.
When we reject the truth of God's grace in its fullness, we are rejecting God's Son as well. When we choose to live how we want and use grace as a "divine cover-up" for our mistakes, we are deceiving ourselves into thinking its okay to continue living in sin because grace and forgiveness are there to get us out of trouble. There is no standard of holiness. No sanctification. No radical change. Therefore, we are substituting a cheapened version of "grace" for the real thing. And that's a dangerous place to be.
Because of this revelation in my life, I am determined to stop trying to make excuses for sin and wrong choices in my life. When I make mistakes, I will repent and plead for more of God's grace- the undeserved help I need to become a new creation in Him. And I believe He will give it freely to me. Grace- in the truth of what it is- really is amazing. It's a gift that cost Jesus his life so that I, a sinner, could be made new and daily become more and more like Christ.It's not a cover-up for sin. It's the power to be without sin.
And that's amazing.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Love
So here's the story: it's 4:30 AM, can't sleep, and I'm thinking...
Why is it that as Christians, we feel that God has to do something radical in our lives for us to re-gain that first love that we had for Him? You know- that passionate, intimate love that we felt when He first saved us from our sins and brought us into His amazing grace? Why don't we ALWAYS love Him passionately for that? Why does the intensity of our worship fade and the flame in our fire get dim?
And then we go to a retreat or a camp or some big shindig and God does something radical and we get all "fired up" again. And then we're "in love with Jesus" and everything is all about Him for the next few weeks. Until the newness fades and life is back to normal and our Bible is sitting dusty on the shelf again.
Let me tell you, if I was only deeply in love with my husband when he did something amazing for me, well, let's just say we probably wouldn't be married anymore. ;o) I am in love with him not because of what he does for me (although those times are special and appreciated). I am in love with him because of WHO HE IS. Because he is loving, kind, funny, sensitive, caring, honest, faithful, and ultimately, because he is the man I've committed my life to and I can't imagine life without him. And because I know sometimes you have to choose to love, even when you don't feel it.
So why is our relationship with God so different? Why do we forget that sometimes we have to choose to love? We may not always feel that intense, deep devotion and love based on circumstances. In those dry seasons in our lives when we feel that God is far away, we have to choose to love. We have to choose to keep our passion alive. Not because of what God does for us, but because of WHO HE IS. Because He is faithful, loving, gracious, merciful, forgiving, compassionate, healing, comforting, and passionately in love with us. We may not always see it in the circumstances around us. But what husband or boyfriend brings you flowers every day? Since when does God have to "woo" us or win our affection constantly?
Maybe He just wants to know that we love Him...just because. Because He is our Savior. Our Father. Our Friend. Just because of WHO HE IS.
I admit, I've done it too. My love has faded in the "in-between" times. But what kind of a commitment is that? Not one that will last.
I challenge you, and myself, to make your commitment to God and to loving Him just as serious as you would a marriage vow. You don't pledge to love a spouse "when they do great things for you and really show you how much they love you." No marriage would last if that were the case. Love is deeper and more committed. Love is selfless and faithful. Love is a CHOICE.
For better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. For all my days, Lord, I will CHOOSE to love you. Because of WHO YOU ARE.
Why is it that as Christians, we feel that God has to do something radical in our lives for us to re-gain that first love that we had for Him? You know- that passionate, intimate love that we felt when He first saved us from our sins and brought us into His amazing grace? Why don't we ALWAYS love Him passionately for that? Why does the intensity of our worship fade and the flame in our fire get dim?
And then we go to a retreat or a camp or some big shindig and God does something radical and we get all "fired up" again. And then we're "in love with Jesus" and everything is all about Him for the next few weeks. Until the newness fades and life is back to normal and our Bible is sitting dusty on the shelf again.
Let me tell you, if I was only deeply in love with my husband when he did something amazing for me, well, let's just say we probably wouldn't be married anymore. ;o) I am in love with him not because of what he does for me (although those times are special and appreciated). I am in love with him because of WHO HE IS. Because he is loving, kind, funny, sensitive, caring, honest, faithful, and ultimately, because he is the man I've committed my life to and I can't imagine life without him. And because I know sometimes you have to choose to love, even when you don't feel it.
So why is our relationship with God so different? Why do we forget that sometimes we have to choose to love? We may not always feel that intense, deep devotion and love based on circumstances. In those dry seasons in our lives when we feel that God is far away, we have to choose to love. We have to choose to keep our passion alive. Not because of what God does for us, but because of WHO HE IS. Because He is faithful, loving, gracious, merciful, forgiving, compassionate, healing, comforting, and passionately in love with us. We may not always see it in the circumstances around us. But what husband or boyfriend brings you flowers every day? Since when does God have to "woo" us or win our affection constantly?
Maybe He just wants to know that we love Him...just because. Because He is our Savior. Our Father. Our Friend. Just because of WHO HE IS.
I admit, I've done it too. My love has faded in the "in-between" times. But what kind of a commitment is that? Not one that will last.
I challenge you, and myself, to make your commitment to God and to loving Him just as serious as you would a marriage vow. You don't pledge to love a spouse "when they do great things for you and really show you how much they love you." No marriage would last if that were the case. Love is deeper and more committed. Love is selfless and faithful. Love is a CHOICE.
For better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. For all my days, Lord, I will CHOOSE to love you. Because of WHO YOU ARE.
Committed
I don’t know why this has been on my mind lately, but perhaps it will strike a chord with someone.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the lack of commitment in our society today. Commitment to relationships, jobs, family, goals, morals, convictions, etc. Why are we so quick to run away from things we once held in such high esteem as soon as a little trouble comes our way? Are we so shallow that we’re not willing to pay the price to stick by or work out something that we truly believe in?
People throughout history that have truly made a difference have been people that were totally committed to their cause. Philosophers, inventors, artists, missionaries, activists, politicians...so many people have given their lives in commitment to a cause that they believed to be worthy of their time, devotion, and in many cases, even martyrdom.
So why do we find it so hard to be committed to something? Anything? We’re always looking for the "next best thing". We’re not committed to marriage and family. We promote a good cause one day and forget about it the next. We commit to finishing our education, fulfilling our dreams, and making a difference, but somehow we end up making excuses for why we’ve fallen short. What happened to sacrifice? Conviction? Perserverance? COMMITMENT?
I want to be known as a committed person. I want to be committed to my Savior. I want people to see that I am 100% devoted to my faith in God and will never be swayed or shaken. I want to be as committed to Christ as He was to me when He carried my cross to Calvary.
I want to be committed to my family. I want them to always know without question that I am with them through thick and thin. No matter how tough times may get, I am committed to loving, supporting and believing in them.
I want to be committed to my dreams. To the vision God has given me for my life and my future. No matter how out of reach it may seem, I will press forward with my whole heart toward what God has called me to be and to do. I won’t give up. I won’t back down.
I want to be committed to the cause of Christ. To sharing His message with the world. I want to look back at the end of my life knowing that I did everything I could to tell people about the salvation that Jesus offers. It may require sacrifice and hardship, but I will not be silenced. Ever.
I want to go against the tide. This world may find that commitment is an outdated, overrated idea, but I believe it is the cornerstone to change. Like it’s been said, "If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything." Years from now I want someone to remember my name and know that I made a difference because I was committed. Perhaps it will be my grandchildren, thankful for a solid family heritage. Perhaps it will be young people that I ministered to, thankful for someone who told them about Jesus. Perhaps it will be someone I’ve never even met, but that was impacted by my life in some way.
I challenge you- be committed. Figure out who you are and what you believe and be committed to it. Whether it’s your faith, your family, your church, your charity, your dreams, or your desires, be committed. Nothing worth having comes without sacrifice. Jesus was the ultimate example of that. If He could be committed to a lost and dying world that hated and crucified Him, shouldn’t we be able to commit to a Savior that gave His all for us?
No matter what the cost, I will be committed. Will you?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the lack of commitment in our society today. Commitment to relationships, jobs, family, goals, morals, convictions, etc. Why are we so quick to run away from things we once held in such high esteem as soon as a little trouble comes our way? Are we so shallow that we’re not willing to pay the price to stick by or work out something that we truly believe in?
People throughout history that have truly made a difference have been people that were totally committed to their cause. Philosophers, inventors, artists, missionaries, activists, politicians...so many people have given their lives in commitment to a cause that they believed to be worthy of their time, devotion, and in many cases, even martyrdom.
So why do we find it so hard to be committed to something? Anything? We’re always looking for the "next best thing". We’re not committed to marriage and family. We promote a good cause one day and forget about it the next. We commit to finishing our education, fulfilling our dreams, and making a difference, but somehow we end up making excuses for why we’ve fallen short. What happened to sacrifice? Conviction? Perserverance? COMMITMENT?
I want to be known as a committed person. I want to be committed to my Savior. I want people to see that I am 100% devoted to my faith in God and will never be swayed or shaken. I want to be as committed to Christ as He was to me when He carried my cross to Calvary.
I want to be committed to my family. I want them to always know without question that I am with them through thick and thin. No matter how tough times may get, I am committed to loving, supporting and believing in them.
I want to be committed to my dreams. To the vision God has given me for my life and my future. No matter how out of reach it may seem, I will press forward with my whole heart toward what God has called me to be and to do. I won’t give up. I won’t back down.
I want to be committed to the cause of Christ. To sharing His message with the world. I want to look back at the end of my life knowing that I did everything I could to tell people about the salvation that Jesus offers. It may require sacrifice and hardship, but I will not be silenced. Ever.
I want to go against the tide. This world may find that commitment is an outdated, overrated idea, but I believe it is the cornerstone to change. Like it’s been said, "If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything." Years from now I want someone to remember my name and know that I made a difference because I was committed. Perhaps it will be my grandchildren, thankful for a solid family heritage. Perhaps it will be young people that I ministered to, thankful for someone who told them about Jesus. Perhaps it will be someone I’ve never even met, but that was impacted by my life in some way.
I challenge you- be committed. Figure out who you are and what you believe and be committed to it. Whether it’s your faith, your family, your church, your charity, your dreams, or your desires, be committed. Nothing worth having comes without sacrifice. Jesus was the ultimate example of that. If He could be committed to a lost and dying world that hated and crucified Him, shouldn’t we be able to commit to a Savior that gave His all for us?
No matter what the cost, I will be committed. Will you?
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