"Thankfulness to God is a recognition that God in His goodness and faithfulness has provided for us and cared for us, both physically and spiritually. It is a recognition that we are totally dependent upon Him; that all that we are and have comes from God." -Jerry Bridges
This month marks my eight birthday...my spiritual birthday that is! I am so excited to look back over the past eight years and see the mighty hand of God working so actively in and through my life; to say that I have been transformed is an understatement! I have seen the hand of God do wonders and move in ways I would have never expected and looking back over the past eight years there is one word that comes to my head...THANKFUL! I have never been more thankful for the saving work of Christ's death on the cross and the righteousness that He placed on my account than I am today...it still baffles my mind everytime I think about it; the fact that God, the creator of all the universe, would choose to save me. My life today is no where where I would have pictured it eight years ago or even four years ago but it is EXACTLY where God would have because He planned it; in His divine and sovereign control He orchestrated the outworking of my life to fulfill His purposes in and through me and I am so thankful that I can look back and see that. All that being said I have to say that the thing in my sanctification that I am most thankful for have been the trials. Looking back it was the moments in my life that God humbled and broke me and forced me on my knees so to speak in which I realized the weight of my dependency upon Him. It was in those moments that my heart was most refined and my love for the Lord strengthened most. I can't say that the pain and the hurt that I felt during those times was enjoyable or even that I was thankful in the midst of it, but the peace that seemed to be unexplainable left me speechless and in awe of our God. I remember countless times during those periods in my life when I would weep and yet in the midst of it all there was a hope and a firm foundation that I could cling tightly to. Psalm 147:3 became such an encouragment to me during those times, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. " And during those times in which I realized that I was so dependent upon Him even for my next breath, thankfulness became the overwhelming expression of my heart.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 expresses that it is God's will that we "give thanks in EVERYTHING"; in that I see no exception. Scripture is so perfectly real and clear with us...God requires that no matter what we be thankful. John Mac Arthur once said, "A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord "; and how true is that! A standard mark of a Christian is thankfulness no matter what the circumstance in life may be, if the sky is sunny or the earth starts shaking, there is a constant and firm foundation we have built our hope on and God promises us He will be our rock and He will always be with us. What an encouragement and a hope we as believers have! I remember thinking in my own low-points in life how sinfully selfish I truly was, how in times of abundant blessing I ceased to give God thanks and in times of misery I was quick to question His goodness; yet I was reminded consistently that no matter what I always had my salvation to rejoice in! David begged the Lord to restore to Him the joy of His salvation in His sorrow, and that should be our prayer too; whether we "feel" thankful or not is irrelevant as we know from the Word that it is God's "will" that we would be!
As I look forward to the next eight years (Lord-willing) of my spiritual life I am eagerly anticipating all the Lord has in store; but a constant prayer of mine is that God would continue to refine me, meaning more trials and tribulations, in order that I may be more thankful for who He is and for the salvation that He graciously bestowed upon me. I pray that in all things I would have the attitude of Horatio Spafford in saying "Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say...It is Well With My Soul"!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
He is FAITHFUL!
We live in a world that is constantly changing...nothing ever seems to hold promise; in fact even those that make promises seem to let us down at some point or another. We live, we grow and we learn from the changes around us, yet there is something deep within that longs for that consistency, that peace that will never fade and that hope/promise of something that will never change. I can't help but share the joy that fills my heart as I think about the faithfulness and the immutability of our good God! Knowing that He is our constant and our ever-same one I am consistently in awe.
For the past month and a half or so I have been reading through Hebrews and when I got to chapter 10 I stumbled across verse 23 which reads, "Let us continue to hold firmly to the hope that we confess without wavering, for the one who made the promise is faithful." What an encouraging thought and TRUTH to think about! We can hope and cling to the fact that our good God who saved us, who knows us better than we know ourselves, and who is working in and through us for our good and His glory is faithful meaning He is never going to break a promise, let us down, or change! Everytime I think about the fact that He doesn't change I am filled with overwhelming peace and joy because that means that despite my changing circumstances I can have a fixed point to focus on. When everything around me seems to be going crazy or the world seems to be falling apart I can as Hebrews 12 says, fix my eyes on Jesus knowing that he is the author and perfector of my faith! He did it! He paid the pirce, He did it all and we can cling with all hope knowing that one day we will see Him face to face and reap the benefits of His righteousness.
So may we remember no matter what that despite the fact that we change, people change, circumstances change, and life changes our good God is the same yesterday, today and forevermore!!!
We are to reflect Christ in all that we say and do. And the Christ of Scripture is the humble, suffering servant who, in spite of great opposition, false accusations, and public ridicule, remained faithful to the heavenly calling. -David Hegg
For the past month and a half or so I have been reading through Hebrews and when I got to chapter 10 I stumbled across verse 23 which reads, "Let us continue to hold firmly to the hope that we confess without wavering, for the one who made the promise is faithful." What an encouraging thought and TRUTH to think about! We can hope and cling to the fact that our good God who saved us, who knows us better than we know ourselves, and who is working in and through us for our good and His glory is faithful meaning He is never going to break a promise, let us down, or change! Everytime I think about the fact that He doesn't change I am filled with overwhelming peace and joy because that means that despite my changing circumstances I can have a fixed point to focus on. When everything around me seems to be going crazy or the world seems to be falling apart I can as Hebrews 12 says, fix my eyes on Jesus knowing that he is the author and perfector of my faith! He did it! He paid the pirce, He did it all and we can cling with all hope knowing that one day we will see Him face to face and reap the benefits of His righteousness.
So may we remember no matter what that despite the fact that we change, people change, circumstances change, and life changes our good God is the same yesterday, today and forevermore!!!
We are to reflect Christ in all that we say and do. And the Christ of Scripture is the humble, suffering servant who, in spite of great opposition, false accusations, and public ridicule, remained faithful to the heavenly calling. -David Hegg
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A Truly Godly Girl
I just finished a book by C.J. Mahaney called Worldliness and oh how convicted and encouraged I have been. After reading I had to write about one specific chapter that I think is neglected so often by Christian girls and women, yes modesty, in fact the whole idea of worldliness in dress. So this is for all the girls...please approach this in humility and be spurred on by the Word! I will admit to you all that after reading this chapter I too was SO convicted yet so reminded of God's grace and the pursuit of holiness even in this area of my own life that I must strive after.
In 1 Timothy 2:9-10 we read, "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. "
In 1 Peter 3:3-5 we read, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. "
and in Proverbs 31:30 we read, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. "
All three of these verse probably make you say, "yeah yeah I know, I've heard it before, but I'm good", or maybe you might know you struggle with immodesty or worldliness in your appearance and therefore you have somewhat hardened your heart to any exhortation in this area, but please read on. I chose these three verses because these three reveal not only a biblical idea of modesty, but more importantly God's heart towards the entire issue. Do you realize that God is intimately involved in EVERY aspect of His kid's lives? That means that he CARES about everything, even the clothes you wear...but more importantly, He cares about the heart behind your appearance and whether it reveals worldliness or godliness. Why does He care you might ask? Because HIS glory is at stake!
Modesty- Humility expressed in dress
Immodesty- the act of drawing undue attention to yourself. It is pride on display by what you wear.
Self control- restraint for the purpose of purity
Mahaney hit on three points that I want to reiterate and apply more specifically to encourage each of you:
1. The Attitude- Truth be told, you can't fix anything, any sin in your life until you get to the heart of it. For example, if I have an issue with stealing, if I just stop stealing, I am not going to fix the deeper problem, I have to address the reason WHY I steal. Okay, so what kind of attitude do I have towards my appearance and which one should I strive for? We need to strive for an attitude of modesty and that is enabled through self-control. You must realize that there is a link between your heart and the way you dress, do your hair, makeup etc. "Your clothes say something about your attitude If they don't express a heart that is humble, that desires to please God, that longs to serve others, that's modest that excercises self control, then change must begin in the heart. Do you understand that "modesty is humility expressed in dress"??
You might be thinking that either you have the right attitude, that you don't but I am being extreme, or best case scenario that you are longing to have that right attitude that please God...keep reading :)
2. The Appearance- What do immodest and prideful clothes look like? Do I have to dress in un-trendy clothes, never comb my hair and wear little or no makeup? No I am not advocating that we shouldn't take care of ourselves or make ourselves look beautiful. In fact God gave "God created women with an eye for making themselves and everything around them beautiful and attractive". Look at the woman in Proverbs 31 for example, she dressed herself in colorful and high quality clothing. In fact, "A woman's taste for beauty can be an imitation of God's character, but it can also become corrupted". In the early church they had a problem with the way they dressed too; the reason being because they were dressing like the pagan culture and they were distracting from the glory of God. The issue wasn't their expensive and beautiful clothes so to speak, or their hairstyles , but rather clothes that represent ungodly values and worldliness saying "look at me". Women within the church need to stand out!
3. THE RIGHT ADORNMENT- So if we are not supposed to imitate the world in our appearance, yet we are as women/girls created to enjoy beauty and desire it how are we to balance it all? Well let's look back to the first three verses I shared with you all and see what the Word has to say about the "beautiful woman"...
a. Good works- What is supposed to be most noticeable about a woman who professes godliness (aka professes to be a Christian)? She is supposed to be noticed NOT by her wardrobe but by her good works! Her life should be marked by serving God and serving others. It is evident of her salvation. So ask yourself for a moment...what are you spending your time on? Are you more concerned with working to make yourself look better are you more concerned with doing good? I must remind you that the culture teaches something completely different it says "good looks" not "good works". Are you more cosummed with your good looks or more consummed with your character? Where is your energy going?
b. Quiet and Gentle Spirit- What does that even mean? Well, in 1 Peter 3 we are talking about husbands and wives, and what the holy women of the past like Sarah reflected, and what was that? A quiet and gentle spirit. When I think of the word quiet, I don't even know what to think...the Greek defines quiet as "tranquil": restrained in speech or manner, free from disturbance or distraction, calm, peaceful. So what does that look like for us ladies then? This is a woman who uses her words wisely, who is submissive to authority, who is at peace in her heart and mind and finds her identity in Christ. And gentle, the Greek defines this as "fair, mild" meaning amiable, honorable, easily handled, of noble character. A woman who is respectable in all she says and does. This is a woman that we should strive to be...although this might not be the girl who has all the "new and trendy things" or the girl who gets all the guys attention this is the girl that gets the most important guys not only attention but approval for she is of great worth in HIS eyes.
c. Fears the Lord- And lastly but most importantly we should fear the Lord more than anyone or anything else. This I think is actually the driving force behind all immodesty and pride within our appearance because what goes through our hearts and is revealed in our actions is that "i am more concerned with what he/she thinks of me then God"...we fear man far too much! Why? For it is the Lord who has given us all things! James 1:17 reminds us that everything GOOD comes from Him, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. " That means that you didn't acheive your own beauty, talents, personality...nothing, He gave it to you for His glory not for your own and everytime you are more concerend with your outward appearance then the inward you are robbing Him of the glory due His name!
I have to address the issue of men for a moment and the battle that they face DAILY in their hearts and minds. I have often heard, and even proclaimed that guys need to take more repsonisbility for their struggle with lust and stop "blaming us". I have made every excuse in the book as to why I have to wear what I wear and why no matter what I wear guys are going to stumble because we are girls so why even try. I remember even telling my dad on countless occassions when he as confronted me that guys need to just learn to shut their eyes! I remember thinking how unfair it is! But girls, from me to you, your sister in the Lord please take this seriously when I say WE WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND the battle they have with lust...EVER! Do you understand that the way you present yourself to the world is a bait for thei rsinful mind to latch onto? If we are to SERVE our brothers and FEAR the Lord meaning that we are more concerned about what He thinks and stumbling a brother is sin, then we need to start admitting that we may need to change the way we dress and present ourselves. We are selfish! Let's just admit it and prideful too. We want guys to look at us and tell us how beautiful we are and truth be told we know EXACTLY what to wear or how to do our hair or whatever to get that attention we want. But why do we long so badly for their approval? Do you realize that you often are stumbling them? You are leading them directly into SIN, and although they are responsible for their sin you were the tool the enemy used? When I began thinking that way and realizing just how serious their struggles are I began realizing how hard I could make it. And girls a man who fears the Lord and loves Jesus (the kind of man you want) is going to be a man who wants a girl who is modest, and more concerned about God's glory then her own!
Remember as "Christians" the Gospel is at stake in everything we do and say. We have a mission: "not only to preach Christ but to live in a way consistent with our profession fo faith. The humble woman, the modest woman is concerned more about the lost. And her dress reflects that concern. Make this your aim: that there be no contradiction between your Gospel message and the clothes you wear. May your modest dress be a humble witness to the One who gave himself as a ransom for all".
In 1 Timothy 2:9-10 we read, "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. "
In 1 Peter 3:3-5 we read, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. "
and in Proverbs 31:30 we read, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. "
All three of these verse probably make you say, "yeah yeah I know, I've heard it before, but I'm good", or maybe you might know you struggle with immodesty or worldliness in your appearance and therefore you have somewhat hardened your heart to any exhortation in this area, but please read on. I chose these three verses because these three reveal not only a biblical idea of modesty, but more importantly God's heart towards the entire issue. Do you realize that God is intimately involved in EVERY aspect of His kid's lives? That means that he CARES about everything, even the clothes you wear...but more importantly, He cares about the heart behind your appearance and whether it reveals worldliness or godliness. Why does He care you might ask? Because HIS glory is at stake!
Modesty- Humility expressed in dress
Immodesty- the act of drawing undue attention to yourself. It is pride on display by what you wear.
Self control- restraint for the purpose of purity
Mahaney hit on three points that I want to reiterate and apply more specifically to encourage each of you:
1. The Attitude- Truth be told, you can't fix anything, any sin in your life until you get to the heart of it. For example, if I have an issue with stealing, if I just stop stealing, I am not going to fix the deeper problem, I have to address the reason WHY I steal. Okay, so what kind of attitude do I have towards my appearance and which one should I strive for? We need to strive for an attitude of modesty and that is enabled through self-control. You must realize that there is a link between your heart and the way you dress, do your hair, makeup etc. "Your clothes say something about your attitude If they don't express a heart that is humble, that desires to please God, that longs to serve others, that's modest that excercises self control, then change must begin in the heart. Do you understand that "modesty is humility expressed in dress"??
You might be thinking that either you have the right attitude, that you don't but I am being extreme, or best case scenario that you are longing to have that right attitude that please God...keep reading :)
2. The Appearance- What do immodest and prideful clothes look like? Do I have to dress in un-trendy clothes, never comb my hair and wear little or no makeup? No I am not advocating that we shouldn't take care of ourselves or make ourselves look beautiful. In fact God gave "God created women with an eye for making themselves and everything around them beautiful and attractive". Look at the woman in Proverbs 31 for example, she dressed herself in colorful and high quality clothing. In fact, "A woman's taste for beauty can be an imitation of God's character, but it can also become corrupted". In the early church they had a problem with the way they dressed too; the reason being because they were dressing like the pagan culture and they were distracting from the glory of God. The issue wasn't their expensive and beautiful clothes so to speak, or their hairstyles , but rather clothes that represent ungodly values and worldliness saying "look at me". Women within the church need to stand out!
3. THE RIGHT ADORNMENT- So if we are not supposed to imitate the world in our appearance, yet we are as women/girls created to enjoy beauty and desire it how are we to balance it all? Well let's look back to the first three verses I shared with you all and see what the Word has to say about the "beautiful woman"...
a. Good works- What is supposed to be most noticeable about a woman who professes godliness (aka professes to be a Christian)? She is supposed to be noticed NOT by her wardrobe but by her good works! Her life should be marked by serving God and serving others. It is evident of her salvation. So ask yourself for a moment...what are you spending your time on? Are you more concerned with working to make yourself look better are you more concerned with doing good? I must remind you that the culture teaches something completely different it says "good looks" not "good works". Are you more cosummed with your good looks or more consummed with your character? Where is your energy going?
b. Quiet and Gentle Spirit- What does that even mean? Well, in 1 Peter 3 we are talking about husbands and wives, and what the holy women of the past like Sarah reflected, and what was that? A quiet and gentle spirit. When I think of the word quiet, I don't even know what to think...the Greek defines quiet as "tranquil": restrained in speech or manner, free from disturbance or distraction, calm, peaceful. So what does that look like for us ladies then? This is a woman who uses her words wisely, who is submissive to authority, who is at peace in her heart and mind and finds her identity in Christ. And gentle, the Greek defines this as "fair, mild" meaning amiable, honorable, easily handled, of noble character. A woman who is respectable in all she says and does. This is a woman that we should strive to be...although this might not be the girl who has all the "new and trendy things" or the girl who gets all the guys attention this is the girl that gets the most important guys not only attention but approval for she is of great worth in HIS eyes.
c. Fears the Lord- And lastly but most importantly we should fear the Lord more than anyone or anything else. This I think is actually the driving force behind all immodesty and pride within our appearance because what goes through our hearts and is revealed in our actions is that "i am more concerned with what he/she thinks of me then God"...we fear man far too much! Why? For it is the Lord who has given us all things! James 1:17 reminds us that everything GOOD comes from Him, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. " That means that you didn't acheive your own beauty, talents, personality...nothing, He gave it to you for His glory not for your own and everytime you are more concerend with your outward appearance then the inward you are robbing Him of the glory due His name!
I have to address the issue of men for a moment and the battle that they face DAILY in their hearts and minds. I have often heard, and even proclaimed that guys need to take more repsonisbility for their struggle with lust and stop "blaming us". I have made every excuse in the book as to why I have to wear what I wear and why no matter what I wear guys are going to stumble because we are girls so why even try. I remember even telling my dad on countless occassions when he as confronted me that guys need to just learn to shut their eyes! I remember thinking how unfair it is! But girls, from me to you, your sister in the Lord please take this seriously when I say WE WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND the battle they have with lust...EVER! Do you understand that the way you present yourself to the world is a bait for thei rsinful mind to latch onto? If we are to SERVE our brothers and FEAR the Lord meaning that we are more concerned about what He thinks and stumbling a brother is sin, then we need to start admitting that we may need to change the way we dress and present ourselves. We are selfish! Let's just admit it and prideful too. We want guys to look at us and tell us how beautiful we are and truth be told we know EXACTLY what to wear or how to do our hair or whatever to get that attention we want. But why do we long so badly for their approval? Do you realize that you often are stumbling them? You are leading them directly into SIN, and although they are responsible for their sin you were the tool the enemy used? When I began thinking that way and realizing just how serious their struggles are I began realizing how hard I could make it. And girls a man who fears the Lord and loves Jesus (the kind of man you want) is going to be a man who wants a girl who is modest, and more concerned about God's glory then her own!
Remember as "Christians" the Gospel is at stake in everything we do and say. We have a mission: "not only to preach Christ but to live in a way consistent with our profession fo faith. The humble woman, the modest woman is concerned more about the lost. And her dress reflects that concern. Make this your aim: that there be no contradiction between your Gospel message and the clothes you wear. May your modest dress be a humble witness to the One who gave himself as a ransom for all".
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Discernment: A Mark of a Maturing Christian
"God demands and expects maturity, and maturity is inseparable from discernment. A Christian cannot have one without the other." -Tim Challies
I have been thinking lately a lot about maturity, and more importantly how it is reflected in one's life spiritually; and what I have come to find is that the Bible has a lot to say about maturity in the Christian life. Maturity in the Christian life is often looked upon as "arrogance", or maybe only for those "fanatical" Christians: especially by the thousands upon thousands who tag themselves with the name "Christian" but never open their Bibles. However let's examine a passage in Scripture written to a group of people who claimed to be "Christians" and see what we find: Hebrews 5:12-14 says, "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. " There is a warning to the reader's of this letter, a warning of apostasy and straying from the faith, but notice that the reason for the warning is their lack of maturity. Stop for a moment and ask yourself what your perception of maturity is, more specifically spiritual maturity? Would you call yourself a maturing Christian?
One of the keys to maturity in the Christian life is wisdom/discernment; I chose not to dichotimize the two because you cannot have one without the other, they go hand in hand. Many people think that discernment is only for the "elite" Christians, or maybe only for those Christians who have the spiritual "gift" of discernment, but Scripture teaches something very different. In fact God values discernment and rewards those who diligently pursue it. Look to Solomon's example for a moment and you are quick to see just how valuable discernment/wisdom is. In 1 Kings 3:6-9 we read of Solomon's prayer for wisdom, what he wanted more specifically was the ability to discern between good and evil within the kingdom. God answered that prayer and gave him both wisdom and discernment and he is well-known as one of if not the wisest men to ever walk this earth. There is no such thing as an immature Christian who is discerning...you will be mature if you excercise discernment. What is scarier is the fact that a lack of discernment reveals spiritual immaturity, backsliding, and even the spiritually dead, therefore we must examine how well we are doing in the area of discernment.
If there is anything worth protecting it is the "purity of the Gospel" and it is only through discernment (wisdom) that this can be done. Tim Challies in his book The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment we read about how Timothy was given the job of guarding the Gospel. He was to find godly Christians with whom he could in turn entrust it to. We must remember that without discernment and therefore without maturity in the Christian life, the GOSPEL IS AT SAKE!! "It is the responsibility of each Christian to heed and to answer the call and so to guard the deposit God has entrusted to us".
Wait, you might be saying, what is discernment really anyways? There are a handful of definitions I could ramble off and that every "Christian" could recite to me, but we must get to the heart of the Word of God to find the true understanding of the word. First we must realize that Truth is God and His Word and all things must be measured to that to see clearly. Knowing things is not an end, but rather the ability to better know and understand God and it begins with God. We must realize the HUGE grand canyon so to speak between God and us in light of His holiness and wisdom/knowledge. According to Challies, "wisdom is attained and enhanced as we think deeply and humbly about how we are to serve God". So what's the difference then between wisdom and discernment? Challies I think put it well, "A wise man will know that there are times when a person needs to be answered and there are times when it is better to remain silent. A discerning man, though, wil know WHEN he should give an answer and when he should know better". Is it starting to click yet? Discernment then is the application of wisdom to real life. After a careful study of the Hebrew and Greek this definition was put forth, "Discernment is the skill of understanding and applying God's Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong".
Discernment takes work! It is not something that some people just naturally have. And the more that we study the TRUTH and know TRUTH the more we will gain discernment. On a side-note, knowledge in and of itself does not determine discernment, one can be knowledgeable yet foolish. John 17:17 say, "your Word is truth" which means that we need to be in the word to not only be growing and maturing but to be gaining this discernment. Discernment allows us to see with God's eyes so to speak. "People who are discerning have a heightened ability to see and understand issues from God's perspectives".
The problem with discernment is that you are going to face challenges! "A person who seeks to be discerning must be willing to suffer the effects of this division. It will divide not only believer from unbeliever, but it may even divide a discerning believer from one who is undiscerning. It will separate the mature from the immature, the naive from the prudent". We must acknowledge that the only reason we will be able to make any progress in the Christian life is through the grace of God. You might be saying, I want to mature...I want to gain discernment so I may please the Lord more, make better choices etc. but how? We first have to recognize our enemies:
-THE FIRST ENEMY keeping us from maturing and gaining discernment is ourselves! Did you know that you, yes YOU are your own worse enemy? Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that our heart is "wicked and deceitful". But through the grace of the Father and the working of the Spirit you can fight the flesh that wages war as you feast on Truth and renew your mind.
-Satan wants to lead us astray too. He wants to offer us things that seem to resemble the truth but in reality are nothing near...it is a counterfeit, a cheat! "Satan is fully committed to our downfall and keeping us confused". Again we can battle the enemy with the Truth, the Word (put on the armor of the Lord--Eph 6).
-The culture around us doesn't help us at all either in this pursuit. We live in a fallen world that is completely and totally opposed to God in every way! The worldview that most all possess, even those claiming relation with the Savior, is rooted in sinfulness. "Discernment itself is rooted in the understanding that there is good and bad, that there are God's ways and other ways". We need to think Christianly. The culture and even many Christians also have a low view of Scripture, an incorrect and unbiblical one. "The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior is measured". Do you believe the Bible is sufficient for what ALL you need for life and godliness. We must remember we can only judge what is right and wrong from Truth and the only truth we have is the Word. And here is a place where I may raise a little strife, and that is having a low view of theology. Theology seems to be only for the "fundamentalists" and people who are theologically "sound" are known as arrogant. However if we look at what theology really menas "SPEAKING OF GOD", we need to realize that God is very concerned with all of His kids being theologians. "Many Christians have separated theology from practice, knowledge of God from their practice of serving him. Some Christians even delight in ignorance, claiming that they don't want theology; they just want to love jesus. These people tend to build faith upon feelins and experience rather than upon the truths of the Bible". And many Christians don't understand the holiness of God. We are to seek hard after that same holiness.
We must realize that "because discernment is a good and noble pursuit, it is one that has been opposed on all fronts". Some people may be thinking at this point that discernment seems so "logical" and not really involving my "close relationship" with God but we need to understand that Biblicallys peaking it is logical...it points to the truths of Scripture. John MacArthur says this, "Biblical faith..is rational. It is reasonable. It is intelligent. It makes good sense. And spiritual truth is meant to be rationally contemplated, examined logicaly, studied, analyzed, and employed as the only reliable basis for making wise judgments." WE USE OUR MINDS! Emotions are not a bad thing but they must come in response to Truth not the other way around.
So you may have skipped everything I said above about discernment or if you endured through I hope you were encouraged because discernment takes work! If we are going to mature in the Christian walk we are going to have to work hard. I love how Paul equates the Christian life with an athlete running a race because as anyone who has ever trained for a marathon knows, it takes hours and hours of traning, mental preparation and practice to compete, and winning well that takes even more. As Christians our desire should be to mature. We are not living for the here and now but rather the eternal and we have the privilege of growing in the wisdom of the King of Kings. If we truly pursue maturity (wisdom/discernment) and are responsible with the Truth we have been given (the Word in its entirety, spiritual books, leaders, etc) we will mature and more adequately reflect Christ and bring God more glory. For that is the chief aim of man, to glorify God, and maturing enables Him to be glorified even more!
(I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TIM CHALLIES BOOK The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment)
I have been thinking lately a lot about maturity, and more importantly how it is reflected in one's life spiritually; and what I have come to find is that the Bible has a lot to say about maturity in the Christian life. Maturity in the Christian life is often looked upon as "arrogance", or maybe only for those "fanatical" Christians: especially by the thousands upon thousands who tag themselves with the name "Christian" but never open their Bibles. However let's examine a passage in Scripture written to a group of people who claimed to be "Christians" and see what we find: Hebrews 5:12-14 says, "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. " There is a warning to the reader's of this letter, a warning of apostasy and straying from the faith, but notice that the reason for the warning is their lack of maturity. Stop for a moment and ask yourself what your perception of maturity is, more specifically spiritual maturity? Would you call yourself a maturing Christian?
One of the keys to maturity in the Christian life is wisdom/discernment; I chose not to dichotimize the two because you cannot have one without the other, they go hand in hand. Many people think that discernment is only for the "elite" Christians, or maybe only for those Christians who have the spiritual "gift" of discernment, but Scripture teaches something very different. In fact God values discernment and rewards those who diligently pursue it. Look to Solomon's example for a moment and you are quick to see just how valuable discernment/wisdom is. In 1 Kings 3:6-9 we read of Solomon's prayer for wisdom, what he wanted more specifically was the ability to discern between good and evil within the kingdom. God answered that prayer and gave him both wisdom and discernment and he is well-known as one of if not the wisest men to ever walk this earth. There is no such thing as an immature Christian who is discerning...you will be mature if you excercise discernment. What is scarier is the fact that a lack of discernment reveals spiritual immaturity, backsliding, and even the spiritually dead, therefore we must examine how well we are doing in the area of discernment.
If there is anything worth protecting it is the "purity of the Gospel" and it is only through discernment (wisdom) that this can be done. Tim Challies in his book The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment we read about how Timothy was given the job of guarding the Gospel. He was to find godly Christians with whom he could in turn entrust it to. We must remember that without discernment and therefore without maturity in the Christian life, the GOSPEL IS AT SAKE!! "It is the responsibility of each Christian to heed and to answer the call and so to guard the deposit God has entrusted to us".
Wait, you might be saying, what is discernment really anyways? There are a handful of definitions I could ramble off and that every "Christian" could recite to me, but we must get to the heart of the Word of God to find the true understanding of the word. First we must realize that Truth is God and His Word and all things must be measured to that to see clearly. Knowing things is not an end, but rather the ability to better know and understand God and it begins with God. We must realize the HUGE grand canyon so to speak between God and us in light of His holiness and wisdom/knowledge. According to Challies, "wisdom is attained and enhanced as we think deeply and humbly about how we are to serve God". So what's the difference then between wisdom and discernment? Challies I think put it well, "A wise man will know that there are times when a person needs to be answered and there are times when it is better to remain silent. A discerning man, though, wil know WHEN he should give an answer and when he should know better". Is it starting to click yet? Discernment then is the application of wisdom to real life. After a careful study of the Hebrew and Greek this definition was put forth, "Discernment is the skill of understanding and applying God's Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong".
Discernment takes work! It is not something that some people just naturally have. And the more that we study the TRUTH and know TRUTH the more we will gain discernment. On a side-note, knowledge in and of itself does not determine discernment, one can be knowledgeable yet foolish. John 17:17 say, "your Word is truth" which means that we need to be in the word to not only be growing and maturing but to be gaining this discernment. Discernment allows us to see with God's eyes so to speak. "People who are discerning have a heightened ability to see and understand issues from God's perspectives".
The problem with discernment is that you are going to face challenges! "A person who seeks to be discerning must be willing to suffer the effects of this division. It will divide not only believer from unbeliever, but it may even divide a discerning believer from one who is undiscerning. It will separate the mature from the immature, the naive from the prudent". We must acknowledge that the only reason we will be able to make any progress in the Christian life is through the grace of God. You might be saying, I want to mature...I want to gain discernment so I may please the Lord more, make better choices etc. but how? We first have to recognize our enemies:
-THE FIRST ENEMY keeping us from maturing and gaining discernment is ourselves! Did you know that you, yes YOU are your own worse enemy? Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that our heart is "wicked and deceitful". But through the grace of the Father and the working of the Spirit you can fight the flesh that wages war as you feast on Truth and renew your mind.
-Satan wants to lead us astray too. He wants to offer us things that seem to resemble the truth but in reality are nothing near...it is a counterfeit, a cheat! "Satan is fully committed to our downfall and keeping us confused". Again we can battle the enemy with the Truth, the Word (put on the armor of the Lord--Eph 6).
-The culture around us doesn't help us at all either in this pursuit. We live in a fallen world that is completely and totally opposed to God in every way! The worldview that most all possess, even those claiming relation with the Savior, is rooted in sinfulness. "Discernment itself is rooted in the understanding that there is good and bad, that there are God's ways and other ways". We need to think Christianly. The culture and even many Christians also have a low view of Scripture, an incorrect and unbiblical one. "The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior is measured". Do you believe the Bible is sufficient for what ALL you need for life and godliness. We must remember we can only judge what is right and wrong from Truth and the only truth we have is the Word. And here is a place where I may raise a little strife, and that is having a low view of theology. Theology seems to be only for the "fundamentalists" and people who are theologically "sound" are known as arrogant. However if we look at what theology really menas "SPEAKING OF GOD", we need to realize that God is very concerned with all of His kids being theologians. "Many Christians have separated theology from practice, knowledge of God from their practice of serving him. Some Christians even delight in ignorance, claiming that they don't want theology; they just want to love jesus. These people tend to build faith upon feelins and experience rather than upon the truths of the Bible". And many Christians don't understand the holiness of God. We are to seek hard after that same holiness.
We must realize that "because discernment is a good and noble pursuit, it is one that has been opposed on all fronts". Some people may be thinking at this point that discernment seems so "logical" and not really involving my "close relationship" with God but we need to understand that Biblicallys peaking it is logical...it points to the truths of Scripture. John MacArthur says this, "Biblical faith..is rational. It is reasonable. It is intelligent. It makes good sense. And spiritual truth is meant to be rationally contemplated, examined logicaly, studied, analyzed, and employed as the only reliable basis for making wise judgments." WE USE OUR MINDS! Emotions are not a bad thing but they must come in response to Truth not the other way around.
So you may have skipped everything I said above about discernment or if you endured through I hope you were encouraged because discernment takes work! If we are going to mature in the Christian walk we are going to have to work hard. I love how Paul equates the Christian life with an athlete running a race because as anyone who has ever trained for a marathon knows, it takes hours and hours of traning, mental preparation and practice to compete, and winning well that takes even more. As Christians our desire should be to mature. We are not living for the here and now but rather the eternal and we have the privilege of growing in the wisdom of the King of Kings. If we truly pursue maturity (wisdom/discernment) and are responsible with the Truth we have been given (the Word in its entirety, spiritual books, leaders, etc) we will mature and more adequately reflect Christ and bring God more glory. For that is the chief aim of man, to glorify God, and maturing enables Him to be glorified even more!
(I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TIM CHALLIES BOOK The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment)
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Being Faithful with the Cross
The cross of Christ...shame, wrath, pain, humility, suffering, redemption, thankfulness, hope, blessing, price, fulfillment, salvation, resurrection; all of these words and many more flood our minds when we reflect on the work Christ performed 2000 years ago on Calvary, but do we stop there? Do we merely look at the work and treat it as merely something to remember but once a year during Easter week or is it an act that radically transforms our daily lives and leaves us living a life of anticipation for what is to come...Christ's upcoming and glorious reign forevermore! As we reflect this week on what Christ did can we stop for a moment and thank Him, can we stop for a moment and remember what it cost for our sins to be paid for in full, and can we stop and realize what is to come; in a world that is getting worse by the day there are lost souls around us waiting to be saved, let us be faithful in preaching the Gospel daily, especially during this week when the opportunities are everywhere! I stumbled upon the following quote :
" Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the Child of a peasant woman. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His Divine manhood. While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a Cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying—and that was His coat. When He was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Such was His human life—He rises from the dead. Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the Centerpiece of the human race and the Leader of the column of progress. I am within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life. Fundamentally, our Lord's message was Himself. He did not come merely to preach a Gospel; He himself is that Gospel. He did not come merely to give bread; He said, "I am the bread." He did not come merely to shed light; He said, "I am the light." He did not come merely to show the door; He said, "I am the door." He did not come merely to name a shepherd; He said, "I am the shepherd." He did not come merely to point the way; He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."
Let us take the message of the cross, be encouraged, humbled and spurred on and in turn share it with all we come in contact with. We must be faithful, for why else did He save us and leave us here but to use us as His tools!
" Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the Child of a peasant woman. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His Divine manhood. While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a Cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying—and that was His coat. When He was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Such was His human life—He rises from the dead. Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the Centerpiece of the human race and the Leader of the column of progress. I am within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life. Fundamentally, our Lord's message was Himself. He did not come merely to preach a Gospel; He himself is that Gospel. He did not come merely to give bread; He said, "I am the bread." He did not come merely to shed light; He said, "I am the light." He did not come merely to show the door; He said, "I am the door." He did not come merely to name a shepherd; He said, "I am the shepherd." He did not come merely to point the way; He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."
Let us take the message of the cross, be encouraged, humbled and spurred on and in turn share it with all we come in contact with. We must be faithful, for why else did He save us and leave us here but to use us as His tools!
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