Here's some more funny stuff, while I continue (still) to work on my next post. It's been in the works for some time now... maybe one of these days it will actually be posted! Anyway... hope you find this as funny as I did:
The Semi-Pelagian Narrower Catechism
Q: What is the chief end of each individual Christian?
A: Each individual Christian’s chief end is to get saved. This is the first and greatest commandment.
Q: And what is the second great commandment?
A: The second, which is like unto it, is to get as many others saved as he can.
Q: What one work is required of thee for thy salvation?
A: It is required of me for my salvation that I make a Decision for Christ, which meaneth to accept Him into my heart to be my personal lord’n’saviour
Q: At what time must thou perform this work?
A: I must perform this work at such time as I have reached the Age of Accountability.
Q: At what time wilt thou have reached this Age?
A: That is a trick question. In order to determine this time, my mind must needs be sharper than any two-edged sword, able to pierce even to the division of bone and marrow; for, alas, the Age of Accountability is different for each individual, and is thus unknowable.
Q: By what means is a Decision for Christ made?
A: A Decision for Christ is made, not according to His own purpose and grace which was given to me in Christ Jesus before the world began, but according to the exercise of my own Free Will in saying the Sinner’s Prayer in my own words.
Q: If it be true then that man is responsible for this Decision, how then can God be sovereign?
A: He cannot be. God sovereignly chose not to be sovereign, and is therefore dependent upon me to come to Him for salvation. He standeth outside the door of my heart, forlornly knocking, until such time as I Decide to let Him in.
Q: How then can we make such a Decision, seeing that the Scripture saith, we are dead in our trespasses and sins?
A: By this the Scripture meaneth, not that we are dead, but only that we are sick or injured in them.
Q: What is the assurance of thy salvation?
A: The assurance of thy salvation is, that I know the date on which I prayed the Sinner’s Prayer, and have duly written this date on an official Decision card.
Q: What is thy story? What is thy song?
A: Praising my Savior all the day long.
Q: You ask me how I know he lives?
A: He lives within my heart.
Q: And what else hast thou got in thine heart?
A: I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.
Q: Where??
A: Down in my heart!
Q: Where???
A: Down in my heart!!
Q: What witness aid hath been given us as a technique by which we may win souls?
A: The tract known commonly as the Four Spiritual Laws, is the chief aid whereby we may win souls.
Q: What doth this tract principally teach?
A: The Four Spiritual Laws principally teach, that God’s entire plan for history and the universe centereth on me, and that I am powerful enough to thwart His divine purpose if I refuse to let Him pursue His Wonderful Plan for my life.
Q: What supplementary technique is given by which we may win souls?
A: The technique of giving our own Personal Testimony, in the which we must always be ready to give an answer concerning the years we spent in vanity and pride, and the wretched vices in which we wallowed all our lives untilthe day we got saved.
Q: I’m so happy, what’s the reason why?
A: Jesus took my burden all away!
Q: What are the means given whereby we may save large crowds of souls in a spectacular manner?
A: Such a spectacle is accomplished by means of well-publicized Crusades and Revivals which (in order that none may be loath to attend) are best conducted anywhere else but in a Church.
Q: Am I a soldier of the Cross?
A: I am a soldier of the Cross if I join Campus Crusade, Boys’ Brigade, the Salvation Army, or the Wheaton Crusaders; of if I put on the helmet of Dispensationalism, the breastplate of Pietism, the shield of Tribulationism, and the sword of Zionism, having my feet shod with the gospel of Arminianism.
Q: Who is your boss?
A: My boss is a Jewish carpenter.
Q: Hath God predestined vessels of wrath to Hell?
A: God hath never performed such an omnipotent act, for any such thing would not reflect His primary attribute, which is Niceness.
Q: What is sanctification?
A: Sanctification is the work of my free Will, whereby I am renewed by having my Daily Quiet Time.
Q: What rule hath God for our direction in prayer?
A: The rule that we must bow our hands, close our heads, and fold our eyes.
Q: What doth the Lord’s Prayer teach us?
A: The Lord’s Prayer teacheth us that we must never memorize a prayer, or use one that hath been written down.
Q: What’s the book for thee?
A: The B-I-B-L-E.
Q: Which are among the first books which a Christian should read to his soul’s health?
A: Among the first books which a Christian should read are the books of Daniel and Revelation, and The Late Great Planet Earth.
Q: Who is on the Lord’s side?
A: He who doth support whatsoever is done by the nation of Israel, and who doth renounce the world, the flesh, and the Catholic Church.
Q: What are the seven deadly sins?
A: The seven deadly sins are smoking, drinking, dancing, card-playing, movie-going, baptizing babies, and having any creed but Christ.
Q: What is a sacrament?
A: A sacrament is an insidious invention devised by the Catholic Church whereby men are drawn into idolatry.
Q: What is the Lord’s Supper?
A: The Lord’s Supper is a dispensing of saltines and grape juice, in the which we remember Christ’s command to pretend that they are His body and blood.
Q: What is baptism?
A: Baptism is the act whereby, by the performance of something that seems quite silly in front of everyone, I prove that I really, really mean it.
Q: What is the Church?
A: The Church is the tiny minority of individuals living at this time who have Jesus in their hearts, and who come together once a week for a sermon, fellowship and donuts.
Q: What is the office of the keys?
A: The office of the keys is that office held by the custodian.
Q: What meaneth “The Priesthood Of All Believers”?
A: The Priesthood Of All Believers meaneth that there exists no authority in the Church, as that falsely thought to be held by elders, presbyters, deacons, and bishops, but that each individual Christian acts as his own authority in all matters pertaining to the faith.
Q: Who is the Holy Spirit?
A: The Holy Spirit is a gentleman Who would never barge in.
Q: How long hath the Holy Spirit been at work?
A: The Holy Spirit hath been at work for more than a century: expressly, since the nineteenth-century Revitalization brought about by traveling Evangelists carrying tents across America.
Q: When will be the “Last Days” of which the Bible speaketh?
A: The “Last Days” are these days in which we are now living, in which the Antichrist, the Beast, and the Thief in the Night shall most certainly appear.
Q: What is the name of the event by which Christians will escape these dreadful entities?
A: The event commonly known as the Rapture, in the which it is our Blessed Hope that all cars driven by Christians will suddenly have no drivers.
Q: When is Jesus coming again?
A: Maybe morning, maybe noon, maybe evening, and maybe soon.
Q: When the roll, roll, roll, is called up yonder, where will you be?
A: There.
Q: Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah!
A: Praise ye the Lord!
Q: Praise ye the Lord!
A: Hallelujah!
Q: Where will we meet again?
A: Here, there, or in the air.
Q: Can I hear an Ay-men?
A: Ay-men.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Humor Department
For all you wannabe pastors out there... this looks like a seminary education in itself, all wrapped up in a PC game!
Build Your Own Megachurch
Build Your Own Megachurch
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Identity Crisis
I am loving seminary thus far. I am in my fourth semester now, and when it winds down, I will only have one year left. Where did the time go? I have speculated (and prayed, of course!) a great deal about my future plans... perhaps more schooling, perhaps a ministry position (or both!)... we'll see where Father leads! Exciting times, to be sure.
For one of the counseling classes I'm currently taking, I have to respond to a series of weekly online questions posed by the professor (and also respond to at least one other student). Here is one of those questions:
It is your first counseling session with a man who describes himself as a confused and struggling Christian. Your counselee says the following when asked about his presenting problem: “I am frustrated with my powerlessness in the Christian life, I see other Christians seeming to flourish while I struggle much of the time with doubts and temptations. I wonder, is everyone else just faking it or am I the only one that has a daily struggle with my Christian life?” Based on what you have gleaned in this course thus far—assess your counselee. HINT: I’m not asking you how you would counsel this man; I am asking you to assess him based on what he said in response to the presenting problem.
I can SO identify with the 'counselee' in this scenario... and I'm sure many of you can too. This is how I responded... and I would be curious to hear how some of you might respond to this question.
The first sentence provides a clue to part of the counselee’s problem – he says that “I am frustrated with my powerlessness in the Christian life”. (emphasis mine) This tells me that he has the mistaken belief that the Christian life is to be lived out of our own resources – that we have to somehow muster up the power to do everything that God requires of us. His understanding of the reality of the exchanged life – Christ living His life in and through the believer – is either inadequate or nonexistent.
Another issue here is that the counselee seems to be gauging his spiritual progress by comparing his performance in the Christian life to that of other believers. They seem to have it all together on the outside, so he automatically assumes that something is wrong with him if he experiences any struggle. His reasoning seems to be that if he is unable to ‘pull it off’ at least as well as those around him, then obviously God is disappointed with him. He does not have an adequate understanding of his identity in Christ – that he is a totally loved, totally accepted child of God. It is obvious that he has been running on the treadmill of performance-based acceptance and is finally at the point where he is tired of it and is ready to jump off! Philippians 3:9 has not become a reality for him in his experience – rather than appropriating the righteousness that comes by faith in Christ, he is unwittingly looking to the Law (his performance) to gauge his righteousness.
There could be several causes for his behavior. Perhaps he is hanging on to some faulty teaching from previous church experience. It could be that his parents were very demanding of him and he could never live up to their expectations, no matter how hard he tried. In this instance, it would be quite natural for him to project those views onto God. Perhaps there are other instances of perceived failure that would come to light with some deeper probing. Whatever the cause, it is clear that the main issue here is that he is looking to the progress of others to evaluate his progress in the Christian life, rather than looking to Christ Jesus, “who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1:30 NASB)
For one of the counseling classes I'm currently taking, I have to respond to a series of weekly online questions posed by the professor (and also respond to at least one other student). Here is one of those questions:
It is your first counseling session with a man who describes himself as a confused and struggling Christian. Your counselee says the following when asked about his presenting problem: “I am frustrated with my powerlessness in the Christian life, I see other Christians seeming to flourish while I struggle much of the time with doubts and temptations. I wonder, is everyone else just faking it or am I the only one that has a daily struggle with my Christian life?” Based on what you have gleaned in this course thus far—assess your counselee. HINT: I’m not asking you how you would counsel this man; I am asking you to assess him based on what he said in response to the presenting problem.
I can SO identify with the 'counselee' in this scenario... and I'm sure many of you can too. This is how I responded... and I would be curious to hear how some of you might respond to this question.
The first sentence provides a clue to part of the counselee’s problem – he says that “I am frustrated with my powerlessness in the Christian life”. (emphasis mine) This tells me that he has the mistaken belief that the Christian life is to be lived out of our own resources – that we have to somehow muster up the power to do everything that God requires of us. His understanding of the reality of the exchanged life – Christ living His life in and through the believer – is either inadequate or nonexistent.
Another issue here is that the counselee seems to be gauging his spiritual progress by comparing his performance in the Christian life to that of other believers. They seem to have it all together on the outside, so he automatically assumes that something is wrong with him if he experiences any struggle. His reasoning seems to be that if he is unable to ‘pull it off’ at least as well as those around him, then obviously God is disappointed with him. He does not have an adequate understanding of his identity in Christ – that he is a totally loved, totally accepted child of God. It is obvious that he has been running on the treadmill of performance-based acceptance and is finally at the point where he is tired of it and is ready to jump off! Philippians 3:9 has not become a reality for him in his experience – rather than appropriating the righteousness that comes by faith in Christ, he is unwittingly looking to the Law (his performance) to gauge his righteousness.
There could be several causes for his behavior. Perhaps he is hanging on to some faulty teaching from previous church experience. It could be that his parents were very demanding of him and he could never live up to their expectations, no matter how hard he tried. In this instance, it would be quite natural for him to project those views onto God. Perhaps there are other instances of perceived failure that would come to light with some deeper probing. Whatever the cause, it is clear that the main issue here is that he is looking to the progress of others to evaluate his progress in the Christian life, rather than looking to Christ Jesus, “who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1:30 NASB)
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Man as a Trichotomous Being
After much careful reading and study, I have come to believe that man, from a biblical perspective, is made up of three parts – a body, soul, and spirit. This is what is known as the trichotomous view of man. Not only does it seem to me to be the most biblical model, but it is also essential from a discipleship and/or counseling perspective to understand it this way. I would echo the following statement by Richard Hall: “To leave even one of these areas of life out of a basic model leaves gaping holes leading to a multitude of problems.”[1]
The passage of Scripture that most clearly evidences the triune nature of man is 1 Thessalonians 5:23, which states: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NASB, emphasis mine) Here, Paul makes a clear distinction between the immaterial parts of man, the spirit and the soul. The strict dichotomist would say that this is irrelevant simply because those terms can be used interchangeably to refer to the immaterial part of man. However, the fact that Paul does make such a distinction should tell us that, at least, there is a distinction in function. Another text outlining this distinction is Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (NASB, emphasis mine)
Two other passages add strength to the argument that the spirit is a distinct part of the makeup of man. First, Genesis 2:7 tells us, “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living being.” (NASB) Also, Job 33:4 says “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (NASB) Both of these passages emphasize the spirit in man as an essential element of his life. It becomes especially important when we consider the quality of life we are given through the Holy Spirit, as opposed to the ‘soulical’ life. Let us consider Romans 8:10-11:
If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He whoraised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (NASB)
This passages clearly shows us that in order to be truly alive, we must have the Spirit of Christ indwelling our human spirit. We are then able to live out of the resources that God provides for us.
Along these lines, further strengthening the argument for trichotomy are other passages that outline for us how man can function out of his soul, while being devoid of the Spirit. According to Hall, “Since there is no commonly used adjective for soul in English, the translators have used such words or phrases as “natural”, “without the spirit”, “unspiritual”, and “sensual”.” [2] One example of this is 1 Corinthians 2:14, where Paul tells us that “a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God.” Also, consider 1 Corinthians 15:44, speaking of our resurrection bodies – “it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” Both of these passages and others (see also James 3:15 and Jude 19) give us a clear distinction between the natural man (unsaved and without the Spirit) and the spiritual man (saved, indwelt by the Spirit). It becomes clear, then, that man is able to function out of the soul – his mind, will, and emotions – regardless of his spiritual condition. However, without the Spirit of God indwelling his human spirit, he is dead in his sins and left to function in this world without the resources of God.
Much more can be (and has been) said on this subject… this type of venue does not lend itself to a lengthy treatment of trichotomy vs. dichotomy. I’m sure that many out there would disagree with my conclusions, as the dichotomous view is much more popular these days. However, Charles Solomon makes a valid point:
Because most Christians see no practical relevance in holding to strong conclusions about their immaterial makeup, the discussion of dichotomy and trichotomy is viewed as theological hairsplitting. But if Christians can be shown that a clear understanding of the soul's relationship to the spirit of man can clarify and solve practical problems that face him everyday, the distinction may be worth understanding . . . Because we have seen the strong interdependency of identity and acceptance in man, we need to examine both models of man to see which better accommodates an explanation of the cause and solution to these needs and which of the two is more consistent with biblical language. Finding a spiritual model of man will aid the believer in understanding his interpersonal functioning and his standing before God. [3]
______________________________________________
[1] Hall, Richard F., Foundations of Exchanged Life Counseling (Aurora: Cross Life Expressions, 1995), 11.
[2] Ibid, 13.
[3] Solomon, Charles R., Handbook to Acceptance (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1982), 99-100.
The passage of Scripture that most clearly evidences the triune nature of man is 1 Thessalonians 5:23, which states: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NASB, emphasis mine) Here, Paul makes a clear distinction between the immaterial parts of man, the spirit and the soul. The strict dichotomist would say that this is irrelevant simply because those terms can be used interchangeably to refer to the immaterial part of man. However, the fact that Paul does make such a distinction should tell us that, at least, there is a distinction in function. Another text outlining this distinction is Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (NASB, emphasis mine)
Two other passages add strength to the argument that the spirit is a distinct part of the makeup of man. First, Genesis 2:7 tells us, “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living being.” (NASB) Also, Job 33:4 says “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (NASB) Both of these passages emphasize the spirit in man as an essential element of his life. It becomes especially important when we consider the quality of life we are given through the Holy Spirit, as opposed to the ‘soulical’ life. Let us consider Romans 8:10-11:
If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He whoraised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (NASB)
This passages clearly shows us that in order to be truly alive, we must have the Spirit of Christ indwelling our human spirit. We are then able to live out of the resources that God provides for us.
Along these lines, further strengthening the argument for trichotomy are other passages that outline for us how man can function out of his soul, while being devoid of the Spirit. According to Hall, “Since there is no commonly used adjective for soul in English, the translators have used such words or phrases as “natural”, “without the spirit”, “unspiritual”, and “sensual”.” [2] One example of this is 1 Corinthians 2:14, where Paul tells us that “a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God.” Also, consider 1 Corinthians 15:44, speaking of our resurrection bodies – “it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” Both of these passages and others (see also James 3:15 and Jude 19) give us a clear distinction between the natural man (unsaved and without the Spirit) and the spiritual man (saved, indwelt by the Spirit). It becomes clear, then, that man is able to function out of the soul – his mind, will, and emotions – regardless of his spiritual condition. However, without the Spirit of God indwelling his human spirit, he is dead in his sins and left to function in this world without the resources of God.
Much more can be (and has been) said on this subject… this type of venue does not lend itself to a lengthy treatment of trichotomy vs. dichotomy. I’m sure that many out there would disagree with my conclusions, as the dichotomous view is much more popular these days. However, Charles Solomon makes a valid point:
Because most Christians see no practical relevance in holding to strong conclusions about their immaterial makeup, the discussion of dichotomy and trichotomy is viewed as theological hairsplitting. But if Christians can be shown that a clear understanding of the soul's relationship to the spirit of man can clarify and solve practical problems that face him everyday, the distinction may be worth understanding . . . Because we have seen the strong interdependency of identity and acceptance in man, we need to examine both models of man to see which better accommodates an explanation of the cause and solution to these needs and which of the two is more consistent with biblical language. Finding a spiritual model of man will aid the believer in understanding his interpersonal functioning and his standing before God. [3]
______________________________________________
[1] Hall, Richard F., Foundations of Exchanged Life Counseling (Aurora: Cross Life Expressions, 1995), 11.
[2] Ibid, 13.
[3] Solomon, Charles R., Handbook to Acceptance (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1982), 99-100.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Righteousness
To me, the objective aspect of my justification that has the most subjective meaning to me in my walk is that of the righteousness of Christ imparted to me by the Father. It is very freeing, yet humbling, to realize that God has cleansed me from all my sin and given me His own righteousness, especially when I contemplate the depth of my sinfulness before I came to know Christ. Although I still have the capacity to walk after my flesh, it is awesome to know that he counts me as righteous in Christ regardless of my sometimes sinful behavior. Not that He condones those actions, but that He has given me a new identity as a saint – a holy, righteous child of God. Praise the Lord that He has done this amazing work in my life!
I have become more and more aware in recent years of the importance of understanding our righteousness in Christ as not merely an external declaration, but an internal reality. This has come about as I have learned more of our union with Christ and how His righteousness was actually given to us. I found the following excerpt from Erickson to be most helpful:
For Christ and the believer do not stand at arm’s length from one another so that when God looks squarely at the believer he cannot also see Christ with His righteousness but only pretends to. Rather, Christ and the believer have been brought into such a unity that Christ’s spiritual assets, as it were, and the spiritual liabilities and assets of the believer are merged. Thus, when looking at the believer God the Father does not see him or her alone. He sees the believer together with Christ, and in the act of justification justifies both of them together. It is as if God says, “They are righteous!” He declares what is actually true of the believer, which has come to pass through God’s constituting the believer one with Christ.[1]
This has startling implications for us as believers. Often, we are taught by well-meaning teachers that God just ‘sees’ us in Christ, as if through a screen – but take away the screen, and we are just the same old filthy sinners we have always been. However, we can see from the Erickson excerpt that this simply is not true – we are righteous because of our justification and our union with Christ. Further, this is corroborated by the witness of Scripture itself. 2 Corinthians 5:21 states that we have actually become the righteousness of God in Christ, and 1 Corinthians 1:30 makes a similar statement. Also consider Romans 5:19 – “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” (NASB, emphasis mine) This definitely implies something more than a mere external declaration. We are, in fact, righteous through the joining together of Christ’s Spirit with our human spirits – it is part of our new identity as children of God.
So, how does all of this affect my daily walk with God? Proverbs 23:7 is a key passage here: “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” (NASB) If I, as a believer, continue to think of myself as a dirty, rotten sinner despite of my cleansing from sin and union with Christ, then sin is certainly what will be produced in my life. However, if I set my mind on what is true in the Spirit (Rom. 8:5-8) – that I am a partaker of the righteousness of Christ – then righteousness is what will naturally be produced in my behavior. As I renew my thinking with what is true about me in Christ, then I will find that I abide in Him on a more continual basis and will be better equipped to ward off the accusations of the enemy.
______________________________________________
[1] Erickson, Millard J., Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998), 971-972.
I have become more and more aware in recent years of the importance of understanding our righteousness in Christ as not merely an external declaration, but an internal reality. This has come about as I have learned more of our union with Christ and how His righteousness was actually given to us. I found the following excerpt from Erickson to be most helpful:
For Christ and the believer do not stand at arm’s length from one another so that when God looks squarely at the believer he cannot also see Christ with His righteousness but only pretends to. Rather, Christ and the believer have been brought into such a unity that Christ’s spiritual assets, as it were, and the spiritual liabilities and assets of the believer are merged. Thus, when looking at the believer God the Father does not see him or her alone. He sees the believer together with Christ, and in the act of justification justifies both of them together. It is as if God says, “They are righteous!” He declares what is actually true of the believer, which has come to pass through God’s constituting the believer one with Christ.[1]
This has startling implications for us as believers. Often, we are taught by well-meaning teachers that God just ‘sees’ us in Christ, as if through a screen – but take away the screen, and we are just the same old filthy sinners we have always been. However, we can see from the Erickson excerpt that this simply is not true – we are righteous because of our justification and our union with Christ. Further, this is corroborated by the witness of Scripture itself. 2 Corinthians 5:21 states that we have actually become the righteousness of God in Christ, and 1 Corinthians 1:30 makes a similar statement. Also consider Romans 5:19 – “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” (NASB, emphasis mine) This definitely implies something more than a mere external declaration. We are, in fact, righteous through the joining together of Christ’s Spirit with our human spirits – it is part of our new identity as children of God.
So, how does all of this affect my daily walk with God? Proverbs 23:7 is a key passage here: “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” (NASB) If I, as a believer, continue to think of myself as a dirty, rotten sinner despite of my cleansing from sin and union with Christ, then sin is certainly what will be produced in my life. However, if I set my mind on what is true in the Spirit (Rom. 8:5-8) – that I am a partaker of the righteousness of Christ – then righteousness is what will naturally be produced in my behavior. As I renew my thinking with what is true about me in Christ, then I will find that I abide in Him on a more continual basis and will be better equipped to ward off the accusations of the enemy.
______________________________________________
[1] Erickson, Millard J., Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998), 971-972.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Flesh and Indwelling Sin
I was first taught the truths of our identity in Christ and the New Covenant a few years ago. Hearing that glorious message was like a breath of fresh air after being in bondage to legalism for so long. I devoured every book on the subject that I could get my hands on. Since that time, God has been faithful to ingrain these truths into my mind and has been teaching me more and more how to live in this glorious New Covenant economy.
To me, one of the most revolutionary concepts connected with our new identity is that God now calls us saints (‘holy ones’), not sinners. In fact, there are over fifty references to believers as saints in the New Testament. We are called holy ones by God, not because of anything we have done, but because we now have Christ in us (Col. 1:27) Thus, seeing ourselves as merely forgiven sinners is unbiblical, not to mention the fact that sin is what is most likely to be produced in our lives if we think of ourselves that way (see Proverbs 23:7)! If we allow God to renew our minds (Rom. 12:2) with the truths of His grace and the New Covenant, then He will be faithful to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives as we learn to trust Him by faith.
It is also amazing to consider the fact that our old sinful nature has been ‘crucified with Christ’ (Gal. 2:20) and that we are in fact ‘new creations’ (2 Cor. 5:21) in our spirits. While we still have to deal with the reality of the flesh in our daily lives, understanding that our spirits have undergone such a radical transformation truly enables us to present ourselves to God ‘as those alive from the dead’ (Rom. 6:19). We can do this, not on the basis of wishful thinking… but because we ARE alive! We no longer have to grit our teeth and try to become something we are not; rather, as we ‘branches’ simply abide in Christ the true vine and allow Him to express His life through us (John 15:5), we will certainly live as He intended us to.
So, taking all of this into account... how is it that we as new creations in Christ still find ourselves, often times, caught up in our old sinful ways? We find some important insight into this issue in the seventh chapter of Romans. I believe that a careful study of Romans 7:14-25 shows us that the Apostle Paul’s spiritual condition here is that of a regenerate believer in Christ, who recognizes that he still has sinful flesh. He makes several statements in this passage that would be very difficult (if not impossible) to attribute to an unbeliever. For instance, in verse 15 Paul states that “I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate”. This is the consistent theme that runs throughout verses 14-25 – that Paul has a sincere, God-given desire to do the will of God, but is frustrated by the sin produced by his flesh. This is summed up best in verse 18: “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.” (emphasis mine). As a believer, Paul’s mind was continually being renewed to better understand the will of God (Rom, 12:2, 1 Cor. 2:16), thus his desire to do what is right. However, like all of us, there are times when sin would reign in Paul’s body (Rom. 6:12) and he would find himself doing exactly the opposite of what he wanted.
Scripture does indeed make a distinction between the flesh and the power of indwelling sin. Needham’s excellent definition of ‘flesh’ is as follows: “Flesh, according to John 3:6 (and enlarged upon in the epistles) is everything that humanness is apart from the new birth.” (1.) Also, Hall tells us that flesh “is not an entity but a condition or way of living learned before salvation and taught by the world.” (2.) Romans 7:18 shows us clearly that the flesh is the location of the sinful actions produced in our lives. We then see what it is that actually carries out the sinful actions in verses 17 and 20 – the power of indwelling sin. Paul tells us twice that when he sins, it is in fact not him (his true self/identity, which is in his spirit), but rather it is the sin principle, which verse 23 tell us is in our members (flesh). Thus, we see that our flesh contains the patterns of ungodly living, while indwelling sin provides the power that carries them out. However, as we know... the victory is ours, if we would but claim it by being intimately dependent on Christ in us, on a moment-by-moment basis! "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Rom. 7:24-25a)
______________________________
(1.) Needham, David, Birthright: Christian, Do You Know Who You Are? (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 1999), 99.
(2.) Hall, Richard F., Foundations of Exchanged Life Counseling (Aurora, CO: Cross Life Expressions, 1998), 68.
To me, one of the most revolutionary concepts connected with our new identity is that God now calls us saints (‘holy ones’), not sinners. In fact, there are over fifty references to believers as saints in the New Testament. We are called holy ones by God, not because of anything we have done, but because we now have Christ in us (Col. 1:27) Thus, seeing ourselves as merely forgiven sinners is unbiblical, not to mention the fact that sin is what is most likely to be produced in our lives if we think of ourselves that way (see Proverbs 23:7)! If we allow God to renew our minds (Rom. 12:2) with the truths of His grace and the New Covenant, then He will be faithful to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives as we learn to trust Him by faith.
It is also amazing to consider the fact that our old sinful nature has been ‘crucified with Christ’ (Gal. 2:20) and that we are in fact ‘new creations’ (2 Cor. 5:21) in our spirits. While we still have to deal with the reality of the flesh in our daily lives, understanding that our spirits have undergone such a radical transformation truly enables us to present ourselves to God ‘as those alive from the dead’ (Rom. 6:19). We can do this, not on the basis of wishful thinking… but because we ARE alive! We no longer have to grit our teeth and try to become something we are not; rather, as we ‘branches’ simply abide in Christ the true vine and allow Him to express His life through us (John 15:5), we will certainly live as He intended us to.
So, taking all of this into account... how is it that we as new creations in Christ still find ourselves, often times, caught up in our old sinful ways? We find some important insight into this issue in the seventh chapter of Romans. I believe that a careful study of Romans 7:14-25 shows us that the Apostle Paul’s spiritual condition here is that of a regenerate believer in Christ, who recognizes that he still has sinful flesh. He makes several statements in this passage that would be very difficult (if not impossible) to attribute to an unbeliever. For instance, in verse 15 Paul states that “I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate”. This is the consistent theme that runs throughout verses 14-25 – that Paul has a sincere, God-given desire to do the will of God, but is frustrated by the sin produced by his flesh. This is summed up best in verse 18: “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.” (emphasis mine). As a believer, Paul’s mind was continually being renewed to better understand the will of God (Rom, 12:2, 1 Cor. 2:16), thus his desire to do what is right. However, like all of us, there are times when sin would reign in Paul’s body (Rom. 6:12) and he would find himself doing exactly the opposite of what he wanted.
Scripture does indeed make a distinction between the flesh and the power of indwelling sin. Needham’s excellent definition of ‘flesh’ is as follows: “Flesh, according to John 3:6 (and enlarged upon in the epistles) is everything that humanness is apart from the new birth.” (1.) Also, Hall tells us that flesh “is not an entity but a condition or way of living learned before salvation and taught by the world.” (2.) Romans 7:18 shows us clearly that the flesh is the location of the sinful actions produced in our lives. We then see what it is that actually carries out the sinful actions in verses 17 and 20 – the power of indwelling sin. Paul tells us twice that when he sins, it is in fact not him (his true self/identity, which is in his spirit), but rather it is the sin principle, which verse 23 tell us is in our members (flesh). Thus, we see that our flesh contains the patterns of ungodly living, while indwelling sin provides the power that carries them out. However, as we know... the victory is ours, if we would but claim it by being intimately dependent on Christ in us, on a moment-by-moment basis! "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Rom. 7:24-25a)
______________________________
(1.) Needham, David, Birthright: Christian, Do You Know Who You Are? (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 1999), 99.
(2.) Hall, Richard F., Foundations of Exchanged Life Counseling (Aurora, CO: Cross Life Expressions, 1998), 68.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Falling away
My original plan today was to post some thoughts on the nature of fear in our walk with God and some of the lies Satan throws at us. I then checked my email and found the following in a weekly newsletter I receive from Pres Gillham of Lifetime Guarantee Ministries. I'll share my original thoughts in a later post... but for now, enjoy these words of wisdom from our brother Pres:
What is truly amazing is that the life of grace actively engaged thrills and fulfills the heart of God.
Considering the scope of the Scriptures, as hard as it is to understand and rationally accept, God desires an intimate friendship with us. As a matter of fact, He wants this so deeply that in Christ Jesus He made every provision for us to have open access to all that He is, not only His riches, but also His life, and His eternal dimension.
Why?
Solely in hopes that we will engage Him at that level—the heart/grace/person-of-Christ/identity-in-Christ level—and bond with Him, heart-to-heart. If this occurs, we are, and progressively become more aware and convinced, that we truly are people of grace.
On the other hand, people who attempt to understand more and more about repentance fail to grasp that they are forgiven.
People who fail to understand that they are forgiven fail to understand the magnitude of Christ's accomplishment at Calvary.
People who fail to understand the completed work of Christ, fail to appreciate who He is and who He has made them to be.
People who fail to understand this new covenant initiated by Christ, fail to grasp that Christ's work at Calvary was finished there and behave in ways that in essence ask Christ to try again instead of rushing headlong into His waiting heart as new creations.
People who fail to understand their true identity in Christ continually attempt to create acceptability for themselves with God on their own terms and fail to grasp that they are accepted, now, fully, completely because of Christ and in Him.
Those who do not realize they are accepted behave insecurely and attempt to define themselves by what they do rather than by who they are in Christ.
People who fail to understand their security are highly prone to live according to the flesh and the law instead of the Spirit and the invitation of grace by God, their Father. In other words, they have fallen from grace after having tasted it and have opted instead for the milk of the Word.
Step back and take a whiff. What do you smell? The sweet aroma of Christ, or is there the smell of smoke?
What is truly amazing is that the life of grace actively engaged thrills and fulfills the heart of God.
Considering the scope of the Scriptures, as hard as it is to understand and rationally accept, God desires an intimate friendship with us. As a matter of fact, He wants this so deeply that in Christ Jesus He made every provision for us to have open access to all that He is, not only His riches, but also His life, and His eternal dimension.
Why?
Solely in hopes that we will engage Him at that level—the heart/grace/person-of-Christ/identity-in-Christ level—and bond with Him, heart-to-heart. If this occurs, we are, and progressively become more aware and convinced, that we truly are people of grace.
On the other hand, people who attempt to understand more and more about repentance fail to grasp that they are forgiven.
People who fail to understand that they are forgiven fail to understand the magnitude of Christ's accomplishment at Calvary.
People who fail to understand the completed work of Christ, fail to appreciate who He is and who He has made them to be.
People who fail to understand this new covenant initiated by Christ, fail to grasp that Christ's work at Calvary was finished there and behave in ways that in essence ask Christ to try again instead of rushing headlong into His waiting heart as new creations.
People who fail to understand their true identity in Christ continually attempt to create acceptability for themselves with God on their own terms and fail to grasp that they are accepted, now, fully, completely because of Christ and in Him.
Those who do not realize they are accepted behave insecurely and attempt to define themselves by what they do rather than by who they are in Christ.
People who fail to understand their security are highly prone to live according to the flesh and the law instead of the Spirit and the invitation of grace by God, their Father. In other words, they have fallen from grace after having tasted it and have opted instead for the milk of the Word.
Step back and take a whiff. What do you smell? The sweet aroma of Christ, or is there the smell of smoke?
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