Romans Chapter 12 cont'd
Don't let the value system of fallen humanity mold or dictate your life or lifestyle. Rather, cooperate with God's agenda to transform you through the spiritual renewal of your thinking, so that you may be able to discern the will of God which is truly good, always acceptable and entirely perfect.
Comments:
The most common question(s) that has come my way as a spiritual director is: How can I know God's will?...or sometimes...How can I hear God's voice to guide me? This is a wonderful question for each of us to ponder long and hard. Deep within the renewed heart of a Christ-follower is a dominant desire to know God better, to please him and to fulfill his plan for her/his life. There are many facets to the answer to such a question. There are also a lot of misconceptions in the minds of many dedicated believers regarding their expectations about being guided into the Father's will. An implication of the above passage exposes one of these misconceptions.
First, it is important to note that being guided begins with a generalized consecration of our entire being and life under the Lordship of Jesus...before we know the specifics of what God's plans for us might be. Second, we are called to find the courage to think and live and choose "outside the boxes" that our earthly cultures have prepared to slowly squeeze us into...to use us and keep us under it's sway. Third...as this passage makes clear...we come to know the will of God...most normally...by an internalized process, rather than by input from a over-powering external source...like a robot that mechanically reacts to its user's inputs. Spiritual guidance in the disciple's life is more of an art than a science...living out an unfolding colorful drama verses receiving a computerized printout of a comprehensive blueprint...a gracious and rhythmic "dance with our Guide" in contrast to a "goose-step march" to orders barked out by a militant dictator. Spiritual guidance, most often, integrates both divine inspirations and human faculties within its processes.
A vital lesson in New Covenant spirituality is embedded in the story of Elijah's discovery that the LORD was not "in" the whirlwind, the earthquake or the fire. Instead he came to Elijah in the "still small voice"...or within...the "sound of silence".
Because there is such a thing as a genuine experience of hearing the voice of God "from beyond", many believers imagine that, if they were really spiritually mature and truly intimate with God, then this would be the "normal way" that they would be guided by him and land on his specific will for their lives. But this assumption has become the source for confusion, disillusionment, frustration, self-condemnation...and even deception...for too many disciples.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Romance of Romans-Part 78
Romans Chapter 12 cont'd
Don't let the value system of fallen humanity mold or dictate your life or lifestyle. Rather, cooperate with God's agenda to transform you through the spiritual renewal of your thinking, so that you may be able to discern the will of God which is truly good, always acceptable and entirely perfect.
Comments:
Or as the NIV says: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." As followers of Jesus, we all yearn to become perfected people...to become like him. This longing for "metamorphosis" (the Greek root word for transformed) is a powerful motivation in our lives. (Sometimes it is exploited by religious teachers and movements that promise us powerful personal change and this is something for which we must be on guard.)
Paul here is emphasizing that the "renewal of our mind" is an important key to our personal transformation into the image of Christ. A good place to begin the discussion about this vital subject is with a parallel passage in Ephesians 4 that contrasts the old nature (self) and the condition of the mind with the new:
17Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
We can see in this passage how Paul viewed the place of the "mind" in the context of the broader fabric of our lives that includes the heart, the self, the manner of life and the desires. There is a seamless connection between the component "parts" of the human life...we are integrated beings. Additionally, in the approach to his challenge for us to put on the new self...that is already created (or "re-created") within the believer by regeneration...he refers to Christ himself and implies his real presence in the process of our spiritual development. We have "learned"...and must "learn"...Christ himself. We aren't merely taught "about" Christ, we are taught "in" Christ...we are taught by Christ, who indwells us.
There is a wonderful "assumption" that lies beneath an effective transformation in our lives, lifestyles and relationships. Christ is in us...really and truly! And explicitly, because he is, we are empowered within to respond to the challenge to put off the old and put on the new. This reality...and our awareness of it...sets the stage for us to allow and cooperate with the renewing of the spirit of our minds--the essence of our thinking.
Don't let the value system of fallen humanity mold or dictate your life or lifestyle. Rather, cooperate with God's agenda to transform you through the spiritual renewal of your thinking, so that you may be able to discern the will of God which is truly good, always acceptable and entirely perfect.
Comments:
Or as the NIV says: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." As followers of Jesus, we all yearn to become perfected people...to become like him. This longing for "metamorphosis" (the Greek root word for transformed) is a powerful motivation in our lives. (Sometimes it is exploited by religious teachers and movements that promise us powerful personal change and this is something for which we must be on guard.)
Paul here is emphasizing that the "renewal of our mind" is an important key to our personal transformation into the image of Christ. A good place to begin the discussion about this vital subject is with a parallel passage in Ephesians 4 that contrasts the old nature (self) and the condition of the mind with the new:
17Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
We can see in this passage how Paul viewed the place of the "mind" in the context of the broader fabric of our lives that includes the heart, the self, the manner of life and the desires. There is a seamless connection between the component "parts" of the human life...we are integrated beings. Additionally, in the approach to his challenge for us to put on the new self...that is already created (or "re-created") within the believer by regeneration...he refers to Christ himself and implies his real presence in the process of our spiritual development. We have "learned"...and must "learn"...Christ himself. We aren't merely taught "about" Christ, we are taught "in" Christ...we are taught by Christ, who indwells us.
There is a wonderful "assumption" that lies beneath an effective transformation in our lives, lifestyles and relationships. Christ is in us...really and truly! And explicitly, because he is, we are empowered within to respond to the challenge to put off the old and put on the new. This reality...and our awareness of it...sets the stage for us to allow and cooperate with the renewing of the spirit of our minds--the essence of our thinking.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Romance of Romans-Part 77
Romans Chapter 12 cont'd
Don't let the value system of fallen humanity [lit. "the world"] mold or dictate your life or lifestyle. Rather, cooperate with God's agenda to transform you through the spiritual renewal of your thinking, so that you may be able to discern the will of God which is truly good, always acceptable and entirely perfect.
Comments:
I believe, in that we are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus...the Prince of Life..., we are to model his example of detachment/engagement with the broken and sin-laden cultures around us without becoming entangled by the evil one and his ancient evil ways. We can all plainly see that Satan is having his way in this world quite significantly. Jesus came, as a human being, to face this enemy...of all that is whole and right and good...head on. In his incarnation, Jesus left the perfection of highest heaven and willingly entered this fallen age that is so full of lust, pride and greed...and unbelief. He came because of love...and to bring full renewal to his Father's good (yes, his very good original creation)...to swallow it up into the New Creation that his coming inaugurated and brought to birth. All of the sin, guilt, fear, shame, hatred, injustice, racism, tragedy, brokenness, relational breakdown, despair, sickness, doubt, hardness, disappointment of this old creation are..."digestible"...in the iron stomach of the Risen Lord of the New Creation. In his resurrection, he overcame death itself...a foretaste of the final eschatological meal yet to come!
Jesus certainly wasn't into sin, but neither was he intimidated by sin. He wasn't afraid of being spiritually "polluted" by befriending and touching folks. He saw beyond the sins and weaknesses of ordinary people and loved them where and as he found them. He saw what they might become by putting their faith in him. Besides...there are no sinless people for us to love in this world! He came to rescue us all from the death that was already present and at work in our hearts. He gave us all sorts of reasons to trust in him and love him back. He was free in his spirit to be vulnerable with, make friends with, build bridges toward, show compassion and respect to, make promises to, forgive, touch and be touched by, heal, serve, affirm the good within and have parties with the people all about him...even, and maybe especially, the people of other cultures than his own. He blessed all sorts of people that the religious establishment of his day considered "unblessable" by God. This radical attitude also gave him the spiritual and moral authority to expose and stand up to the evil spirits and arrogant bullies (especially the religious ones) that were drunk on their power over people.
So also we are free in Christ to now live "incarnationally" and engage the cultures of our world in the same attitude and by the agency of the same Holy Spirit...who is also working through us. Those who have been born again can "see the kingdom of God" that is all around us and witness to it seeping and, sometimes suddenly breaking, into the imperfect cultures of our world. Though our conscious goal is not to be been "seen" as culturally relevant, we likewise must not be seen putting culturally ignorant and/or insensitive communication barriers in the way of people that automatically hinder their ability to hear and connect with the good and great news of our Lord Jesus. Rather, we should do all that we can to break down those communication barriers (obviously, without compromising the trans-cultural and eternal values and essentials of God's kingdom) so that the message can more effectively find its way into people's hearts. If people are to stumble, let it be over..."Jesus Christ and him crucified"...not our uptight, self-righteous, fear-based, religious and spiritually non-essential cultural preferences.
We must land on the things that made Jesus so winsome, compelling, appealing and attractive to ordinary folks and seek to walk as he did in relating to them. May the Holy Spirit grant us a grand measure of the "magnetic personality" of Jesus as we live in his light today and for all our days in this world.
Don't let the value system of fallen humanity [lit. "the world"] mold or dictate your life or lifestyle. Rather, cooperate with God's agenda to transform you through the spiritual renewal of your thinking, so that you may be able to discern the will of God which is truly good, always acceptable and entirely perfect.
Comments:
I believe, in that we are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus...the Prince of Life..., we are to model his example of detachment/engagement with the broken and sin-laden cultures around us without becoming entangled by the evil one and his ancient evil ways. We can all plainly see that Satan is having his way in this world quite significantly. Jesus came, as a human being, to face this enemy...of all that is whole and right and good...head on. In his incarnation, Jesus left the perfection of highest heaven and willingly entered this fallen age that is so full of lust, pride and greed...and unbelief. He came because of love...and to bring full renewal to his Father's good (yes, his very good original creation)...to swallow it up into the New Creation that his coming inaugurated and brought to birth. All of the sin, guilt, fear, shame, hatred, injustice, racism, tragedy, brokenness, relational breakdown, despair, sickness, doubt, hardness, disappointment of this old creation are..."digestible"...in the iron stomach of the Risen Lord of the New Creation. In his resurrection, he overcame death itself...a foretaste of the final eschatological meal yet to come!
Jesus certainly wasn't into sin, but neither was he intimidated by sin. He wasn't afraid of being spiritually "polluted" by befriending and touching folks. He saw beyond the sins and weaknesses of ordinary people and loved them where and as he found them. He saw what they might become by putting their faith in him. Besides...there are no sinless people for us to love in this world! He came to rescue us all from the death that was already present and at work in our hearts. He gave us all sorts of reasons to trust in him and love him back. He was free in his spirit to be vulnerable with, make friends with, build bridges toward, show compassion and respect to, make promises to, forgive, touch and be touched by, heal, serve, affirm the good within and have parties with the people all about him...even, and maybe especially, the people of other cultures than his own. He blessed all sorts of people that the religious establishment of his day considered "unblessable" by God. This radical attitude also gave him the spiritual and moral authority to expose and stand up to the evil spirits and arrogant bullies (especially the religious ones) that were drunk on their power over people.
So also we are free in Christ to now live "incarnationally" and engage the cultures of our world in the same attitude and by the agency of the same Holy Spirit...who is also working through us. Those who have been born again can "see the kingdom of God" that is all around us and witness to it seeping and, sometimes suddenly breaking, into the imperfect cultures of our world. Though our conscious goal is not to be been "seen" as culturally relevant, we likewise must not be seen putting culturally ignorant and/or insensitive communication barriers in the way of people that automatically hinder their ability to hear and connect with the good and great news of our Lord Jesus. Rather, we should do all that we can to break down those communication barriers (obviously, without compromising the trans-cultural and eternal values and essentials of God's kingdom) so that the message can more effectively find its way into people's hearts. If people are to stumble, let it be over..."Jesus Christ and him crucified"...not our uptight, self-righteous, fear-based, religious and spiritually non-essential cultural preferences.
We must land on the things that made Jesus so winsome, compelling, appealing and attractive to ordinary folks and seek to walk as he did in relating to them. May the Holy Spirit grant us a grand measure of the "magnetic personality" of Jesus as we live in his light today and for all our days in this world.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Romance of Romans-Part 76
Romans Chapter 12 cont'd
Don't let the value system of fallen humanity [lit. "the world"] mold or dictate your life or lifestyle. Rather, cooperate with God's agenda to transform you through the spiritual renewal of your thinking, so that you may be able to discern the will of God which is truly good, always acceptable and entirely perfect.
Comments:
"The world" is a challenging phrase to properly understand in scripture...have you discovered this too? The apostle John says that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son...." and later said to Christ-followers, "Do not love the world...." This simple juxaposition captures the essence of this challenge. How believers have handled this paradox has had huge implications for the lives and the sense of mission of many individuals and communities of faith throughout the centuries. Helpful sayings and word pictures have been used in an attempt to help believers to navigate this tension: We are not "of the world", but we are called to live "in the world". The Church is like a great ship that is in the water ("the world"), but it must not allow the water into the ship if it is to accomplish its purpose. But the application of such ideas takes some deeper thought, study, prayer and fellowship (with the Holy Spirit and our friends in Christ) to properly work out in our lives.
In the previous post I mentioned the concept of an essential "detachment" as a beginning point for a healthy understanding of biblical spirituality. This "world" (that is akin to "this age") is not the source of our life. Rather, the core of our being is vitally connected, by the Holy Spirit, to the invisible realm of highest heaven, where Christ is seated and reigning over heaven and earth at the Father's right hand. Neither do we allow the cultures of this world to define the essence of our value system or the worldview, by which we establish our bearings for living in this world. Our lives are grounded in the transcendent and eternal kingdom of God. And, there is a range of heart-beliefs and spiritual disciplines held out to us in scripture that, when embraced, continually reinforces this reality to our souls, minds and bodies.
Yet many believers and movements, usually out of a noble quest to be or become "holy" and not be "worldly", have taken this kind of "detachment from the world" to unbiblical extremes. Humorous, bizarre and tragic stories can be recounted that have emerged out of these religiously over-charged sub-cultures. Fundamentalism and, what I call "revivalism", have typically promoted a too negative view of the world (and thereby modeling an extreme "detachment") and...liberalism has typically reacted to this and denigrated any kind of "detachment" from the world in an attempt to not be "religious", like those fundamentalists. I am convinced that there is a "kingdom spirituality" that the Holy Spirit promotes (and is working in our day, as only he can do, to powerfully promote) that permits us to drop out of the traditional and boring fundamentalist/liberal "reaction-charged" debate. Reacting to human beings has never been a key to discovering true spirituality in Christ.
I have coined a phrase that I like to use to help my fellow pilgrims who long to find a kind of Christ-centered spirituality that provides a framework for holding and living out this paradox in our relationship to and view of this world. Here it is: We must be detached from this world in order to be engaged with this world without becoming entangled by this world.
As Romans 12/13 unfold, I think we'll find some practical wisdom from the apostle Paul that reflects this way of thinking, being and relating.
Don't let the value system of fallen humanity [lit. "the world"] mold or dictate your life or lifestyle. Rather, cooperate with God's agenda to transform you through the spiritual renewal of your thinking, so that you may be able to discern the will of God which is truly good, always acceptable and entirely perfect.
Comments:
"The world" is a challenging phrase to properly understand in scripture...have you discovered this too? The apostle John says that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son...." and later said to Christ-followers, "Do not love the world...." This simple juxaposition captures the essence of this challenge. How believers have handled this paradox has had huge implications for the lives and the sense of mission of many individuals and communities of faith throughout the centuries. Helpful sayings and word pictures have been used in an attempt to help believers to navigate this tension: We are not "of the world", but we are called to live "in the world". The Church is like a great ship that is in the water ("the world"), but it must not allow the water into the ship if it is to accomplish its purpose. But the application of such ideas takes some deeper thought, study, prayer and fellowship (with the Holy Spirit and our friends in Christ) to properly work out in our lives.
In the previous post I mentioned the concept of an essential "detachment" as a beginning point for a healthy understanding of biblical spirituality. This "world" (that is akin to "this age") is not the source of our life. Rather, the core of our being is vitally connected, by the Holy Spirit, to the invisible realm of highest heaven, where Christ is seated and reigning over heaven and earth at the Father's right hand. Neither do we allow the cultures of this world to define the essence of our value system or the worldview, by which we establish our bearings for living in this world. Our lives are grounded in the transcendent and eternal kingdom of God. And, there is a range of heart-beliefs and spiritual disciplines held out to us in scripture that, when embraced, continually reinforces this reality to our souls, minds and bodies.
Yet many believers and movements, usually out of a noble quest to be or become "holy" and not be "worldly", have taken this kind of "detachment from the world" to unbiblical extremes. Humorous, bizarre and tragic stories can be recounted that have emerged out of these religiously over-charged sub-cultures. Fundamentalism and, what I call "revivalism", have typically promoted a too negative view of the world (and thereby modeling an extreme "detachment") and...liberalism has typically reacted to this and denigrated any kind of "detachment" from the world in an attempt to not be "religious", like those fundamentalists. I am convinced that there is a "kingdom spirituality" that the Holy Spirit promotes (and is working in our day, as only he can do, to powerfully promote) that permits us to drop out of the traditional and boring fundamentalist/liberal "reaction-charged" debate. Reacting to human beings has never been a key to discovering true spirituality in Christ.
I have coined a phrase that I like to use to help my fellow pilgrims who long to find a kind of Christ-centered spirituality that provides a framework for holding and living out this paradox in our relationship to and view of this world. Here it is: We must be detached from this world in order to be engaged with this world without becoming entangled by this world.
As Romans 12/13 unfold, I think we'll find some practical wisdom from the apostle Paul that reflects this way of thinking, being and relating.
Friday, August 14, 2009
The Romance of Romans-Part 75
Romans Chapter 12 cont'd
Don't let the value system of fallen humanity mold or dictate your life or lifestyle. Rather, cooperate with God's agenda to transform you through the spiritual renewal of your thinking, so that you may be able to discern the will of God which is truly good, always acceptable and entirely perfect.
Comments:
These sentences capture something essential about and basic to the life and lifestyle of a authentic follower of Jesus. We are called to take our cues for life on earth from the invisible realm of highest heaven where Christ's reign as King of both heaven and earth is unquestioned. We know that it is only a matter of time before the just reign of the True King is fully applied to the kingdoms and peoples of this world. He is presently reigning...but..."in the midst of his enemies" (see Ps. 110 again) and mercifully providing them with the opportunity to turn to him and be saved.
The cultures in which we live exert a powerful pressure on us to conform to images, beliefs and ways of being and relating that are in conflict with the Lordship of Jesus the Christ. There is a kind of "detachment" from this present age that is fundamental to true spirituality. The "center" of our truest self is not bound to the fallen nature of this world and so we are free to resist the pressure to conform to the animating "spirits" of earthly cultures...things like the well known "seven deadly sins":
Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity.
Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.
Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.
Anger is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath.
Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.
Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.
But as we will see, "detachment" from the fallen cultures of our world is not an end for genuine spirituality, but rather, a beginning place that properly positions us to be effective ambassadors of the Living God and his great love to the people all around us.
Don't let the value system of fallen humanity mold or dictate your life or lifestyle. Rather, cooperate with God's agenda to transform you through the spiritual renewal of your thinking, so that you may be able to discern the will of God which is truly good, always acceptable and entirely perfect.
Comments:
These sentences capture something essential about and basic to the life and lifestyle of a authentic follower of Jesus. We are called to take our cues for life on earth from the invisible realm of highest heaven where Christ's reign as King of both heaven and earth is unquestioned. We know that it is only a matter of time before the just reign of the True King is fully applied to the kingdoms and peoples of this world. He is presently reigning...but..."in the midst of his enemies" (see Ps. 110 again) and mercifully providing them with the opportunity to turn to him and be saved.
The cultures in which we live exert a powerful pressure on us to conform to images, beliefs and ways of being and relating that are in conflict with the Lordship of Jesus the Christ. There is a kind of "detachment" from this present age that is fundamental to true spirituality. The "center" of our truest self is not bound to the fallen nature of this world and so we are free to resist the pressure to conform to the animating "spirits" of earthly cultures...things like the well known "seven deadly sins":
Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity.
Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.
Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.
Anger is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath.
Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.
Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.
But as we will see, "detachment" from the fallen cultures of our world is not an end for genuine spirituality, but rather, a beginning place that properly positions us to be effective ambassadors of the Living God and his great love to the people all around us.
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