Graduate 167: Five Reflections for the Church, Part 10
Sanctification and training
Composed: 16 August 2009
In my last letter (2 August 2009) I tried to emphasize how sanctification and doing the 'work of God' are not just about getting a long list of Christian things to do and trying to do them. Rather, they are centered on the inward transformation of the individual into the kind of person who can be appropriately related to God and a useful instrument for His will and work. The problem with sin is not just that it puts us in the wrong line headed for hell. And the solution to that problem consists in more than just making sure that we're in the right line headed for heaven. The problem with sin is that it works on the various aspects of our person in such a way that we are rendered incapable of being related rightly to God. And when we're not related rightly to God, we end up living our lives for ourselves and from our own strength. Genesis 3:17-19 describes these unfortunate consequences, particularly in its references to toil and the sweat of your face.
How does that description of life without God compare with Jesus' description of life with God in Matthew 6:25-34; 7:24-27; 11:29-30; John 6:35; and 10:10? Throughout Scripture we find numerous examples of individuals who actually led such lives. Their experiences stand as compelling testimonies to the truth that a radically different kind of life is possible for those who choose to trust in and follow God. Abraham, Joseph, David, the little girl from 2 Kings 5 (see next week's sermon), Daniel and his three friends, Esther, Jesus, and Paul--these are all examples that we can look to.
Once we've established that it is possible to be transformed by God's grace and the work of the Spirit, we need to look more closely at how that is supposed to happen. And the thought that I want to emphasize, here, is that it requires training. (See 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 1 & 2 Timothy; Hebrews 12:1-17.) How do I become the kind of person who is appropriately related to God and a useful instrument for His will and work? I must train. Like an athlete, musician, or soldier, I must enter into practices and disciplines that, by the grace of God, will work a change in the depths of who I am. How can I become the kind of person who loves his enemies? How can I become the kind of person who isn't concerned about how other people think of her? How can I become the kind of person who is ready and happy to sacrifice to help those in need? How can I become the kind of person who isn't anxious about all the crazy things that are going on in the world around us? Or if there's some other virtuous quality that I would like to cultivate--how do I do that and become that kind of person? It's not just going to happen to me one day when I walk out of church. I have to want it, I have to commit to it, and then I have to follow through.
Our Focusing Team Leader brought this idea out during last week's service. He said, "So what does it mean to follow Jesus? It certainly means more than 'hanging out' with Him. And it means more than just following Him to a destination. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, 'Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people' (NET). True followers of Christ become His students, His disciples, His children." As we encounter daily circumstances, as disciples, we need to ask, "What would Jesus do?" And if we find that what Jesus would do is difficult for us, or even impossible, then we need to ask, "Why?" and to use that as an opportunity for growth. Because doing what Jesus would do is about more than just doing; it's about becoming a certain kind of person. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Hopefully you can see how Focusing the Church fits into this picture. "[T]his is an opportunity for each of us as individuals to submit, commit, and seek God's call on our lives. It is an opportunity for us to come together as the church and to seek God's heart for what He wants to accomplish through each of us in our daily lives." Hopefully that is also how we will treat every ministry and service project--not as something more to do but as an opportunity for growth and change.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
Composed: 16 August 2009
In my last letter (2 August 2009) I tried to emphasize how sanctification and doing the 'work of God' are not just about getting a long list of Christian things to do and trying to do them. Rather, they are centered on the inward transformation of the individual into the kind of person who can be appropriately related to God and a useful instrument for His will and work. The problem with sin is not just that it puts us in the wrong line headed for hell. And the solution to that problem consists in more than just making sure that we're in the right line headed for heaven. The problem with sin is that it works on the various aspects of our person in such a way that we are rendered incapable of being related rightly to God. And when we're not related rightly to God, we end up living our lives for ourselves and from our own strength. Genesis 3:17-19 describes these unfortunate consequences, particularly in its references to toil and the sweat of your face.
How does that description of life without God compare with Jesus' description of life with God in Matthew 6:25-34; 7:24-27; 11:29-30; John 6:35; and 10:10? Throughout Scripture we find numerous examples of individuals who actually led such lives. Their experiences stand as compelling testimonies to the truth that a radically different kind of life is possible for those who choose to trust in and follow God. Abraham, Joseph, David, the little girl from 2 Kings 5 (see next week's sermon), Daniel and his three friends, Esther, Jesus, and Paul--these are all examples that we can look to.
Once we've established that it is possible to be transformed by God's grace and the work of the Spirit, we need to look more closely at how that is supposed to happen. And the thought that I want to emphasize, here, is that it requires training. (See 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 1 & 2 Timothy; Hebrews 12:1-17.) How do I become the kind of person who is appropriately related to God and a useful instrument for His will and work? I must train. Like an athlete, musician, or soldier, I must enter into practices and disciplines that, by the grace of God, will work a change in the depths of who I am. How can I become the kind of person who loves his enemies? How can I become the kind of person who isn't concerned about how other people think of her? How can I become the kind of person who is ready and happy to sacrifice to help those in need? How can I become the kind of person who isn't anxious about all the crazy things that are going on in the world around us? Or if there's some other virtuous quality that I would like to cultivate--how do I do that and become that kind of person? It's not just going to happen to me one day when I walk out of church. I have to want it, I have to commit to it, and then I have to follow through.
Our Focusing Team Leader brought this idea out during last week's service. He said, "So what does it mean to follow Jesus? It certainly means more than 'hanging out' with Him. And it means more than just following Him to a destination. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, 'Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people' (NET). True followers of Christ become His students, His disciples, His children." As we encounter daily circumstances, as disciples, we need to ask, "What would Jesus do?" And if we find that what Jesus would do is difficult for us, or even impossible, then we need to ask, "Why?" and to use that as an opportunity for growth. Because doing what Jesus would do is about more than just doing; it's about becoming a certain kind of person. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Hopefully you can see how Focusing the Church fits into this picture. "[T]his is an opportunity for each of us as individuals to submit, commit, and seek God's call on our lives. It is an opportunity for us to come together as the church and to seek God's heart for what He wants to accomplish through each of us in our daily lives." Hopefully that is also how we will treat every ministry and service project--not as something more to do but as an opportunity for growth and change.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
posted by Metaphysician_delta | 9:21 AM
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