When I was younger during Sunday School I was asked, "What Bible character are you most like?" You've probably been asked the same question. A lot of people say Peter, he's an old favorite, actually most people probably say Peter. But I really think that's the wrong answer, not in that it's not who people are most like, but because it is who people are most like.
The world doesn't need more Peter's. It doesn't need more David's, Moses', Paul's, Joshua's or Timothy's. The world needs more Jesus. What would happen if when Christians were asked, "What Bible character are you most like?" they answered Jesus? What would a world look like where Christ followers actually looked like Christ?
We are called to become like Christ. When we enter into new life through salvation, we enter into life with a new purpose and goal. Romans 8 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified" (verses 28-30).
God created us to mirror Him to creation. When sin entered the world the mirror was broken. Jesus came to earth in order to show us what the image looks like, and then die and resurrect in order to make it possible for us to reflect the image. God causes all things to work together for our good, because everything molds us into the image of His Son. The goal of the Christ follower is not to be like Peter, or David, or Paul, but Jesus Christ.
What Bible character do you want to be most like?
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Showing posts with label Romans 8. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romans 8. Show all posts
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
I Am Not a Sinner Saved by Grace
A few years ago I really began to dive into the book of Philippians and found some incredible revelations about God's intention for His Church and those who make it up. I began a sermon series out of the book focused on genuine Christianity. Over the course of about a year I wrote three of the sermons.
Out of Philippians 3.1-14, "Religious or Relational?" Asking the question of what is the point of our faith? From Philippians 1.27-2.11, "Savior or Lord?" Focusing on who is Jesus to you, just a Savior or the Lord of your life? Then from Philippians 4.4-13, "Hand or Face?" Exploring what we seek from God, His blessings or Him?
In January of 2011 I had the chance to travel to Greece and Turkey, visiting the ruins of many of the cities where Paul visited and wrote letters to the Churches there. One of them was Philippi, and as part of the class I had to write an exegesis and sermon on part of the book. I choose a section I hadn't done much work with up to that point, and ended up with the closing message of the series out of Philippians 2.12-18, which focused on bringing it all together and showing what the life of a true follower of Christ, and a God focused Church really looks like.
The one difficulty with that sermon was I had to reference things in a sermon I hadn't written yet, and I still have not written. One of the things that has really stood out to me in chapter 1 of Philippians is the idea of being a Child of God, not simply a sinner who has been saved by grace. But along with this is the difficulty of pulling out the exact verses that capture this concept. And at the same time I haven't had the time, space, or drive to give this sermon the focus that it deserves and needs. But never the less it has been on my mind a lot.
Recently on my other blog I shared from Wild at Heart, how perhaps the biggest lie the Church has spread is that we are nothing more than sinners who have been saved by grace. I don't know how many times I've heard this line, sometimes I think it's from people trying to sound holy and humble, but each time I've heard it I'm like, "NO! You are missing the point. You are so much more than that."
If we are relational people who have surrendered to Jesus as Lord, and seek the face of God, then we are NOT sinners who have been saved by grace. We are so much more than that. We are children of God. I was a sinner, the grace of God saved me, and because of His grace, I am no longer a sinner and have become His child. I am not a sinner saved by grace, I am a child of God. And the same is true for you. You are not a sinner saved by grace, you are a child of God.
Think about what both statements really say. If your claim is that you are nothing more than a sinner saved by grace, what does that say about grace? What does it say about God? To me it says that grace is weak. That all grace can do is save. It doesn't say it can cleanse. It doesn't say it can transform. It doesn't say that God recreates or makes new. It says that in spite of grace, I'm still nothing more than a sinner.
Romans 6.5-7 says, "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin."
The title "sinner" is an identification. By saying "I'm just a sinner saved by grace" says I have not died to sin, I have not been resurrected with Christ. By saying "I'm just a sinner saved by grace" it says I am still a slave to sin because I am just a sinner. But we are more than that. Romans says that we have been united with Christ in His death and His resurrection. It tells us that our old self, our sinful self has been crucified so that our body of sin might be done away with. We are freed from sin, and therefore, no longer sinners.
Romans 8.14-17 tells us, "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."
We have received a spirit of adoption as sons. We cry out "Abba! Daddy!" We are children of God. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit says we are not sinners saved by grace, but children of God. And so why do we feel we can call our selves anything less then what we are? Is it an attempt at holy humility? Is it a failed realization of the power of God's grace in our lives? Or is it a cop out for when we fail to live up to Christlikeness?
Philippians 1.3-11, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
He who began a good work in you will perfect it. Children grow and learn, guided by their parents. God began this work, we have been adopted as His children, and He is at work to mold us into Christlikeness. We are partakers of grace in the fact that we have been saved from sin by God, but more than that we have been reborn and given new life as children of God. And as we grow we approve what is excellent so that we can be sincere and blameless, not sinners, but sincere and blameless Christ followers. And on top of all of this, we have been filled with the fruit of righteousness through Christ so that our lives may give glory and praise to God. Sin does none of that, and sinners are incapable of any of that. But children of God embody this because of His grace and the power and resurrection that it brings.
And so I am not a sinner saved by grace. I am a child of God. I have been crucified with Christ. I have died to sin and I have been raised to new life as God's son. Because of God's grace, I am no longer a sinner but His beloved child. My life is filled with the Spirit and empowered to live above sin, displaying the fruit of righteousness. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control are the characteristics opposite of sin (Galatians 5.16-24), and are not evident in the life of a sinner.
We are not saved to be sinners, but children. We are not filled with sinful desires because we have crucified them and been raise to a new life that is filled with the fruit of righteousness. Let's start claiming it, and let's start living like it. We are children of God.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Out of Philippians 3.1-14, "Religious or Relational?" Asking the question of what is the point of our faith? From Philippians 1.27-2.11, "Savior or Lord?" Focusing on who is Jesus to you, just a Savior or the Lord of your life? Then from Philippians 4.4-13, "Hand or Face?" Exploring what we seek from God, His blessings or Him?
In January of 2011 I had the chance to travel to Greece and Turkey, visiting the ruins of many of the cities where Paul visited and wrote letters to the Churches there. One of them was Philippi, and as part of the class I had to write an exegesis and sermon on part of the book. I choose a section I hadn't done much work with up to that point, and ended up with the closing message of the series out of Philippians 2.12-18, which focused on bringing it all together and showing what the life of a true follower of Christ, and a God focused Church really looks like.
The one difficulty with that sermon was I had to reference things in a sermon I hadn't written yet, and I still have not written. One of the things that has really stood out to me in chapter 1 of Philippians is the idea of being a Child of God, not simply a sinner who has been saved by grace. But along with this is the difficulty of pulling out the exact verses that capture this concept. And at the same time I haven't had the time, space, or drive to give this sermon the focus that it deserves and needs. But never the less it has been on my mind a lot.
Recently on my other blog I shared from Wild at Heart, how perhaps the biggest lie the Church has spread is that we are nothing more than sinners who have been saved by grace. I don't know how many times I've heard this line, sometimes I think it's from people trying to sound holy and humble, but each time I've heard it I'm like, "NO! You are missing the point. You are so much more than that."
If we are relational people who have surrendered to Jesus as Lord, and seek the face of God, then we are NOT sinners who have been saved by grace. We are so much more than that. We are children of God. I was a sinner, the grace of God saved me, and because of His grace, I am no longer a sinner and have become His child. I am not a sinner saved by grace, I am a child of God. And the same is true for you. You are not a sinner saved by grace, you are a child of God.
Think about what both statements really say. If your claim is that you are nothing more than a sinner saved by grace, what does that say about grace? What does it say about God? To me it says that grace is weak. That all grace can do is save. It doesn't say it can cleanse. It doesn't say it can transform. It doesn't say that God recreates or makes new. It says that in spite of grace, I'm still nothing more than a sinner.
Romans 6.5-7 says, "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin."
The title "sinner" is an identification. By saying "I'm just a sinner saved by grace" says I have not died to sin, I have not been resurrected with Christ. By saying "I'm just a sinner saved by grace" it says I am still a slave to sin because I am just a sinner. But we are more than that. Romans says that we have been united with Christ in His death and His resurrection. It tells us that our old self, our sinful self has been crucified so that our body of sin might be done away with. We are freed from sin, and therefore, no longer sinners.
Romans 8.14-17 tells us, "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."
We have received a spirit of adoption as sons. We cry out "Abba! Daddy!" We are children of God. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit says we are not sinners saved by grace, but children of God. And so why do we feel we can call our selves anything less then what we are? Is it an attempt at holy humility? Is it a failed realization of the power of God's grace in our lives? Or is it a cop out for when we fail to live up to Christlikeness?
Philippians 1.3-11, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
He who began a good work in you will perfect it. Children grow and learn, guided by their parents. God began this work, we have been adopted as His children, and He is at work to mold us into Christlikeness. We are partakers of grace in the fact that we have been saved from sin by God, but more than that we have been reborn and given new life as children of God. And as we grow we approve what is excellent so that we can be sincere and blameless, not sinners, but sincere and blameless Christ followers. And on top of all of this, we have been filled with the fruit of righteousness through Christ so that our lives may give glory and praise to God. Sin does none of that, and sinners are incapable of any of that. But children of God embody this because of His grace and the power and resurrection that it brings.
And so I am not a sinner saved by grace. I am a child of God. I have been crucified with Christ. I have died to sin and I have been raised to new life as God's son. Because of God's grace, I am no longer a sinner but His beloved child. My life is filled with the Spirit and empowered to live above sin, displaying the fruit of righteousness. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control are the characteristics opposite of sin (Galatians 5.16-24), and are not evident in the life of a sinner.
We are not saved to be sinners, but children. We are not filled with sinful desires because we have crucified them and been raise to a new life that is filled with the fruit of righteousness. Let's start claiming it, and let's start living like it. We are children of God.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
The Place of Adversity in the Will of God
Clearly my mind has been on this subject for a while now. As I've shared about the River idea of God's will, and discerning His will for our lives based on, ability, desire, and opportunity, my mind has been thinking about a few verses in Romans 8 a lot.
Romans 8.28-30, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."
Everything in life that happens, God causes it to work for those following Him to become more like Christ. Everything that takes place is to mold us and shape us into Christlikeness. God's call on our lives is for us to become like Christ, and everything works out for our good because everything works to that end.
My mentor spoke Sunday about adversity. He used three examples, a carrot, an egg, and coffee beans. The adversity was represented by boiling water.
A carrot is strong and crisp, but when it gets put into boiling water it becomes soft and mussy. It crumbles easily in your hands.
An egg has a hard exterior that protects the life giving substance inside of it. But when it is put in boiling water the inside becomes hard and it no longer needs it's outer shell, because the life is gone.
Both of these examples show the negative responses to adversity. Some crumble, others become callused and bitter. Adversity causes them to fall apart or grow resentful.
But the third example shows what happens if we go through adversity with God, if we keep in mind that all things work to make us more like Christ. Coffee beans, once they are ground and put in boiling water, according to my mentor and countless others, become a divine gift. Boiling water turns coffee beans into a brew that many depend upon to get them through the day. And when we face adversity with God, that's what happens to us.
If we allow God to take us through the adversity and the hardship we face, to grind us, we become like Christ. We become something that is useful and pleasing, something that is delightful and in some ways essential.
All things, including suffering, serve to make those who follow God more like Christ. It isn't always easy, the Bible tells us that there will be hardships, their will be suffering, there will be death, but all of that leads to life (Philippians). God's will and God's plan for your life is ultimately for you to look like Christ, and everything is working towards that goal. And when that goal is achieved it brings the glory of the presence of God.
It is only through becoming like Christ that we can ever reach glorification. Let's go back to the river analogy. All rivers lead to the ocean, but it is only by swimming the river, by going through the rapids, that we are prepared to enter the currents of the ocean. Only the rough waters we face strengthen our arms and legs to be able to swim in the ocean.
God causes all things to work together to mold into the image of His Son. And those who become like His Son will be glorified. That is His will, that is His plan. Everything that happens in your life is to help you become more like Christ. As my mentor said, "A brew that Starbucks would be envious of."
Whatever is going on in your life, know that God loves you, and all of this is happening to help you become more like Christ. Know at the end there will be glorification for the faithful, but only through the hardships can we get there.
As the early Church Father, Tertullian, said, "Do we test the faith by persons or persons by the faith? No one is wise, no one is faithful, no one worthy of honor unless he is a Christian, and no one is a Christian unless he perseveres to the end."
Go through adversity with God. Persevere and become like Christ. Then we will be welcomed into glory.
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Romans 8.28-30, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."
Everything in life that happens, God causes it to work for those following Him to become more like Christ. Everything that takes place is to mold us and shape us into Christlikeness. God's call on our lives is for us to become like Christ, and everything works out for our good because everything works to that end.
My mentor spoke Sunday about adversity. He used three examples, a carrot, an egg, and coffee beans. The adversity was represented by boiling water.
A carrot is strong and crisp, but when it gets put into boiling water it becomes soft and mussy. It crumbles easily in your hands.
An egg has a hard exterior that protects the life giving substance inside of it. But when it is put in boiling water the inside becomes hard and it no longer needs it's outer shell, because the life is gone.
Both of these examples show the negative responses to adversity. Some crumble, others become callused and bitter. Adversity causes them to fall apart or grow resentful.
But the third example shows what happens if we go through adversity with God, if we keep in mind that all things work to make us more like Christ. Coffee beans, once they are ground and put in boiling water, according to my mentor and countless others, become a divine gift. Boiling water turns coffee beans into a brew that many depend upon to get them through the day. And when we face adversity with God, that's what happens to us.
If we allow God to take us through the adversity and the hardship we face, to grind us, we become like Christ. We become something that is useful and pleasing, something that is delightful and in some ways essential.
All things, including suffering, serve to make those who follow God more like Christ. It isn't always easy, the Bible tells us that there will be hardships, their will be suffering, there will be death, but all of that leads to life (Philippians). God's will and God's plan for your life is ultimately for you to look like Christ, and everything is working towards that goal. And when that goal is achieved it brings the glory of the presence of God.
It is only through becoming like Christ that we can ever reach glorification. Let's go back to the river analogy. All rivers lead to the ocean, but it is only by swimming the river, by going through the rapids, that we are prepared to enter the currents of the ocean. Only the rough waters we face strengthen our arms and legs to be able to swim in the ocean.
God causes all things to work together to mold into the image of His Son. And those who become like His Son will be glorified. That is His will, that is His plan. Everything that happens in your life is to help you become more like Christ. As my mentor said, "A brew that Starbucks would be envious of."
Whatever is going on in your life, know that God loves you, and all of this is happening to help you become more like Christ. Know at the end there will be glorification for the faithful, but only through the hardships can we get there.
As the early Church Father, Tertullian, said, "Do we test the faith by persons or persons by the faith? No one is wise, no one is faithful, no one worthy of honor unless he is a Christian, and no one is a Christian unless he perseveres to the end."
Go through adversity with God. Persevere and become like Christ. Then we will be welcomed into glory.
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
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