Update

I haven't posted in a while. We've been on a strange detour talking about a novel. The novel is called "The Shack." We didn't select it because it's perfect. It's not. The author makes a brave (if not foolish) attempt to illustrate truths about the unknowable mystery of Trinity.

We have used his novel to cause us to discuss the Godhead and how we view the Godhead. We are looking to the novel to springboard a discussion, but we are looking to the Scripture to teach us the truth.

It's been fun, difficult, and interesting. Perhaps the most interesting and consistent realization is that it's impossible for finite minds to approach God's infinite tenderness and compassion or his infinite justice and holiness without doing damage to the other.

Dying to Self - Part 2

I don’t like implying that something as important, complex, or life-rearranging as dying to self can be reduced to a simple process of a few steps. Nothing could be further than truth. But it may be helpful to conceptualize several forms that “dying to self” can and should take. The first one I’ll mention may also be first in priority.

We must die to self-righteousness and live in His righteousness.

I cannot have died to self and live out an attempt to earn God’s favor. Dying to self-righteousness means that I can only depend on the righteousness of Christ.

Pharisees had the whole “being righteous enough to deserve God’s approval” thing down better than any of us. Early in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Paul once wrote “forgetting those things that lie behind, I press on toward the high calling….” (Philippians 3) I have often heard that phrase used to encourage people to let go of offenses and pains in the past. I’ve heard some say that counseling should never discuss childhood issues because we should be “forgetting those things that lie behind.” It’s a complete distortion of what Paul meant.

Paul claimed “if anyone has the right to feel self-righteous, it’s me.” Then he listed his qualifications.

“I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee. In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.”

Then he writes that he considers all that self-righteousness to be a liability (loss). His real righteousness comes from Christ, not from himself. When he talks about forgetting what lies behind, he’s talking about self-righteousness. He’s talking about any worthless claim he might make to righteousness rooted in his own effort.

Die to self-righteousness, live in Christ’s righteousness.

Dying to Self – one time and many times

This is why the Father loves me — because I lay down my life, so that
I may take it back again. – Jesus (John 10:17 )

In one sense a decision made once, but in another sense it’s a decision that must be made moment-by-moment.

Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: (Col 3:2-5) Emphasis added

There is no sense in saying “you have died” and “put to death” unless it is made once, and then over and over again.

If I decided at youth camp to die to self, in an eternal sense it’s done. My life is "hidden with Christ in God. " I will inherit with Christ all the glories of heaven. But in another sense, it’s just the first of many. In terms of practical Christian living, we must decide to die to self on a moment by moment basis.

The choice must be made every moment. Like this one.

Abiding

Jesus first calls us to come. Then he commands us to “stay” in Him. (To abide means to remain, or to stay.)

We have seen that this is more powerful than prayer because it is the key to answered prayer. John 15:7

We have seen that this is more gracious than salvation, because it results in more than just life, but life “more abundant” when we pasture with the good shepherd. John 10:10

We have learned that abiding with Christ is more miraculous than healing and more glorious than the image of God, because as we abide in Christ we are actually changed from “glory to glory” ever closer to His perfect image. 2 Cor. 5:17 ff

We have at least one more week on this topic. But as we have made purposeful efforts to “stay with Him and remember that He is in us” some remarkable things have happened… so remarkable that I am having trouble believing them. I write this for one simple purpose. It’s clear that abiding with Him is not something we accomplish by effort, giftedness, or even faith. If those were required, I would not be seeing anything.

But my lack of faith and vision notwithstanding, people in our group are seeing physical needs, emotional needs, and relational needs being met in astounding clarity.

“Stay”

More Gracious than the Gift of Life

John 15: 9 -11 "Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.”

Abiding in Christ places His full and complete joy within the one blessed to abide…i.e. “life more abundant.”

Acts 2:28 Peter, at Pentecost, quotes David from Psalm 16 “you will make me full of joy with your presence.” (emphasis added)

More Powerful than Prayer

What’s more powerful than prayer? Abiding in Christ. It is only as we abide in Him that we know how to pray.

John 15:7 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you can ask for what you want and it shall be given to you.”

Of course, if we make it our goal to abide in Christ so that we can get whatever we want, we will never succeed at either goal. If we abide in Christ, our wants will be forever altered.

Romans 6 is clear that we died with Christ, and because of that, we live with Him, too.

“For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death (which is symbolized in the immersion of baptism), we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection.”

Rom 12 adds that we should live these resurrected lives as living sacrifices. Not sacrifices that die on the altar, but sacrifices that live. Sacrifices that died with Christ and now abide in Him. We are sacrifices that live Holy lives, lives that are pleasing to God.

In this way our wants are altered to become His wants. John 15:7 is a promise, but it might be better to see it as a barometer. If I am given whatever I prayerfully want, I can be assured that I am abiding in Him, and His words are abiding in me.

But if I am not given what I prayerfully want, it demonstrates that I am not capable of understanding His heart in the matter. But our gracious Lord knows our weakness. He understands our hurt. He even understands our heart when it is out of sync with His. And He still loves. He still welcomes us. He still calls us to trust Him more. He still offers the promise. If you will abide in me….you shall have what your heart most deeply wants.

Challenge: Spend 5 minutes each morning, consciously placing yourself in His presence.

Next Topic: “What’s more gracious than salvation?”

Our next topic is…

More powerful than prayer
More gracious than salvation
More miraculous than healing
More glorious than the image of God
More comforting than scripture
More certain than breath

Goodness

On Sunday, we ended on Romans 15:14 where Paul says he is convinced that believers are able to “instruct” one another. We noted three conditions for his confidence.
1) We are in a community
2) We are full of goodness
3) We are filled with knowledge

As we discussed these, I neglected to mention one important thought about goodness. Goodness and “being nice” are not the same thing. Goodness is a noun that references the actions one takes when proper and right in relationship. “Goodness” is the works that come from love. That means that when Jesus looked Peter in the eye and said “Get thee behind me Satan” that was “goodness.” (Otherwise Jesus was being less than loving.) When Jesus said “woe to you, you bunch of snakes” that was “goodness.” When he wove a whip out of straw and went wild on the money changers, that was “goodness.”

The actions that come from doing right in a relationship are not always “nice” nor are they always “harsh.” That’s why being full of knowledge becomes so important.

Please remember to pray at let me know your thoughts about
- What’s after Romans?
- Do we give to the Rawanda Mission, and how much?
- Do we give to “Jack’s travel fund,” and how much?
- Should we spend $150.00 for a small coffee roaster?
- Details for this coming Sunday’s schedule (Steve has to be at the School of Medicine Graduation, Jack is graduating from the Bell Center)

Romans 14

“It’s OK for believers to hold, believe, and live by, different personal standards.”

I know that can seem contrary to what you have heard. Many of us have been taught that there is an objective standard of right and wrong to which all people will be held. But that’s only true about a relatively small number of issues.

“It’s OK for believers to hold, believe, and live by, different personal standards.”

That’s a position that’s uncomfortable. We are more comfortable with small boxes in which all “right-minded” people agree. But it’s not what the Bible teaches.

It’s possible that it is right for me to drink wine and wrong for you. It’s possible that it’s right for you to see an R-rated movie, but wrong for me. It’s possible that it’s right for the spouse of one adulterous spouse to stay committed and wrong for antoher.

“It’s OK for believers to hold, believe, and live by, different personal standards.”

The standards about which God convicts me, are standards for ME. I will answer to His standards for me. I will not answer your standards for me. I will not answer for how others live to His standards for me.

“It’s OK for believers to hold, believe, and live by, different personal standards.”

Don’t take my word for it. Read Romans 14

Where we are

This week we will meet from 3-5. We'll start at Romans 14:1. I look forward to seeing you all.

Certainties

Yesterday seemed like a good day to be thinking about taxes. The old saying that “the only certainties are death and taxes,” came to my mind. I think there are another two certainties.

The first thing true of every person, is that we are built with an inescapable need to be in reciprocal and perfect love.

The second is that we are completely incapable of establishing or maintaining reciprocal and perfect love.

What Shall I Do Next?

Last Sunday we discussed the long section in Romans where Paul addresses only the Jews in Rome, and then the short section where Paul talks to the Gentiles about the Jews and how the gentiles should view and treat the Jews.

Several mentioned that they would really like to ask some questions of a practicing Jew. Modern Judaism seems to contradict the Judaism in Biblical times.

I said that I had done that with a Jewish friend several years ago, and maybe I could find another Jewish friend who would be willing to answer questions from the group.

I asked a medical student if she would sit down with us and answer our questions. Explained some of the questions I expected we would ask and assured her that we would be kind, respectful, and that she would leave thinking it was a very pleasant time.

She responded that while she is “a religious person” she feels unqualified to answer our questions. She gave me the name and contact info for the rabbi at a local conservative temple, and for the rabbi at a local “reform” temple.

So, send your vote by taking the poll on this page.