1. Through Faith
When a person stubbornly refuses to give up on a dream in spite of evidence to the contrary, we consider the crazy, or at least foolish. Abraham’s friends and family must have thought he was loosing it when he insisted that God was going to give him a child – especially after he and his wife Sarah were senior citizens.
“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, ‘That’s how many descendants you will have!’ And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.” (Romans 4:19-21, NLT)
God’s promise to become ‘partakers of the divine nature’ is even more outrageous. No other creature has this potential or has been promised this. You’ll find that your friends and family, maybe even your pastor, will think you are foolish to believe this promise. They’ll ask, “Who do you think you are?!” And, worst of all, you will wait year after year with no answer from God. Just like Abraham, you will be stripped of every reason to hope.
But you might find, like Abraham, that as the evidence against this promise becomes more insurmountable, your faith grows stronger. You become even more fully convinced that ‘God is able to do whatever he promises.’
There are many other examples of this type of faith in the Bible. Enoch was the first to ‘walk with God’ after the fall. “It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—‘he disappeared, because God took him.’ For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.
“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely (or diligently) seek him.” (Hebrews 11:5-6 NLT) Enoch’s example shows that faith is expressed by the authentic, diligent pursuit of God.
“It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:24-27 NLT)
Moses is an example of someone who could have had ‘the whole world’ of his day. He had wealth, power, position, and education. But, by faith, he saw something more valuable than everything the world offers. He wanted to see the face of God – to be in God’s presence and behold his glory (Ex. 33:18).” This passion cost him everything. But, in the end, he found what he was looking for – the glory of God.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is John 11:40. Just before he raised Lazarus from the dead, “Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" If we believe the promises of God, we will also see His glory.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Not my will, but yours.
The biggest barrier to the experiencing the fullness of God is our stubborn human will. When we are honest, we realize that even our pursuit of God can be a selfish desire for power or glory. Selfish ambition can disguise itself in holy robes. But God will never be the pawn of our fallen natures. He demands that we “learn obedience through suffering.” When we have learned “reverent submission,” we’re ready for the fulfillment of the promise.
“During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:7-10 NIV)
“At each stage of Jesus’ life he had to meet temptation, and overcome it. Out of each victory he came with his will strengthened and his power over the weakness of the flesh, and the danger of yielding to its desire for earthly good, or its fear of temporal evil, increased. In Gethsemane his trial and his obedience reached their consummation.
“Suffering is something unnatural, the fruit of sin. God has made us for joy. It is natural for us, as it was to the Son of God, to fear and flee from suffering. In this desire there is nothing sinful. It only becomes sinful where God would have us submit and suffer, and we refuse. This was the temptation of the power of darkness in Gethsemane – for Jesus to refuse the cup.
“In his prayers and petitions, with loud cries and tears, Jesus maintained his allegiance to God’s will. In wrestling and bloody sweat he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The deepest suffering taught him the highest lesson of obedience: when he had yielded his will and his life, his obedience was complete, and he himself was perfected for evermore.
“This is our High Priest. He knows what the weakness of the flesh is. He knows what it costs to conquer it, and how little we are able to do it. He lives in heaven, able to assist us, sympathizing with our weaknesses, bearing gently with our ignorance and erring. (He is) a High Priest on the throne to whom we may boldly draw near to find grace for timely help. He lives in heaven and in our heart, to impart to us his own spirit of obedience, so that his priesthood may bring us into the full enjoyment of all he himself has and is.” (The Holiest of All, a commentary on Hebrews by Andrew Murray, p.185)
“During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:7-10 NIV)
“At each stage of Jesus’ life he had to meet temptation, and overcome it. Out of each victory he came with his will strengthened and his power over the weakness of the flesh, and the danger of yielding to its desire for earthly good, or its fear of temporal evil, increased. In Gethsemane his trial and his obedience reached their consummation.
“Suffering is something unnatural, the fruit of sin. God has made us for joy. It is natural for us, as it was to the Son of God, to fear and flee from suffering. In this desire there is nothing sinful. It only becomes sinful where God would have us submit and suffer, and we refuse. This was the temptation of the power of darkness in Gethsemane – for Jesus to refuse the cup.
“In his prayers and petitions, with loud cries and tears, Jesus maintained his allegiance to God’s will. In wrestling and bloody sweat he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The deepest suffering taught him the highest lesson of obedience: when he had yielded his will and his life, his obedience was complete, and he himself was perfected for evermore.
“This is our High Priest. He knows what the weakness of the flesh is. He knows what it costs to conquer it, and how little we are able to do it. He lives in heaven, able to assist us, sympathizing with our weaknesses, bearing gently with our ignorance and erring. (He is) a High Priest on the throne to whom we may boldly draw near to find grace for timely help. He lives in heaven and in our heart, to impart to us his own spirit of obedience, so that his priesthood may bring us into the full enjoyment of all he himself has and is.” (The Holiest of All, a commentary on Hebrews by Andrew Murray, p.185)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Unattached
Those of us who want to experience the fullness of God have to come to grips with the reality that we can’t have both worlds. “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:13 NLT)
Things like money, possessions, the approval of other, and the thrill of being in control of others (power) are ‘attachments’ that keep us from the kingdom of God. When Jesus called his disciples, they left everything and followed him. But they were still strongly attached to a desire for power and influence. When Jesus was predicting his death, the disciples didn’t hear him because they were too busy arguing about which of them would be greatest (Lk. 9:46). Again at the last supper, while Jesus was giving them his final words, they were distracted by an argument about who would be the greatest among them (Lk. 22:24).
To be filled with the fullness of God, we first must be emptied of self and its attachments. The Apostle John wrote, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John 2:15-17 NLT)
How does this happen? We are all so deeply attached to possessions, power, and the praise of others. That is the purpose of the Lord’s Prayer. It helps us return these ‘attachments’ to their rightful owner. “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” (Lk. 11:2) When we understand this prayer correctly, we are saying to God, “Let your name be exalted and honored, not mine. Let all the circumstances in my life and in the world around me be controlled by you, rightful King, not me. And let the pleasure of having things go your way be yours alone, my God, not mine.”
We aren’t able to release these attachments without the help of God’s Holy Spirit. “For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.” (Heb. 9:14 NLT) Just as our Lord depended on the Sprit to offer himself to God, we must also rely on supernatural help to stop finding our life in the things around us and find it in God alone.
Things like money, possessions, the approval of other, and the thrill of being in control of others (power) are ‘attachments’ that keep us from the kingdom of God. When Jesus called his disciples, they left everything and followed him. But they were still strongly attached to a desire for power and influence. When Jesus was predicting his death, the disciples didn’t hear him because they were too busy arguing about which of them would be greatest (Lk. 9:46). Again at the last supper, while Jesus was giving them his final words, they were distracted by an argument about who would be the greatest among them (Lk. 22:24).
To be filled with the fullness of God, we first must be emptied of self and its attachments. The Apostle John wrote, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John 2:15-17 NLT)
How does this happen? We are all so deeply attached to possessions, power, and the praise of others. That is the purpose of the Lord’s Prayer. It helps us return these ‘attachments’ to their rightful owner. “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” (Lk. 11:2) When we understand this prayer correctly, we are saying to God, “Let your name be exalted and honored, not mine. Let all the circumstances in my life and in the world around me be controlled by you, rightful King, not me. And let the pleasure of having things go your way be yours alone, my God, not mine.”
We aren’t able to release these attachments without the help of God’s Holy Spirit. “For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.” (Heb. 9:14 NLT) Just as our Lord depended on the Sprit to offer himself to God, we must also rely on supernatural help to stop finding our life in the things around us and find it in God alone.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Lost in the reformation
I've just finished reading two very interesting books by Catholic scholars about Christ being formed in us. The first is by Ralph Martin, a leader in Catholic renewal movements and Director of Graduate Programs in the New Evangelization at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. His book, The Fulfillment of All Desire, gives a clear description of the process to union with God.
The second book, Fire Within, is by Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M., a retreat master and spiritual director in the Catholic church. Both books give an overview of the journey toward 'the beatific vision' of having Christ formed in us based on Scripture and the writings of saints who have achieved this state like St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Francis De Sales.
Just a quick note to those of you who are Protestants. If you're like me, you've been taught to be very suspicious of Catholic teachings. You might have already crossed me off as an untrustworthy source because I mention these books. But before you go, could I just say that if you will open your mind to consider these writers, you'll find that they have a very high esteem for Scripture, they clearly express the gospel of Christ, and they have biblical insights you could benefit from. You will probably come across some things that you don't agree with, sure, but don't toss out the baby with the bathwater! If we Evangelical Prostestants would listen to our brothers and sisters in the Catholic church, we will find that, when it comes to the biblical teaching on union with God, they have much to teach us. Truths that, unfortunately, were 'lost in the reformation.'
As Bernard of Clairvaux writes, "Come then, follow, seek Him; do not let that unapproachable brightness and glory hold you back from seeking Him or make you despair of finding Him. 'If you can believe all things are possible to him who believes' (Mk. 9:22) 'The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.' (Rom. 10:8) Therefore seek him confidently, seek him faithfully, 'The Lord is good to the soul who seeks Him.' (Lam. 3:25) Seek Him in your prayers, follow Him in your actions, and find Him in faith." (On the Song of Songs, vol. IV, sermon 76, no. 6, p. 115)
They call the first stage of the journey toward union with God 'the Purgative Way.' It includes our initial conversion to Christ, the exciting first steps of faith (like the Israelite's experience just after leaving Egypt, and our wanderings in the wilderness. The trials God allows us to encounter begin the process of purging away our self-centeredness, pride, and affection for the world. We discover the 'idols' in our lives - money, the approval of others, power/control, and pleasure.
The second stage, referred to as 'the Illumative Way,' is characterized by deeper prayer, growth in Christian virtues, deepening love for God and others, greater moral stability and complete surrender to the Lordship of Christ. As God illuminates Scripture to us, and reveals Himself, we lose interest in all that is not God. We become bored with the pursuits of those around us. Making money, attaining power, and experiencing the pleasures of the world pale in comparison to beholding the face of Christ. As the 'veil' is removed, we "can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord - who is the Spirit - makes us more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image. For God who said, 'Let there be light in the darkness,' has made His light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor. 3:18, 4:6)
The third stage called, 'the Unitive Way,' is "characterized by deep, habitual union with God, deep joy, profound humility, freedom from fears of suffering or trials, great desire to serve God, and fruitfulness." (The Fulfillment of All Desire, Ralph Martin, page 12)
These different stages can be present in the believer's life simultaneously but as we make progress, our experience will be primarily defined by the subsequent stages.
The second book, Fire Within, is by Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M., a retreat master and spiritual director in the Catholic church. Both books give an overview of the journey toward 'the beatific vision' of having Christ formed in us based on Scripture and the writings of saints who have achieved this state like St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Francis De Sales.
Just a quick note to those of you who are Protestants. If you're like me, you've been taught to be very suspicious of Catholic teachings. You might have already crossed me off as an untrustworthy source because I mention these books. But before you go, could I just say that if you will open your mind to consider these writers, you'll find that they have a very high esteem for Scripture, they clearly express the gospel of Christ, and they have biblical insights you could benefit from. You will probably come across some things that you don't agree with, sure, but don't toss out the baby with the bathwater! If we Evangelical Prostestants would listen to our brothers and sisters in the Catholic church, we will find that, when it comes to the biblical teaching on union with God, they have much to teach us. Truths that, unfortunately, were 'lost in the reformation.'
As Bernard of Clairvaux writes, "Come then, follow, seek Him; do not let that unapproachable brightness and glory hold you back from seeking Him or make you despair of finding Him. 'If you can believe all things are possible to him who believes' (Mk. 9:22) 'The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.' (Rom. 10:8) Therefore seek him confidently, seek him faithfully, 'The Lord is good to the soul who seeks Him.' (Lam. 3:25) Seek Him in your prayers, follow Him in your actions, and find Him in faith." (On the Song of Songs, vol. IV, sermon 76, no. 6, p. 115)
They call the first stage of the journey toward union with God 'the Purgative Way.' It includes our initial conversion to Christ, the exciting first steps of faith (like the Israelite's experience just after leaving Egypt, and our wanderings in the wilderness. The trials God allows us to encounter begin the process of purging away our self-centeredness, pride, and affection for the world. We discover the 'idols' in our lives - money, the approval of others, power/control, and pleasure.
The second stage, referred to as 'the Illumative Way,' is characterized by deeper prayer, growth in Christian virtues, deepening love for God and others, greater moral stability and complete surrender to the Lordship of Christ. As God illuminates Scripture to us, and reveals Himself, we lose interest in all that is not God. We become bored with the pursuits of those around us. Making money, attaining power, and experiencing the pleasures of the world pale in comparison to beholding the face of Christ. As the 'veil' is removed, we "can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord - who is the Spirit - makes us more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image. For God who said, 'Let there be light in the darkness,' has made His light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor. 3:18, 4:6)
The third stage called, 'the Unitive Way,' is "characterized by deep, habitual union with God, deep joy, profound humility, freedom from fears of suffering or trials, great desire to serve God, and fruitfulness." (The Fulfillment of All Desire, Ralph Martin, page 12)
These different stages can be present in the believer's life simultaneously but as we make progress, our experience will be primarily defined by the subsequent stages.
Between the chairs
I’ve always been disturbed when I compare the Christianity of the New Testament with what I’ve experienced. Like the boy who revealed the nakedness of the emperor in the children’s story, I want to shout to my fellow believers, “We’re missing out on the main point! We humans have been offered a privilege that must amaze the angels – the presence of God in our human bodies. But most of us don’t even know that it’s an option.”
But then, when I look at my own life, I lose my courage. I haven't yet attained what I'm looking for.
At a recent church retreat, one of our youth pastors placed two chairs on the stage. He suggested that one chair represents who we were before our conversion. The other chair represents who we are when Christ has been fully formed in us. Then he stood between the chairs and spoke about our position of leaving one chair but not yet being in the other chair. He read Philippians 3:12-14 where Paul admits, "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not acheived it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
The Bible teaches that this miracle of grace will occur at the resurrection of our bodies. Christ’s prayer will be answered in the end. But the Bible teaches that we can experience it on earth now. But, like Paul, we reach for it, hoping to grasp it before we are taken home to heaven.
“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:7-11)
The formation of Christ in the believer is a process that never is fully completed here on earth. We never achieve the “perfection” that Jesus achieved when He said, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:7) We never perfectly reflect the divine glory to this world. But we can say, as Paul said to the Corinthians (11:1), “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
But then, when I look at my own life, I lose my courage. I haven't yet attained what I'm looking for.
At a recent church retreat, one of our youth pastors placed two chairs on the stage. He suggested that one chair represents who we were before our conversion. The other chair represents who we are when Christ has been fully formed in us. Then he stood between the chairs and spoke about our position of leaving one chair but not yet being in the other chair. He read Philippians 3:12-14 where Paul admits, "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not acheived it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
The Bible teaches that this miracle of grace will occur at the resurrection of our bodies. Christ’s prayer will be answered in the end. But the Bible teaches that we can experience it on earth now. But, like Paul, we reach for it, hoping to grasp it before we are taken home to heaven.
“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:7-11)
The formation of Christ in the believer is a process that never is fully completed here on earth. We never achieve the “perfection” that Jesus achieved when He said, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:7) We never perfectly reflect the divine glory to this world. But we can say, as Paul said to the Corinthians (11:1), “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
Inside out
The last letter to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3 has often been associated with the final church on earth just before Christ’s second coming. Even the name, Laodicea, which means “the rights of the people”, seems appropriate for our litigious contemporary society. If this is true, the message relates directly to the fact that so few of us have experienced the indwelling presence of Christ described in Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3.
In the Laodicean letter, Jesus says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:15-20)
Jesus is recommending that we “buy” (pray for) gold refined in the fire. This is a common biblical metaphor for suffering (see 1 Peter 1:6-7). We also need something to cover our nakedness, a metaphor for the shame of our fallen nature, which is exposed by our self-sins. Finally we need salve for our eyes, “so you can see.” The implication is clear. We think we know so much, but we are really blind.
Just in case we missed this point, Jesus emphasizes it by comparing our self-confident perception with the pathetic reality of our true spiritual condition. We are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”
Many Christians today might think we are in the “golden age” of the church because of our large institutions and international accomplishments. It is interesting to note that when Christ came the first time, the spiritual leaders of His day thought that they were in the “golden age” of orthodox Jewish practice.
The worst indictment of all is the fact that Jesus is outside the door knocking. I know that this verse is often used to present the gospel. The assumption is that once we say the prayer of faith, Jesus comes to live in our hearts and everything is good.
But, please notice that Jesus is talking to the church of Laodicea – a body of believers. Christ is outside of their lives and they don’t realize it. I believe this rebuke is for us. Most of us have not experience the indwelling presence of Christ described in Ephesians 3:14-21. We rely on our own resources – intellectual training, organizational wisdom, and human effort – to advance God’s kingdom.
In Ezekiel 10, the prophet has an amazing vision of the glory of God departing from the temple. The leaders were oblivious to his departure. Could it be that we are in a similar state? We have respected Christian institutions and industries but where is the glory of God?
In jars of clay
How does Paul’s description of his ministry compare to ours today? “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Cor. 4:5-10)
Do we see God’s “all-surpassing power” at work through those in ministry? Paul writes, “Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done – by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.” (Rom. 15:17-19)
God isn’t into ministry “superheroes.” Paul tells us very candidly how it worked in his ministry. “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.” (1 Cor. 2:1-5) And to the Colossians he writes, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” (Col. 1:28-29)
In the Laodicean letter, Jesus says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:15-20)
Jesus is recommending that we “buy” (pray for) gold refined in the fire. This is a common biblical metaphor for suffering (see 1 Peter 1:6-7). We also need something to cover our nakedness, a metaphor for the shame of our fallen nature, which is exposed by our self-sins. Finally we need salve for our eyes, “so you can see.” The implication is clear. We think we know so much, but we are really blind.
Just in case we missed this point, Jesus emphasizes it by comparing our self-confident perception with the pathetic reality of our true spiritual condition. We are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”
Many Christians today might think we are in the “golden age” of the church because of our large institutions and international accomplishments. It is interesting to note that when Christ came the first time, the spiritual leaders of His day thought that they were in the “golden age” of orthodox Jewish practice.
The worst indictment of all is the fact that Jesus is outside the door knocking. I know that this verse is often used to present the gospel. The assumption is that once we say the prayer of faith, Jesus comes to live in our hearts and everything is good.
But, please notice that Jesus is talking to the church of Laodicea – a body of believers. Christ is outside of their lives and they don’t realize it. I believe this rebuke is for us. Most of us have not experience the indwelling presence of Christ described in Ephesians 3:14-21. We rely on our own resources – intellectual training, organizational wisdom, and human effort – to advance God’s kingdom.
In Ezekiel 10, the prophet has an amazing vision of the glory of God departing from the temple. The leaders were oblivious to his departure. Could it be that we are in a similar state? We have respected Christian institutions and industries but where is the glory of God?
In jars of clay
How does Paul’s description of his ministry compare to ours today? “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Cor. 4:5-10)
Do we see God’s “all-surpassing power” at work through those in ministry? Paul writes, “Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done – by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.” (Rom. 15:17-19)
God isn’t into ministry “superheroes.” Paul tells us very candidly how it worked in his ministry. “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.” (1 Cor. 2:1-5) And to the Colossians he writes, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” (Col. 1:28-29)
You are God's dwelling place
The greatest privilege and honor given to the human race is the potential of becoming part of God’s dwelling place. Paul wrote to the Corinthians (6:16), “For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” The previous passage (Eph. 3:14-20 above) is an explanation of how the glory of God – in the presence of Christ by His Spirit – actually comes into the temple of your body.
It will help you understand what Paul is saying if you keep in mind the structure of the Old Testament temple. First there was the outer court where people would come to interact with God. Think of this as a metaphor for the human body. Now let’s let the writer of Hebrews tell us about the inside rooms (9:2-3). “In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place.” This “Holy of Holies” is where God’s presence dwelled.
Think of the “Holy Place” as your soul – the seat of your emotions, intellect, and will. Then, think of the “Most Holy Place” as your human spirit. This is the part of your being that has communion with God.
First, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit in our “inner being” or human spirit – the inner sanctuary of our being. Christ comes to dwell in this “Holy of Holies” by faith. By His presence within our spirit, we are “rooted and grounded” in love.”
Love becomes the basis of our thoughts, emotions, and behavior. It becomes the operating principle of our soul. We are enabled to understand something that is incomprehensible to the natural human mind – the breadth, length, and depth of Christ’s love.
So we become saturated with God’s love. It fills us – takes over our entire being – and is revealed in our bodies - the outer court of our temple where people come in contact with us.
When the glory of the Lord comes to His temple (our bodies) like this, God is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine through us. Since the operating principle in our lives is no longer selfishness, God does not hesitate to speak and act through us. This brings great glory to God through his church because we are reflecting the presence of Christ to the world.
It will help you understand what Paul is saying if you keep in mind the structure of the Old Testament temple. First there was the outer court where people would come to interact with God. Think of this as a metaphor for the human body. Now let’s let the writer of Hebrews tell us about the inside rooms (9:2-3). “In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place.” This “Holy of Holies” is where God’s presence dwelled.
Think of the “Holy Place” as your soul – the seat of your emotions, intellect, and will. Then, think of the “Most Holy Place” as your human spirit. This is the part of your being that has communion with God.
First, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit in our “inner being” or human spirit – the inner sanctuary of our being. Christ comes to dwell in this “Holy of Holies” by faith. By His presence within our spirit, we are “rooted and grounded” in love.”
Love becomes the basis of our thoughts, emotions, and behavior. It becomes the operating principle of our soul. We are enabled to understand something that is incomprehensible to the natural human mind – the breadth, length, and depth of Christ’s love.
So we become saturated with God’s love. It fills us – takes over our entire being – and is revealed in our bodies - the outer court of our temple where people come in contact with us.
When the glory of the Lord comes to His temple (our bodies) like this, God is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine through us. Since the operating principle in our lives is no longer selfishness, God does not hesitate to speak and act through us. This brings great glory to God through his church because we are reflecting the presence of Christ to the world.
I can see clearly now
God uses the disappointments and setbacks in our lives to create a sense of need – no, maybe ‘desperation’ would be a better word. When you think of someone who suffered horribly in the Bible, who comes to mind? I’m sure Job is somewhere on your list, if not at the top. Here’s what he said, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5-6)
The two reasons God allows us to suffer are; (1) we will see Him more clearly and (2) we will see ourselves more clearly. These two things go hand in hand. Isaiah had a similar experience. “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.” His vision of God resulted in the clearer view of his own depravity. He cried, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:1,5)
A friend of the cross
The cross liberates us from the power of sin, self, the world, the devil, and a condemning law. Paul wrote, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal. 6:14)
“...Having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Col. 2:14-15)
You’d think that the tool God uses to emancipate His people would be valued and loved. And while singing about how we “cherish the old rugged cross, ” for salvation, we aren’t as excited to embrace it for our sanctification because it condemns our self-sins. We can’t by “friends of the cross” while we are living in self indulgence, self pity, self confidence, self righteousness, or any other manifestation of our fallen nature.
Paul writes about those who want to still stay attached to self and the world. “For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:18-19)
Jesus made it very clear. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35)
What does this look like?
When Christ is formed in a person, it means (no surprise here) that they speak and act like Jesus did while on earth. Paul gives us a glimpse of how this miracle of grace plays itself out in a person’s life and character. And he offers some strong encouragement.
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:15-17)
Christ was formed in the “worst of sinners,” to show us that there is hope for any one of us. We are first introduced to Saul (later called Paul) in Acts 7:58 where he is guarding the cloaks of those who are stoning Stephan and cheering them on. Then he “began to destroy the church” (Acts 8:3). But Christ revealed himself to Paul on the way to Damascus and transformed his life. He became the one chosen to bring this mystery to the Gentiles. Here is Paul’s testimony in his own words.
“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles – Surely you have heard about the administration (or stewardship) of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph. 3:1-21)
The two reasons God allows us to suffer are; (1) we will see Him more clearly and (2) we will see ourselves more clearly. These two things go hand in hand. Isaiah had a similar experience. “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.” His vision of God resulted in the clearer view of his own depravity. He cried, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:1,5)
A friend of the cross
The cross liberates us from the power of sin, self, the world, the devil, and a condemning law. Paul wrote, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal. 6:14)
“...Having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Col. 2:14-15)
You’d think that the tool God uses to emancipate His people would be valued and loved. And while singing about how we “cherish the old rugged cross, ” for salvation, we aren’t as excited to embrace it for our sanctification because it condemns our self-sins. We can’t by “friends of the cross” while we are living in self indulgence, self pity, self confidence, self righteousness, or any other manifestation of our fallen nature.
Paul writes about those who want to still stay attached to self and the world. “For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:18-19)
Jesus made it very clear. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35)
What does this look like?
When Christ is formed in a person, it means (no surprise here) that they speak and act like Jesus did while on earth. Paul gives us a glimpse of how this miracle of grace plays itself out in a person’s life and character. And he offers some strong encouragement.
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:15-17)
Christ was formed in the “worst of sinners,” to show us that there is hope for any one of us. We are first introduced to Saul (later called Paul) in Acts 7:58 where he is guarding the cloaks of those who are stoning Stephan and cheering them on. Then he “began to destroy the church” (Acts 8:3). But Christ revealed himself to Paul on the way to Damascus and transformed his life. He became the one chosen to bring this mystery to the Gentiles. Here is Paul’s testimony in his own words.
“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles – Surely you have heard about the administration (or stewardship) of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph. 3:1-21)
Suffering Preceeds Glory
The biblical pattern is faith, then suffering which brings purification, and then glory. After His resurrection, Jesus met several puzzled disciples on the way to Emmaus. He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26) Even the perfect Son of God had to follow this pattern. “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Heb. 2:10)
Paul repeats this pattern in Romans 5:1-5. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Apparently, after our conversion, God has to “do a work of grace” in our lives through the painful trials of life. Here is God’s Word of encouragement. “My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Heb. 12:6-11)
Paul repeats this pattern in Romans 5:1-5. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Apparently, after our conversion, God has to “do a work of grace” in our lives through the painful trials of life. Here is God’s Word of encouragement. “My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Heb. 12:6-11)
A Second Trip to the Cross
According to the Bible, we have three primary enemies: the world, the flesh (our fallen nature), and the Devil. The greatest weapon against all three is the cross of Christ.
The world: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14)
The flesh: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
The Devil: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15)
The cross of Christ was essential to our salvation. It is also essential to our Christian lives. Jesus told his followers to “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)
Do you want to experience more of God? It will cost you everything.
You’ll have to die to your own ambitions, the approval of friends and family, and the pleasures of the surrounding culture. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44)
Like the children of Israel, we are wandering through the wilderness hoping that God would hurry up and take us into the Promised Land. But what they didn’t realize (and we don’t either) is that these difficulties are actually God’s way of revealing the true nature of fallen human hearts. To make progress in our spiritual lives, we have to return to the cross of another death – ours. And we have to embrace the cross as God’s power to set us free from the three things that keep pulling us down.
Am I really all that bad?
Jeremiah said it best. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9) God wants us to come to the realization that the fallen nature that we inherited from Adam is hopelessly evil. It cannot and will not ever be obedient to God.
“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:3-4)
I’ve recently heard a song by Michael English on our Christian radio station that says, “The only thing that’s good in me is Jesus.” Some people would strongly disagree with that statement. They teach that God wants us to have strong self-esteem and to take pride in ourselves. Well, the Apostle Paul doesn’t agree. He wrote, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (Romans 7:18)
If I agree with God that my human nature is non-redeemable, and worthy of nothing but death on the cross, then I’m ready for the next step: the full identification with Christ’s resurrection.
Lost in the Reformation.
It makes sense that God won’t reveal Himself or empower our fallen natures. The results would be similar to what happened with Lucifer. We would become proud and try to use God for our own warped purposes. God has to put us down in death before he can raise us up to be empowered with his resurrection life.
“So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” (Romans 7:4-6)
But by taking this second trip to the cross, and admitting that our human nature is a hopeless, helpless mess, we are able to “die” to our human lusts, the temptations of the world, and the demands of the law. Paul wrote, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” (Gal. 5:24). No more blind servitude to our evil lusts.
Ever since Pentecost, there have been men and women of faith who have embraced the cross, followed Jesus into death to self, sin, and the world, and experienced the power of his resurrection in their lives. Some of their stories are recorded in Scripture (Peter, Paul, Stephan, etc.).
As you know, about 500 years ago, there was a major upheaval in the church called the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and many others challenged the Catholic Church to return to Scripture and to salvation by grace through faith. These rediscovered truths have become essential in clarifying what God requires for salvation.
But there were some teachings about the mysteries of life in Christ that were lost in the transition. Years earlier, some Christians in the Catholic Church had discovered and experienced exactly what we are discussing here. Believers like Saint John of the Cross, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Teresa of Avila, and others had experienced this mysterious presence of Christ and mapped the way for others.
They discovered three distinct stages in the spiritual journey toward union with Christ. The first stage is ‘purgative’ – the purging of our souls of greed, lust, pride, and all other self-sins. The second is ‘illuminative’ – the revelation of the glory of Christ so that we are changed into his image. The third is called the ‘transforming union’ – the ultimate goal of Christ in us and we in him. This has also been referred to over the centuries as ‘the filling of the Holy Spirit.’
Since the reformation, there have been many men and women who lived lives of supernatural power and influence. People like Charles Wesley, D.L. Moody, Mother Teresa, etc. These saints were not self-promoters, but their lives continue to inspire people around the world long after their death.
As Peter writes, “...His divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and (moral) excellence. Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature (glory), after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desires (moral excellence).” (2 Peter 1:3-4 NET)
The world: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14)
The flesh: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
The Devil: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15)
The cross of Christ was essential to our salvation. It is also essential to our Christian lives. Jesus told his followers to “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)
Do you want to experience more of God? It will cost you everything.
You’ll have to die to your own ambitions, the approval of friends and family, and the pleasures of the surrounding culture. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44)
Like the children of Israel, we are wandering through the wilderness hoping that God would hurry up and take us into the Promised Land. But what they didn’t realize (and we don’t either) is that these difficulties are actually God’s way of revealing the true nature of fallen human hearts. To make progress in our spiritual lives, we have to return to the cross of another death – ours. And we have to embrace the cross as God’s power to set us free from the three things that keep pulling us down.
Am I really all that bad?
Jeremiah said it best. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9) God wants us to come to the realization that the fallen nature that we inherited from Adam is hopelessly evil. It cannot and will not ever be obedient to God.
“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:3-4)
I’ve recently heard a song by Michael English on our Christian radio station that says, “The only thing that’s good in me is Jesus.” Some people would strongly disagree with that statement. They teach that God wants us to have strong self-esteem and to take pride in ourselves. Well, the Apostle Paul doesn’t agree. He wrote, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (Romans 7:18)
If I agree with God that my human nature is non-redeemable, and worthy of nothing but death on the cross, then I’m ready for the next step: the full identification with Christ’s resurrection.
Lost in the Reformation.
It makes sense that God won’t reveal Himself or empower our fallen natures. The results would be similar to what happened with Lucifer. We would become proud and try to use God for our own warped purposes. God has to put us down in death before he can raise us up to be empowered with his resurrection life.
“So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” (Romans 7:4-6)
But by taking this second trip to the cross, and admitting that our human nature is a hopeless, helpless mess, we are able to “die” to our human lusts, the temptations of the world, and the demands of the law. Paul wrote, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” (Gal. 5:24). No more blind servitude to our evil lusts.
Ever since Pentecost, there have been men and women of faith who have embraced the cross, followed Jesus into death to self, sin, and the world, and experienced the power of his resurrection in their lives. Some of their stories are recorded in Scripture (Peter, Paul, Stephan, etc.).
As you know, about 500 years ago, there was a major upheaval in the church called the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and many others challenged the Catholic Church to return to Scripture and to salvation by grace through faith. These rediscovered truths have become essential in clarifying what God requires for salvation.
But there were some teachings about the mysteries of life in Christ that were lost in the transition. Years earlier, some Christians in the Catholic Church had discovered and experienced exactly what we are discussing here. Believers like Saint John of the Cross, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Teresa of Avila, and others had experienced this mysterious presence of Christ and mapped the way for others.
They discovered three distinct stages in the spiritual journey toward union with Christ. The first stage is ‘purgative’ – the purging of our souls of greed, lust, pride, and all other self-sins. The second is ‘illuminative’ – the revelation of the glory of Christ so that we are changed into his image. The third is called the ‘transforming union’ – the ultimate goal of Christ in us and we in him. This has also been referred to over the centuries as ‘the filling of the Holy Spirit.’
Since the reformation, there have been many men and women who lived lives of supernatural power and influence. People like Charles Wesley, D.L. Moody, Mother Teresa, etc. These saints were not self-promoters, but their lives continue to inspire people around the world long after their death.
As Peter writes, “...His divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and (moral) excellence. Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature (glory), after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desires (moral excellence).” (2 Peter 1:3-4 NET)
Hope of the Glory of God
The greatest privilege any creature in the universe could have is to become united with the creator. I'm sure if we had a clearer perspective on the gift God is offering, there would be no price to high to achieve it.
“Therefore, since we have been justified (declared righteous) through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)
By placing my simple, child-like faith in Jesus’ work on the cross, I have the confidence that my sins have been washed away and I have been declared righteous. Through His death, I have been given peace with God. I’m fully accepted by a just God who now loves me as He loves His perfect Son. This bold claim is based on the prayer Jesus prayed in John 17:23, “You (God) … have loved them (us) even as you have loved me.”
Our position is good, but our practice stinks!
We know that in Christ, we are perfect in God’s sight. But when we’re honest, we also know that we fall very short of Christ’s example. We don’t speak his life-giving words, nor do the loving things He did. Instead, we do a lot of sinful, selfish things He wouldn’t have even considered doing.
Is this radical promise based on our performance somehow? You might get this idea from John 14:21,23 where Jesus says, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
Okay, maybe that’s my problem. I don’t love Him enough to obey Him fully. I love myself too much. So, I’ll never have this unique relationship with God. Right?
No, Paul corrects the Galatian Christians by asking this rhetorical question. “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Gal. 3:3)
It is clear that we couldn’t do anything on our own to make ourselves worthy of salvation. God simply requires me to come to Jesus “just as I am.” The same is true for having Jesus “formed” in us. We can only be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Gal. 3:19) based on the same principle that gave us salvation – God’s undeserved grace.
Where am I going with this?
There are many Christians today who are relatively satisfied with their spiritual condition. In the words of Revelation 3:17, they might say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But they are unaware that Jesus is outside the door knocking.
I’m writing this to increase the hope of those who wonder if the New Testament promises more than they’ve experienced. Those who are hungry for more of God’s presence and power in their lives. Those who have experienced the disappointment of high hopes unfulfilled.
Don’t be discouraged! As the author of Hebrews said, “Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” (Heb. 10:35-38)
We are in a similar situation to Abraham. We have God’s promise, but fulfillment of it seems laughable when we look at our own lack of spirituality and the condition of the church around us. Abraham faced the facts. “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” (Rom. 4: 20-21)
“Therefore, since we have been justified (declared righteous) through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)
By placing my simple, child-like faith in Jesus’ work on the cross, I have the confidence that my sins have been washed away and I have been declared righteous. Through His death, I have been given peace with God. I’m fully accepted by a just God who now loves me as He loves His perfect Son. This bold claim is based on the prayer Jesus prayed in John 17:23, “You (God) … have loved them (us) even as you have loved me.”
Our position is good, but our practice stinks!
We know that in Christ, we are perfect in God’s sight. But when we’re honest, we also know that we fall very short of Christ’s example. We don’t speak his life-giving words, nor do the loving things He did. Instead, we do a lot of sinful, selfish things He wouldn’t have even considered doing.
Is this radical promise based on our performance somehow? You might get this idea from John 14:21,23 where Jesus says, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
Okay, maybe that’s my problem. I don’t love Him enough to obey Him fully. I love myself too much. So, I’ll never have this unique relationship with God. Right?
No, Paul corrects the Galatian Christians by asking this rhetorical question. “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Gal. 3:3)
It is clear that we couldn’t do anything on our own to make ourselves worthy of salvation. God simply requires me to come to Jesus “just as I am.” The same is true for having Jesus “formed” in us. We can only be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Gal. 3:19) based on the same principle that gave us salvation – God’s undeserved grace.
Where am I going with this?
There are many Christians today who are relatively satisfied with their spiritual condition. In the words of Revelation 3:17, they might say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But they are unaware that Jesus is outside the door knocking.
I’m writing this to increase the hope of those who wonder if the New Testament promises more than they’ve experienced. Those who are hungry for more of God’s presence and power in their lives. Those who have experienced the disappointment of high hopes unfulfilled.
Don’t be discouraged! As the author of Hebrews said, “Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” (Heb. 10:35-38)
We are in a similar situation to Abraham. We have God’s promise, but fulfillment of it seems laughable when we look at our own lack of spirituality and the condition of the church around us. Abraham faced the facts. “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” (Rom. 4: 20-21)
God's mystery revealed
In Colossians 1:26-27, Paul refers to this radical promise as “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed ... which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Now you might be thinking, “I’ve known this! When a person becomes a Christian, Jesus comes into their heart and lives in them. It is a great truth, but it’s not a new revelation to me.”
Let me ask you, have you received the glory that Jesus had on earth? Can people see God through you? Not just a faint glimmer at certain times, but enough to convince them that Jesus is the incarnation of God as he prayed in John 17:23, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me.”
Mary, did you know?
The Virgin Mary’s story is symbolic of what God wants to do in us. When the angel told her that God would be incarnated in her womb, the promise seemed impossible. “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born (formed in you) will be called the Son of God. For nothing is impossible with God.’ I am the Lord's servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’” (Luke 1:34-38)
In Galatians 4:19, Paul picks up on this birth metaphor when he says, “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”
Later, in Ephesians 3:14-21 he writes, “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Less or more than you imagined?
One of the first words my little grand daughter Gracie learned was “more.” When we’re eating, she reaches out her little hand and looks at me with those huge, brown eyes and asks, “More?” How can I resist.
I want to do the same to my Father in heaven. I read about His miraculous works throughout the Bible and my heart cries out, “More?” I read about Him revealing Himself to Enoch, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, and Paul and I reach out my hand and ask, “More?” I look at the stumbling, fumbling way that I live out my Christian life and I know there has to be more.
The thoughts expressed in this blog are the things I have been learning in my quest for more of God in my life. I hope they stir your hunger for a God who is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”
If you honestly evaluate your Christian life up to this point, would you say that your experience of God’s power has been more or less than you expected (let alone imagined)? Why is this? We have Jesus’ promise that we would do greater things (miracles) than He did and that He would “do whatever (we) ask in (His) name” to bring glory to the Father.
If you’re like me, at times you’ve even wondered if He is listening at all. Let alone doing more than we have imagined. Most of us can’t relate to Paul’s claim in Colossians 1:29? “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” My own experience of God’s presence and power has been extremely disappointing. I’m not even close to what I read about in the New Testament.
But I'm finally beginning to understand why. God's mystery is being slowly revealed. I'll share the pieces I'm discovering and hopefully you'll share yours with me. Together, by God's grace, I pray that we'll experience "the fullness of God."
Let me ask you, have you received the glory that Jesus had on earth? Can people see God through you? Not just a faint glimmer at certain times, but enough to convince them that Jesus is the incarnation of God as he prayed in John 17:23, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me.”
Mary, did you know?
The Virgin Mary’s story is symbolic of what God wants to do in us. When the angel told her that God would be incarnated in her womb, the promise seemed impossible. “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born (formed in you) will be called the Son of God. For nothing is impossible with God.’ I am the Lord's servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’” (Luke 1:34-38)
In Galatians 4:19, Paul picks up on this birth metaphor when he says, “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”
Later, in Ephesians 3:14-21 he writes, “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Less or more than you imagined?
One of the first words my little grand daughter Gracie learned was “more.” When we’re eating, she reaches out her little hand and looks at me with those huge, brown eyes and asks, “More?” How can I resist.
I want to do the same to my Father in heaven. I read about His miraculous works throughout the Bible and my heart cries out, “More?” I read about Him revealing Himself to Enoch, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, and Paul and I reach out my hand and ask, “More?” I look at the stumbling, fumbling way that I live out my Christian life and I know there has to be more.
The thoughts expressed in this blog are the things I have been learning in my quest for more of God in my life. I hope they stir your hunger for a God who is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”
If you honestly evaluate your Christian life up to this point, would you say that your experience of God’s power has been more or less than you expected (let alone imagined)? Why is this? We have Jesus’ promise that we would do greater things (miracles) than He did and that He would “do whatever (we) ask in (His) name” to bring glory to the Father.
If you’re like me, at times you’ve even wondered if He is listening at all. Let alone doing more than we have imagined. Most of us can’t relate to Paul’s claim in Colossians 1:29? “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” My own experience of God’s presence and power has been extremely disappointing. I’m not even close to what I read about in the New Testament.
But I'm finally beginning to understand why. God's mystery is being slowly revealed. I'll share the pieces I'm discovering and hopefully you'll share yours with me. Together, by God's grace, I pray that we'll experience "the fullness of God."
Cross my heart and hope to die
Since childhood everyone has been making promises to us from our neighborhood buddies to the ads on Saturday morning cartoons to the politicians in Washington. At last count, the average American receives over 3,500 advertising messages a day, all promising to make life better in some way. As part of our coping mechanism, we’ve all developed a healthy skepticism. The more outrageous the promise, the more we doubt its veracity. Life experience tells us that most of these promises are just too good to be true.
An outrageous promise from God
When it comes to making and keeping promises, God is different. “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19)
In Genesis 17:6, God came to Abram and said, “No longer will you be called Abram (means “exalted father"); your name will be Abraham (means “father of many), for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful.” God had first mentioned this promise of making him a nation about 24 years earlier. But nothing had happened. So, Abram and his wife decided to help make the promise come true on their own. Abram conceived a son through their maidservant, Hagar. At least he had become a father, although not very ‘exalted.’
But that wasn’t quite what God had in mind. When he reaffirmed his promise that Abram and Sarai would have a child, Abram’s response was to laugh. He said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” (Gen. 17:17) But, in spite of the physical impossibilities, his son was miraculously born and appropriately named “Isaac” which means, “he laughs.”
Many years later, the Apostle Paul writes about Abraham’s faith in Romans 4: 18-21. “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations. Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
How would you have handled this situation? Imagine sitting in your rocking chair at the rest home. You’ve just had your 100th birthday party. As you sit dozing in the afternoon sun, you hear the ‘still, small voice’ of God whispering in your inner ear, “You will have a child.” It isn’t hard to understand why this would make Abraham chuckle.
Later, in the book of Hebrews, Abraham is held up as a shining example of what God wants from His people. “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.” (Heb. 11:11-12)
We’ve also been given an impossible promise
There is a promise in the New Testament that is as radical and laughable as the promise God made to Abraham. It was given by Jesus to us, his followers in John 14:12-14. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
What’s the big deal?
Just before Jesus made this outrageous promise about his followers doing greater miracles than he performed, he said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”
The secret to Jesus’ power and wisdom while here on earth was His relationship with His Father. He said that He was in the Father and the Father was in Him. So, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) The Almighty God, creator of the universe, was speaking and acting through him. The “big deal” is this: Jesus has given us the opportunity to have the same kind of relationship with God.
Before you allow your skeptical reflex to kick in, look at John 17:20-23. Here Jesus prays for those who will believe in Him through his disciple’s message. That’s us. Jesus asks, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
We’ve all heard messages about how this passage is calling us to deeper Christian unity. I’m all for unity with other believers, but that’s not what Jesus was referring to here. He was praying for our unity with him and his Father. In the words of the Apostle Peter, “He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature.” The radical promise is that Christ can be formed in you and me and empower us to speak Christ’s words and do his works today.
An outrageous promise from God
When it comes to making and keeping promises, God is different. “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19)
In Genesis 17:6, God came to Abram and said, “No longer will you be called Abram (means “exalted father"); your name will be Abraham (means “father of many), for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful.” God had first mentioned this promise of making him a nation about 24 years earlier. But nothing had happened. So, Abram and his wife decided to help make the promise come true on their own. Abram conceived a son through their maidservant, Hagar. At least he had become a father, although not very ‘exalted.’
But that wasn’t quite what God had in mind. When he reaffirmed his promise that Abram and Sarai would have a child, Abram’s response was to laugh. He said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” (Gen. 17:17) But, in spite of the physical impossibilities, his son was miraculously born and appropriately named “Isaac” which means, “he laughs.”
Many years later, the Apostle Paul writes about Abraham’s faith in Romans 4: 18-21. “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations. Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
How would you have handled this situation? Imagine sitting in your rocking chair at the rest home. You’ve just had your 100th birthday party. As you sit dozing in the afternoon sun, you hear the ‘still, small voice’ of God whispering in your inner ear, “You will have a child.” It isn’t hard to understand why this would make Abraham chuckle.
Later, in the book of Hebrews, Abraham is held up as a shining example of what God wants from His people. “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.” (Heb. 11:11-12)
We’ve also been given an impossible promise
There is a promise in the New Testament that is as radical and laughable as the promise God made to Abraham. It was given by Jesus to us, his followers in John 14:12-14. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
What’s the big deal?
Just before Jesus made this outrageous promise about his followers doing greater miracles than he performed, he said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”
The secret to Jesus’ power and wisdom while here on earth was His relationship with His Father. He said that He was in the Father and the Father was in Him. So, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) The Almighty God, creator of the universe, was speaking and acting through him. The “big deal” is this: Jesus has given us the opportunity to have the same kind of relationship with God.
Before you allow your skeptical reflex to kick in, look at John 17:20-23. Here Jesus prays for those who will believe in Him through his disciple’s message. That’s us. Jesus asks, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
We’ve all heard messages about how this passage is calling us to deeper Christian unity. I’m all for unity with other believers, but that’s not what Jesus was referring to here. He was praying for our unity with him and his Father. In the words of the Apostle Peter, “He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature.” The radical promise is that Christ can be formed in you and me and empower us to speak Christ’s words and do his works today.
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