Dwarfing Your Giants...

As we look around the world today, there is no denying the turmoil and upheaval  that the community of earth is being forced to deal with.

Daily our world faces the threat of natural disasters, escalating crime rates, broken homes and marriages and also a weak economy. All these issues have the tendency to loom large in each of our lives. They are capable of causing our faith to fail and our hearts to fear; and if we are not careful, we will become cowardice in spirit, easily causing our thoughts turn to suicide.

These and many other issues are giants which if allowed, have the ability to stop our appointed progress in the Kingdom of God and ruin our natural lives. They cause us to worry and destroy the “peace that passeth our understanding”. And it doesn’t matter that Jesus admonishes us in Matthews the sixth chapter to take no thought for our lives, because the issues of life have a way of distracting us so that we fail to keep our minds stayed on him.

“The Philistines now mustered their army for battle Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield. Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!” When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.” (1^st Samuel 17:1-11 NLT)


In the Hebrew tongue Goliath’s name means “Splendour”… the mere sight of him was enough to shake any ones faith.


Giants are bullies that harass the people of God each and every day; they call out from the spirit realm with the purpose of causing us to make bad decisions which not only affect you, but also those around you. Giants reveal themselves in many forms:

·         Compounded With Other Peoples Issues: Often times when facing our giants someone close comes along to drop their own issues in our lap. Just as David arrives to meet with his brothers he hears Goliath’s threats, and also witnesses the fear that engulfs the armies of Israel. David questions their courage, and also overhears a few soldiers discussing the reward the King will offer to the man who kills the giant. But Eliab; David’s eldest brother is filled with anger towards David… reference 1^st Samuel 17:24-29… Eliab’s issue with his younger brother stems from being passed over when the prophet Samuel anointed David as the future King of Israel… reference 1^st Samuel 16:1-13... When you’re about to face your giant that’s not the time to be encumbered with someone else’s issues of jealousy. A tactic of the enemy is to have you lose focus of the task before you because he understands that the victory has already been won in the heavenly’s. (see Ephesians 6:12)

Your response to the personal issues others may have with you must simply be…”That’s Not My Problem”

·         People Will Doubt You: There’s no question that God has gifted us with many awesome abilities. However there are those who doubt what God has done within you. Those feelings are mostly formed out of their fear and envy. King Saul doubted David’s ability to challenge and defeat Goliath based on how he viewed both men, and also by the fact that he was too afraid of facing the giant… reference vs. 31-37… But you must never forget the fact that; “You Have History With God”… David remembered his past victories over a lion and a bear while watching his father’s flock and boldly proclaimed to the king exactly what God had accomplished through him.

·         People Expect You To Use Their Tactics: There is an old adage in the world of boxing that says; styles make fights… and since not everyone fights the same, then not everyone wins in the same manner. King Saul attempted to put his armour on David…see vs. 38-40… but David’s weapon of choice was a sling, the very same weapon he used to defeat the lion and bear… “Use Your Own Stuff”… When dwarfing your giants, it is always wise to use the skill set that God has instilled within you, both naturally and spiritually. The Apostle Paul wrote;

“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” (Ref. 2^nd Corinthians 10:4-5 NLT)

So exactly how do we dwarf the giants that oppose us, and what weapons do we use?.

·         Truth: The truth of Gods’ word is that his spirit in us is far greater than any in this present world and, gives us the freedom to do and accomplish all things.

·         Righteousness: As in “Gods’ Righteousness” because our own is flawed and filthy.

·         Peace: The peace of knowing that we belong to him, the very peace that Jesus promised us and also helps us to live at peace with all mankind. This is the same peace by which the child of God is able to share the Gospel with all men.

·         Faith: Which enables the believer to completely trust in the Lord and do exploits in his name, and is able to shield us from the attacks of the enemy.

·          Salvation: Which comes from a repented life that accepts Christ as Savior, and Lord.

·         The Word of God: By which our faith is increased and also helps us to understand the heart of God. “The Sword of the Spirit” to be wielded against the lies and tricks of Satan our adversary.

·         Prayer: Praying in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

By following these guidelines our problems will be rendered small in our eyes, and our giants will become dwarfs.

Transformed Into His Likeness

When I was a first grader my teacher read to us the story of the ugly duckling. It told of how this mother duck laid six eggs, but somehow found herself also sitting on a seventh egg yet to be hatched. While she was trying to figure out how the extra egg got underneath her it began to hatch, producing the ugliest creature she’d ever seen. The mother could not understand how this ugly duck could be one of hers.

Not only was he big and clumsy, but he ate more than his brothers and nobody really liked, or wanted him at all. This caused the little duck to run away from home. Unfortunately for him an old woman mis-took him for a goose believing that he could lay eggs. But day’s later she found no eggs; she planned to kill and eat him.

Somehow the woman forgot to lock his cage and the ugly duck escaped. The very next day, he was again captured; this time by a local farmer. The duckling was cold and shivering, so the farmer put the duck in his pocket and took him home to his children who took very good care of him during the winter. When springtime arrived the farmer took the duck from the barn and placed him in the nearest pond.

The duck was still sulking over the fact that he didn’t look like the other ducks when suddenly he saw his reflection in the water.  To his amazement, the once ugly duck was now a beautiful swan. As he swam along he could hear some children saying that he was the most beautiful swan of them all.

For some of us, our spiritual journey began in the same manner and is quite a mystery to many. How can a person who is indifferent and hostile towards God, suddenly become a deeply committed follower of Christ? For that matter, how does the individual who was once enslaved to their sinful nature become a gentle person of compassion? Furthermore, how does a philosophical, self-righteous, Pharisee of Pharisee’s named Saul of Tarsus; become a humble, self-effacing Paul the Apostle?

This same Paul writes in 2^nd Corinthians 3:18 (NASB) – “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

The word transform in Greek terminology is metamorphoomai which is translated in English as metamorphosis. The Apostle is simply saying that just as a caterpillar transforms into a beautiful butterfly, (or an ugly duckling into a swan); after accepting Christ we begin the transformation process from sinner to His likeness. This process is called “Sanctification”.

Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in us whereby our inner being is progressively changed, freeing us at each level from our sinful habits, and over time, developing within us the virtues of Christlike character. Although sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, it does involve our wholehearted response to obedience, and the regular practice of spiritual disciplines that are the instruments of sanctification. Simply put; if we walk after the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. (Ref. Galatians 5:16)

Just think about it; we once were ugly in our spirit-man to the point where we were left in the cold of our sinful nature. But Christ came along with the warmth of the Holy Spirit, so now when we look into the mirror; we see the reflection of His likeness…. “Ugly Ducklings No More”….we’ve been transformed into His likeness.

By the way; in the story of the ugly duckling, we read how the mother duck suddenly found a seventh egg....seven is the Lord's number for perfection.

Foot Notes:

Biblegateway.com – KJV & NASB

Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges

The Ugly Duckling – Ivy’s Domain.com   

Cross references:

1. 2 Corinthians 3:18 : 1 Cor 13:12
2. 2 Corinthians 3:18 : John 17:22, 24; 2 Cor 4:4, 6
3. 2 Corinthians 3:18 : Rom 8:29
4. 2 Corinthians 3:18 : 2 Cor 3:17

Majoring in the Minors

In the sport of baseball you have the major league and the minor leagues. In the major league you’ll find athletes who are playing at the top of their game. These individuals are focused on their skill set and also on the ultimate goal which is to win a championship pennant. Their love for the game and the high level of competition drives them to stay in shape and concentrate on the teams goals. If a player begins to show a lack of consistency he’s sent to one of the minor league teams where the competition is not as high, nor is the accommodations which pro players have become accustomed to. You can’t come up to the majors if you’re still performing at the level of the minors.

Over the years I’ve often found myself smack-dab in the middle of religious debates….(something that now-a-days I refuse to be a part of)….I’ve had people come to me with all types of topics. One person once told me that if you didn’t speak in tongues that you weren’t saved, another said that God doesn’t call women to preach, yet still another argued that Jehoshua is the proper name for Jesus and someone else argued King James Version vs. New International Version….

I am often amazed however, at people’s un-willingness to concentrate their efforts on what really matters…”well what do you mean preacher?”

Let’s begin with salvation and speaking in tongues first; we’ve all quoted John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

And Romans 10:9-10

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

The argument on the speaking in tongues side is that tongues are evidence of the existence of the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the believer, and I agree. However, one’s ability to love their fellowman unconditionally is greater evidence of the Holy Spirit. It was Jesus who said that upon the act of love rested all of the law and the prophets. (Ref. Matthew 22:34-40)

Tongues can be mimicked, but “Agape Love” is always genuine.

The Spirit of Christ lives within every believer as Christ himself has declared to the Father. (Ref. John 22:22-23)

The second issue refers to the name of Jesus. Some have argued that the proper pronunciation is Jeshoua, to that argument I submit that if I were Hebrew, that would be the correct manner in which to pronounce His name. However I’m not Hebrew, and in my native tongue the name is pronounced Jesus. Look; my birth name is John which in the Hispanic tongue is pronounced Juan. Has my name been disrespected or disgraced? Not at all, it’s simply a matter of geography. We live in a world of many different languages where grammar and pronunciations are very different.

So what's the real point I’m trying to make here?

As a Christian my first responsibility is to love God, and my second is to carry out the great commission. I must also maintain a prayer life and “Live In His Word”

When we “major in the minors” not only do we confuse the many who desire to surrender their lives to Christ, we also miss out on an opportunity to let our light shine, meaning that our Father in heaven gets no glory out of us. (Ref. Matthew 28:19-20 and 5:16)

Stop wasting time and effort on foolish arguments and debates; too many souls are hanging in the balance. Let’s stop “Majoring in the Minors”.

      

You Can Always Go Back Home

The cable network that we subscribe to has a program titled “On Demand” which allows you to watch recently released or old movies for a price, and some for free. With that said, the other day I punched up a movie for ninety nine cents titled “Antwone Fisher”

It’s the story of a troubled young man who reacts to the world around him, violently, because he does not know what else to do. Based on the true-life story, Antwone, a Navy Petty Officer, has a hair-trigger temper, and is sent to see Navy psychiatrist, Dr. Jerome Davenport. Here, Fisher begins to open up about his troubled past.

Antwone's narrative, aided by flashbacks, which reveal a horrific physically, and sexually abusive childhood. His father was murdered two months before his birth, in prison, to a mother who abandoned him after her release. Rev. Tate, who with his wife adopts Fisher, is a charismatic minister, and while he is marginal to the story, he is emblematic of a religion long on charisma and condemnation, but short on mercy.

Life with the Tate’s revolves around church activities. On Sundays, Rev. Tate conjures Jesus to provoke ecstatic worship. Mrs. Tate rewards the boys with vanilla wafers if they "catch the Holy Ghost." Away from church, she sadistically tortures and berates the boys for the smallest infractions. Antwone develops the ability to discern her moods based on smells in the air, to determine what kind of day it will be for himself and his two foster brothers, Dwight and Keith. Eventually, as a teenager, Antwone is kicked out of the home and bounces around institutions until he lands on the streets. Upon witnessing the tragic death of his only friend, during a failed robbery attempt, he seeks refuge in the Navy, with emotional baggage in full tow.

Eventually he finds in Dr. Davenport, a father figure, and begins to let go of his shame. He finds a first love in Cheryl, who is also in the Navy. Their courtship is tender and innocent. These new relationships pacify the hunger in Antwone, but he still needs to deal with his past.

 Antwone returns to Ohio to find his biological father's family. He meets relatives who lead him to the birth mother he never knew. Antwone shares with his mother a litany of his life, chronicling his longings for her, his growth as a person, his decency. He wants her to know, in sum, that he is a good man. The film concludes with Antwone returning to his aunts' house to find a reunion in his honor. He is greeted by this extended family, and summoned by the elders to a banquet table, where he is given a place of honor and welcomed. The movie was a real tear jerker.

In some way it reminded me of a parable in the Bible, (ref. Luke 15:11-25) about a young man who went to his father and asked for his half of his dad’s inheritance. Surprisingly enough, the father agrees to divide the inheritance between his two sons. The younger takes his share and leaves home for a far-off land where he immediately begins to squander his inheritance on riotous living. After his money is gone, so too are his newly found friends. Hungry and poor the young man takes a job feeding pigs for next to nothing. His life becomes so hard and difficult that he even contemplates eating the garbage that he uses to feed the pigs.

Much like the younger son, we once lived outside of the grace of God; making our lives very difficult. We sometimes made decisions that went against the grain of his word and all that we were taught. We abused our mortal bodies by living according to ways of this sinful world, reveling in explicit sexual activities, while abusing addictive substances and surrounded ourselves with the pigs of life. Speaking for myself, I lived as if God was not always present to see what I was doing. “But He Was There All The Time” patiently waiting for me to return to him.

One day, the young man in the parable finally came to his senses, and said to himself: “even the servants in my father’s house are living better than this; I think I’ll go back home to my father”. Unknown to the younger son was the fact that everyday since he’d been gone, his father would walk to the end of the road which led up to his house, looking for his long lost son’s return. (get a tissue handy)…as the story continues, the son finally returns home, and while he was still a long way off; his father spotted him, filled with love and compassion, the father ran to his younger son, embraced him and kissed him. The young man said; father, I have sinned against heaven and you; therefore I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.

 But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,  for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the feast began.

If this same story applies to you, know that it’s never too late to return to the Father, (Christ). No matter what you’ve done in life up till now, He’s standing at the end of your road with open arms. Patiently waiting to embrace you, with forgiveness, agape love, and compassion.

Someone once said; “you can never go home again”. Well Antwone Fisher did, and so can you.

Footnotes: Luke 15:11-22 (NLT)

                     Biblegateway.com

                     JR & F film review

You're Surrounded...Praise God!

                                                   

“We’re surrounded, that simplifies the problem”

Marine Corps Colonel Chesty Puller

________________________________________________________________________________

Ever have the feeling of being so overwhelmed, that it felt as if the walls around you were beginning to close in and just crush the life out of you?

Those are the moments when you lack the physical strength to fight back, nor do you feel like talking to anyone. Sometimes it seems as if our “Get up and go” has got up and went. What is the born again believer to do when he or she has reached their limit, where do they turn for help?

I hate the feeling of being caught between a rock and a hard place, no one should ever have to experience that level of frustration, or shouldn’t they?

It’s very strange to me how church-folk have all of these great sayings when not directly facing hardship; “the Lord won’t put more on you than you can bare”…”God is good all the time”… and the list goes on. But where does all of that positive re-enforcement go when we are surrounded by difficult times?

I’ve come to the realization that too many Christians neglect to factor in that when God is ordering our steps, he doesn’t just send us down a yellow brick road to the Land of Oz. Even so, we still encounter lions, tigers, and bears along life’s journey… “Oh My!”

 The word of God is laced with historical and biblical facts that reveal the lengths to which the Lord will go in order to protect and prosper his people. God proved just how much he loved Israel when it seemed as if they’d be pushed into the Red Sea by the armies of Egypt. (Ref. Exodus 14)

God allowed Satan to touch Job’s wealth and health which proved that not only is God sovereign, but he also restores. (Ref. Job 1:1-22 & 42:1-17)

Ok, you might be thinking to yourself; well those are isolated incidents against one enemy, and I would agree; however there are a couple of instances when the people of God were surrounded by numerous odds.

 One of these instances occurred when the Kingdom of Jerusalem found themselves under attack from three enemies all at the same time. The kingdoms of Moab, Ammon, and Mt. Seir arrayed themselves together against the out-numbered people of Judah and surrounded the Kingdom in preparation for war. (Ref. 2^nd Chronicles 20)

 Imagine yourself being suddenly out-numbered by financial depression, un-employment, having more month at the end of your money, health issues, marital problems…

 Simply yelling “calgon take me away” will not suffice, it’s in those moments that we need to rely on the super natural power of the Holy Spirit to relieve, redeem, and restore. King Jehoshaphat did the following:

1.      He worshiped the Lord from the depths of his soul

-         Never look to the Lord as just a way out of your predicament, but worship him in Spirit and in truth. (Ref. John 4:24)

2.    He sought instruction from the Lord

-         In Spiritual warfare one cannot depend on their own way of doing things; for starters the fight is not one of a physical nature, but it’s fought in the heavenly’s. Therefore we must enquire of the Lord what steps we should take to bring about certain victory. (Ref. Proverbs 3:5-6, Ephesians 6:12, 1^st Samuel 30:6-8)

 We often say that the Lord works in mysterious ways…and in Jerusalem’s case, that’s exactly what happened. Jehoshaphat was instructed by God to send singers ahead of the soldiers onto the battlefield. This tactic not only confused the enemy, but it would cause them to attack and destroy each other, which allowed Judah to reap the spoils of war (Ref. 2^nd Chronicles 20:21)

 This indeed does prove the saying; “when praises go up, the blessings come down”. When the dust from the battle cleared, Judah was three days collecting so much wealth from the bodies of their attackers that it was just too much for them to carry. They spent the fourth day in the Valley of Berachah blessing the Lord.

What’s the moral of the story?

When you find yourself at what seems to be the mercy of your dilemma, that’s not the time to surrender;

 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

 You’re surrounded…”Praise God!”

"Mirror, Mirror"

“And God said; Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”  Genesis 1:26-27

From the early days of my youth even until today I’ve always been told of how much I resemble my father. I’m told that I act just like him…and its true…Others tell me that I sound just like him…and its true…Some say that I think just like him…and its true…

So much of who I am today is a carbon copy of who he was; dad enlisted in the U.S. Army and I enlisted in the U.S. Marines, dad boxed as an amateur, so did I, dad answered the call to minister and so did I. Just the other day I compared photos of us and the resemblance is so striking.

I guess you could say that dad spit me right out and there’s no denying that I am his son; each day that I look in the mirror, I see my dad’s reflection. It’s a fact that I’m very proud of.

Let me ask you this question; knowing that we were created in the image and likeness of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; how often do others see his resemblance in you? Can you truly claim to be an offspring of our heavenly father?

Jesus commanded that we should let our good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (Ref. Matthew 5:16)

Spiritually speaking, we are a direct reflection of who we serve.

There was a day when Jesus was teaching and as he taught, some religious leaders approached him with a woman whom they claimed was caught in the act of adultery, their plan was to trap him into making a statement by which they could bring charges against him. They reminded Christ that according to the law, this woman should be stoned, to which he responded by saying: “let him who is without sin cast the first stone.

Jesus continued to teach concerning freedom, but the leaders replied that they were decedents of Abraham and were never slaves. Abraham is our father, they proclaimed. But Jesus responded by saying; if Abraham was your father, then you would love me. He continued to say;

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (Ref. John 8:44)

There was once a street evangelist in the city of Philadelphia who would stand near city hall proclaiming the Gospel of Christ daily. One afternoon she decided to walk through the trains of the subway line. As she entered each car she would say in a very loud voice;

“If you want to see the Devil, just look in the mirror.”

For the born again believer, the word of God serves as a mirror. When we look into the Bible, our spirit man should be a reflection of the very words that we read. Every word which came forth from Christ was alive and carried with them life to live like him and live for him. (Ref. John 6:63)



Our desire should be to represent the Father in such a manner that would bring him ultimate glory. So that when the world sees you, they will also see Jesus living big on the inside of you.

So go ahead, look into the mirror…(The Bible)…Who’s reflection do you see?

Relationship vs. Spirituality and Religion

Definitions:

spir-i-tu-al:(adjective)

1: of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit: incorporeal

2: of or relating to sacred matters <spiritual songs>

3: concerned with religious values

re-li-gion:(noun)

1 the state of a religious< a nun in her 20th year of religion>

(a): the service and worship of God or the supernatural

(b): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

2 a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices

How many times have you been involved in conversations concerning Christ, salvation, or church; and someone makes the statement that“: I’m very spiritual”… or…”I’m very religious”…

Please forgive my naivety, but I’ve never really quite understood what those two statements meant. My theory is that when a person makes those kind of statements it refers to either their lack of commitment or refusal to commit to Christ.

The problem is that too many of us, both in church and outside of church think that Christ is looking for their “religious”side. However, allow me to point out that a great many things are tied-up in the name of religion, for example:

·He washes his car religiously

·She goes to the beauty salon religiously

·He watches every game and supports that team religiously

When speaking of religion the Bible says:

“If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” James 1:26-27 (NLT)

Truthfully speaking, God isn’t looking for you to be religious

To be spiritual as it pertains to this modern culture is one individual’s idea of what they consider to be good enough for God. In other words, 95% of their life is concentrated on their wants and desires, and the remaining 5% is their hand-out to God who unselfishly sacrificed the life of his own son as a ransom for those whom he created. “Self-Justification”

In order to appreciate what Christian spirituality is, we must first clarify what it is not. Christian spirituality is not a gnostic renunciation of the created world, nor the Platonic flight of the soul from the body. The world is the object of God's love (John 3:16), and we are to glorify God in our bodies (Ref. Romans 12:1; 1^st Corinthians 6:19-20).Furthermore, such attitudes fly in the face of appropriating the Christian doctrine of the creation and the incarnation. Spirituality must be practiced inthis world, which God made good (Mark 7:19) and which God is in the process of redeeming (Ref. Romans 8:18-25). As in the Old Testament, spirituality does not imply that one is to flee this world to find God, but that one must find God and grow in grace in this world, even discovering avenues (i.e., spiritual disciplines) in and through the physical realm for spiritual growth.

Christian spirituality begins with our redemption in Christ. We are baptized into Christ: We die to sin and the "old man" and we are made alive to God as a new creation (Ref. Romans 6:3-11; 2^nd Corinthians 5:17). True spirituality, then, is not a human self-help program or a means of justifying ourselves (Ref. Galatians 2:15-21).It begins with a divine call, rebirth, and conversion (Ref. John 3:3-8; Acts 2:38-39) wherein we admit we are helpless to help ourselves in our bondage to sin and enmity with God (Ref. Romans 5:6-11).

With this foundation clearly in mind, Christian spirituality has to do primarily with sanctification. It requires divine grace (first and always) and deliberate human cooperation. It is neither a passive quietism nor a triumphalist activism. (This combination is epitomized by Paul in 1^st Corinthians 15:10). So, spirituality has to do with holiness, which is the restoration of the human person to what he or she was created to be. One could say that holiness involves the recovery of wholeness—the integrity of our lives as they are being restored by the Spirit.

This is a process, depicted by several metaphors in Scripture. We are to be trees whose roots are firmly established in Christ planted by streams of nurturing water (Ref. Ephesians 3:17). We are people of "the Way"—sojourners on a journey (Ref. Acts 9:2; 1^st Peter 2:11). We are "born again" and meant to grow from infancy to adulthood, sustained on a diet of rich spiritual food (Ref. John 3:3; Hebrew 5:12-14).

The goal of the process is to be renewed in holiness, righteousness, and knowledge after the likeness of God (Ref. Ephesians 4:24; Col 3:10), or, what is the same thing, to become more like Jesus Christ by whose stature our maturity is measured (Ref. Ephesians 4:13-16).

In a nutshell, God is looking for relationship that leads to intimacy with his children; not a sexual thing, but a relationship that’s so personal we seek him for answers to our many questions, we study him through his word in order to become better acquainted with him in holiness and righteousness, we communicate with him through our prayer life, we worship him in the beauty of holiness, and we praise him for who he is as opposed to what he’s done.

“But as many as receivedhim, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” John 1:12

Spirituality, Religion, Relationship….

Of these three, I choose to have relationship with my Savior and Lord; how about you?

Foote Notes:

Reference

 

Internet: BibleGateway.com, StudyLight.com

Scripture: King James Version, and New Living Translation

Definitions: Webster's Dictionary