From Chance to Choice

We've heard the sayings,

“She get it from her momma.”
“He’s just like his daddy.”
“The apple doesn't fall to far from the tree”?

Is there any truth to these sayings? Does our gene pool determine who we will become in life or is there a bigger picture? I believe there is truth in these statements. And the Bible agrees. There is a bigger picture, and if we have a proper perspective the truth we can learn from these sayings can help us in seeing our utter need for Jesus, in seeing our need for deeper soul transformation, and in releasing us from the bondage of our past.

Our Gene Pool

Our gene pool (which is a complete set of genes called a genome) is all within our cells. In each cell is a complete set of instructions or pre-stored information. This information completely describes a human being. So, biologically speaking on a molecular level, your gene pool does predetermine some things about you as a person pre-birth (e.g. hair color, eye color, skin color, sex [our sexual orientation is determined pre-birth according to what sex we are born as; same-sex/homosexuality is a sexual preference/choice not an orientation/determined], height, our nose, our ears, etc). So we can see from our gene pool that you do get some things from your momma and you are in ways just like your daddy. But it goes deeper than your parents. Your biology is not by chance, but by God (Ps. 139:13-15).

Is It All Because of Our Genes?

Is who we are all because of our genes? No. Our genes do not predetermine who we the person will become in life (e.g. promiscuous, homosexual, hateful, racist, prejudice, conceited, or reserved, kind, helpful, hard-working, analytical, romantic, etc). Our genes do not predetermine this. Who we become in life is a combination of 

(1)our own choices (decisions that we make––the good, the bad, the ugly), 
(2)our family of origin (i.e. how we were raised, our family environment growing up, and the family examples we saw growing up), 
(3)the environment we lived around growing up (neighborhood, school, friends, etc), 
(4)sin (both ours and others), and last but not least 
(5)God (Ps. 139:16).

It is these five things that play the largest part in who a person becomes, whether in the negative sense or the positive.

So we can see that there is no chance in who you are. You are who you are by bio-molecular choice, yours and others choices, and God's choice. And each of these choices has an ultimate destination in God's sovereign plan.

The Bigger Picture

"And He {God} made from one [common origin, one source, one blood] {i.e. Adam/one biological and spiritual gene pool} all nations {Gr. ethnos--peoples} of men to settle on the face of the earth, having definitely determined [their] allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation (their settlements, lands, and abodes), so that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:26-27, AMP, with my added emphasis)

We've all gone through what we've gone through, both good and bad, to detour us to Jesus. And who we are in the grand scheme of things is either a child of Adam or a child of God. We don't have to do anything to become a child of Adam. We are already Adam's offspring, born from his seed (biological and spiritual gene pool), and thus his sin and it's penalty is imputed (legally and rightfully charged/billed) onto us (Rom. 5:12). This is who we are without Christ. However, if we follow God's detour in our life and come to Jesus and become born-again, we're then born of Jesus's seed (spiritual gene pool) and His righteousness is imputed onto us. In Adam we are not free to become anything other than a child of Adam, or as Paul says in Ephesians 2:3, a child of God's wrath. Regardless to how great, horrible, or somewhere in-between of an upbringing you've had, life you've lived, choices you've made, and so on, in Adam there is no freedom. You are pre-set as a sinner and accounted for sin's penalty. That is your lot in life. But in Christ we are free (Gal. 4:21-31) to become something new (2Cor. 5:17), healed and whole, and something so much greater than we can imagine (Eph. 3:20-21)! 

"Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete." (2Cor. 1:20-22, Msg) 

This becoming something new is called regeneration, and this becoming something so much greater than we can imagine is called sanctification. In Christ we do not have to remain the same! We can become so much more! Life is not about what we can obtain or achieve or how much pleasure we can experience or becoming famous, rich, or someone of significance. Life is about either being sin's puppet and paying sin's penalty, or becoming like the God who left His throne and came to earth and put on this fragile flesh and gave His life to redeem us from sin and its penalty. Life is about either fostering and nurturing characteristics and values to no avail. Or, life is about fostering and nurturing characteristics and values towards us being a demonstration of Jesus in a lost and hurting world so He can heal, restore, and transform our lives first and then through us more lives like ours, and also receiving an eternal reward––the reward being our God saying to us "Well done, thy good and faithful servant". This is what life is about becoming or else you have missed out on true life, and true life more abundantly.

Your Choice

Who you become in life is not by chance but who you choose to become, and who you become in life will reflect to whom you belong to, sin or Jesus, bondage or promise.

"When he [Jesus] died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living." (Rom. 6:10-18, NLT)

1/3/12

An Answer to the Zeal Problem

A friend of mine questioned how to deal with the problem of not being as zealous for God as once before. May you take heed to what I told her, and may it minister to you in someway.

“I went through that as well, but right about the time I started going to college (2009), I saw the same eagerness to learn and live what I was learning about God. The answer is......the Gospel. The Gospel is our power, our sufficiency, our freedom, our joy, our security, and soooo much more. The Gospel is as much for believers as it is for the lost. The Gospel is what first brought us our zeal, thus the Gospel is what will continue to bring and help us keep our zeal.

If a believer literally goes through the Gospel in their mind each day, in their prayer each day, and verbally talk it out loud to God or other believers each day, they will be compelled to Christ because of His amazing grace, relentless love, awesome power (etc, etc) displayed in the Gospel (2Cor. 5:14-15). If we are constantly resting in the origin of our zeal--the Gospel--then that zeal will be ever present--as we are ever present before the Gospel.

Just take a moment to think about what I'm saying in regards to the Gospel. And then notice how joy and gratitude rise within you from thinking on what all that God freely did. The Gospel is our answer.

The problem comes in when believers either don’t cognitively know the fullness of the Gospel or become content with only knowing the clichés of the Gospel. To think being able to recite Ephesians 2:8-9 or Romans 10:9-10 or "Jesus died for my sins & rose from the dead" is all the Gospel is, is a major reason people lose their zeal. (Sin--unconfessed sin, unrepented sin, practicing sin, and so on--is another major reason people lose their zeal).

I challenge you, just from the top of your head, to make a list of all you know Jesus did for you within the Gospel. Then make another list, just from the top of your head, of all the benefits you know you receive within the Gospel. Then make another list, just from the top of your head, of the actions and attitudes that are produced and displayed in your life from knowing these things about the Gospel. Now after you have these three lists, imagine how much more you can add over days and months and years of continuingly learning from and about Jesus. Tell me how can a genuine born-again believer not be zealous from daily reminding themselves of these things of the Gospel?

Personally, the more I learn about the Gospel, I cannot help being zealous for Jesus and following His desires!”

Here is a brief recap of the points of the Gospel:

• The Beginning [perfect Creation, perfect relationships, perfect fulfillment]
  
• The Fall [sin, death, separation, pain, issues, incompleteness]
  
• The Law [God's standard, our inability and our need for a Savior]
  
• The First Coming [God's gift for our dilemma]
  
• The Cross [God's grace & love & imputation, our adoption & justification & redemption--freedom from slavery]
  
• The Resurrection [enemy (sin & Satan) defeated, our victory, the power of the Holy Spirit--regeneration & sanctification];
  
• The Ascension [our hope in His eternal security];
  
• The Return/Second Coming [His ultimate justice (on sin and Satan) and our ultimate comfort]
  
• The Eternal Abode [our perfect fulfillment in His personal presence for all of eternity--glorification]
  

For every issue we face, our understanding, our comfort, our encouragement, our hope, and our motivation to change and be more transformed into Christ's image will fit somewhere in these points of the Gospel. Therefore I challenge every reader of this blog to sincerely meditate daily on these points of the Gospel through God’s Word, prayer, and journaling, and then observe an inner desire (zeal) for Christ begin to awaken again, or observe your already present inner desire (zeal) for Christ be reinvigorated, continue to grow, be strengthened, and move you to deliberately wanting and deliberately bearing more of Jesus’ character and desires in your life.

__________

*"A Gospel Primer for Christians" (Milton Vincent, 2008) is a powerful short and inexpensive book on the Gospel that every Christian must have in their personal library.

12/19/11

A Short Interpretive Journey of 1Timothy 6:10

"For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1Tim. 6:10, NASB)

1. Summarize the original situation and the meaning of the text for the biblical audience.

Paul is writing a letter to Timothy who is at Ephesus (1:1-3). This is a letter of instructions and exhortations to Timothy for the church at Ephesus (1:3ff, 15ff, 18ff; 2:1ff, 8ff, 11ff; 3:1ff, 8ff, 11ff, 14ff; 4:1ff, 6ff, 9ff, 11ff; 5:1ff, 17ff; 6:1ff, 3ff, 11ff, 17ff, 20ff). In chapter 6 verses 6-10 Paul is addressing contentment. In verse 9 Paul specifically calls out “those who desire to be rich”. He says of “those” that they “fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.” Thus when we come to verse 10 Paul is basically summing up what he called out in verse 9: “For the love of money”—those who desire to be rich—“is a root of all kinds of evil”—temptation, a snare, many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

2. What are the difference between the biblical audience/situation and our situation?

Some obvious differences are we are not the church at Ephesus, we don’t live in the first century, and our current economic plateau isn’t the same. Another difference is that every believer who reads this verse may not be a leader/pastor as was Timothy.

3. List the theological principles communicated by the passage.

If there is a love of money inside you (a desire to be rich) it will produce (lead to) all kinds of evil. Also, in light of the surrounding context, another principle is rather than desiring to be rich desire godliness and be content with what you have.

4. How should Christians today apply the theological principles in their lives?

An example of how to apply this theological principle today would be for a Christian not to pursue a career, advancement, ministry, achievements, or whatever else strictly or largely for the monetary or status gain. Another application is instead of having a love for money (desiring to be rich or wealthy or wanting more for more’s sake) gather (pray for and seek) a desire for godliness, contentment, and the love of Christ—which we do by reading, studying, and abiding in the Word of God.

Although this is not an extensive look at this verse, this short blurb is still powerfully to the point and challenges us to not want (desire) more for more’s sake—something I call the worship of self-gratification—because it’s ultimately to our disadvantage and destruction if we do so.

See No Need To Become A Member? Pt. 2

"Chris, don't you think your last blog on this topic was pretty harsh?" 
To some it may have been. But that was not my intent. My intent was to show that those Christians I described who see no need or are not seeking to become a member of a local church and think they’re walking in obedience doing it are deceiving themselves and are in defiance of authority (rebellion). Allow me to also clear up my use of the term rebellion. I did not mean in using “rebellion” (in my previous blog or in this one) as in “full-fledge rebellion back into the old sinful life”, but simply “rebellion” as in “defiance of authority”. Also, it was not a directive towards all, just those who are guilty of it. (See Pt. 1 for context).

So what then is this “authority” I am speaking of, and why are we to be submitted to it, and is it really necessary to become a member of a local church?

1. The authority I'm speaking of is the authority of the local church and its leaders to hold its members (leaders included) accountable and when necessary administer correction (i.e. rebuking, admonishments, and consequences), according to the Scriptures (Tit. chs. 1-2, 1Pet. 5:1-3, Matt. 18:15-20, 1Cor. ch. 5, 2Tim. 4:1-2).

2. Why are we to be submitted to it? Because God said so or displayed so (Acts 16:4-5, Heb. 13:7, 17, 1Thess. 5:12-13, 1Tim. 5:17, 1Pet. 5:5; also every N.T. Letter is to a "local church(es)"). It's for our benefit that we obey how God has set-up the local church to lead His sheep. Why? Because God knows us infinitely better than we could ever know ourselves. He knows exactly what we need and how we need to be led. We just have to trust and follow His leading, His guidance, and His sovereign plan.

3. Is becoming a member of a local church necessary? Absolutely! Becoming a member of a local church is nothing more than being submitted to a local church's authority and leadership. Membership is saying I am making a commitment to regularly and consistently fellowship and grow with this specific group of born-again believers (Gr. ekklesia), and submit myself to this group's (i.e. local church) authority (accountability) and leadership (Acts 1:12-14; 2:42-47; 4:32-5:11; 6:1-7; 11:19-30). (And if there is a question of who are the leaders, the leadership of the local church are simply those who have been appointed to lead—e.g. pastor/elders, deacons/ deaconesses, and leaders of or in ministries). The answer above (#2) expresses to us the necessity of membership, and also why not becoming a member of a local church is disobedience to God and detrimental to us.

Allow me to paint a picture highlighting one factor of why local church membership is important. Christian X starts a war of words with Christian Y. Other believers and unbelievers see and hear this war of words. A mature believer comes and admonishes both Christian X and Y to handle this matter more Christlike. Neither of them receives the admonishment. Another believer attempts to do the same. They ignore that one as well. All the while this war of words has turned into slander, gossip, defamation of one another's character, and flat out unChristlike. Finally, a fellow believer from Christian Y's church finds out what's going on by someone who tried to admonish Christian Y. This believer sees Matthew 18 has been done and realizes that they must alert the leadership of the church. Christian Y is counseled by their pastor, and receives the correction and repents. Christian X however is not a member of a church. Therefore Christian X is not submitted to any authority. They can continuing to spew out their war of words, blatantly disregarding their witness for Christ, show hate for their brethren, and defiance of authority to be held accountable for their error and sin. How can this believer be held accountable according to Scripture if they are not under authority as Scripture states? There is no way for the accountability of Matthew 18:15-17 or 1Corinthians 5 to be fully carried out if there is no commitment and submission to a local church.

To say you're under God's authority or the Bible's authority but are not under a local church's authority is a misnomer. God says and displays in His Word that being submitted to the local church's authority and leadership is being submitted to His authority and leadership.

Maybe some of you are thinking, "Chris, what about those who have been abused by church authority or church leaders who abuse their authority?" Well, what constitutes abuse of authority? Anyone can say they have been abused by authority when it could be they just don't like to be held accountable for their actions. So how can one determine true abuse? 
Abuse is a corrupt use of authority, or excessive, or flagrant, or unwarranted, or deceitful, or manipulative, or reviling, or improper use for improper gain, and so on. Hopefully you get the picture. If the authority in question falls in one of these categories and it has been verified by more than one person, then it needs to be brought up and addressed. Also, don't automatically assume it's on purpose. Sometimes abuse of authority can happen out of ignorance; but it's still not without consequences. Abuse is a correctable action. Only if the abuse of authority is a continual issue or such an egregious act of abuse should the one guilty of abuse be removed from their authority; (the extent of the removal is a case-by-case base). (The Old Testament is full of a wide-range of stories from the Judges until Jesus about abuse of authority).

For believers who go to a church (presently) where leaders abuse their authority, here's my advice:

1. Remember to follow Matthew 18:15-17. If the situation is not biblically resolved, make the pastor aware of your concern, then give some time for the pastor to inquire and investigate your concern. If the concern is about the pastor, follow 1Timothy 5:19, and tell a trustworthy elder.

2. You can always leave. Local church membership is not an eternal covenant. Just make sure you don't leave divisively. If you have biblical grounds and evidence that there is something heretical or biblically unlawful going on, and it can and has been verified by others, yes you should warn others as you leave, but still do so in a way that is Christlike--seasoned with grace, and in decency and in order. Remember, Jesus is the Great Shepherd, the Omnipotent King, and He can take great care of His sheep whether we warn others or not and whether they receive the warning or not. Don't take on His responsibility. Commit it to Him. And be sure to get plugged in to a church where there is better transparency, accountability, and a grace-driven presence among leadership and the congregation to help guard from abuse.

For believers who have been abused by authority in the church, here's my word to you:

1. If there has not been a healing and restoration time, please do so. Go find a good, encouraging, and gentle-handed and honest Christian counselor to work through the scars and wounds left behind from the abuse. Trust the Holy Spirit to meet you throughout this time as you seek Him for your ultimate healing.

2. Forgiveness is an essential in your healing and moving forward from this abuse. The rest of Matthew 18 after verse 20 speaks right to why forgiveness is an essential. It's easy in our flesh to only want the abuser to be disciplined, humiliated, and some times even to repent, but how often do we desire to forgive the abuser. Jesus reminds us that we treated Him in our sin the same way as you have been abused (and worse) and He forgave you. Again, I know it may be hard, but think of what your sin did to Jesus and extend that same measure of grace and mercy to others as He extends to you. It's more beneficial for you than it is for the abuser.

3. I'll repeat my above point, don't take on God's responsibility. Commit your hurt, anger, vengeance, distrust, and so on to Him who judges righteously (1Pet. 2:21-24).

4. While it may be hard to submit to church authority again, don't group all churches (nor all leaders) in the same basket, and don't throw obeying the Scriptures out the window because of the sin of another. Regardless to what people do to us or not, it has nothing to do with us obeying the gracious and loving God who rescued us from our sin. If our obedience to Scripture is dependent upon how others obey them or not, none of us would ever obey Scripture. Don't let other sinners keep you from submitting to the authority of your Savior.

I know I haven't covered everything, and this is not a comprehensive study. However, I hope from what has been shared that I brought some clarity to membership and helped you better understand that being a member of a local church is being obedient to God's Word. I also hope that I have displayed compassion and grace-seasoned truth to those who may be reluctant to obey the Word regarding this topic because of the sin and hurt caused by others in authority in the church.

*None of what I've shared takes away brethren responsibility to hold one another accountable or correct, rebuke, admonish, counsel, encourage, and so on. I was purely focusing on the local church.

9/30/11

Power in Weakness

I heard a pastor talk on this passage on the radio the other day. It made me pull over, open up my Bible and do Bible study in a Travelodge parking lot. Here are some notes I jotted down. I love it when the Holy Spirit ministers to me, because He knows right what I need to hear and when I need to hear it.

2Cor. 12:8-10:

“I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me.” (NCV) “But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).” (AMP)

God said “His strength/power” is shown perfect in weakness. It is then in our weaknesses—not sin, but the reality of our powerlessness—that the power of Christ is presently active for us and in us. When we accept and admit that we are weak is when we are strong, because that is when God’s power/strength is displayed and most effective (made perfect) in us.

The Apostle Paul uses some positive radical phrases to describe a reality that we typically see as a negative or as something unwanted. He says, “most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities” (v. 9, NKJV) and “I take pleasure in infirmities... reproaches... needs... persecutions... distresses, for Christ sake” (v. 10, NKJV). If we want God’s power manifested in our life, then we must consistently remember and admit our weaknesses (powerlessness); for it’s only when we do this that in the bosom of our being we genuinely recognize that we need to call out for God’s power/strength in all areas of our life, and thus our weaknesses become the main avenue for our strength from Him.

“...for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).”

9/23/11