Recently from my personal experience and what I have
heard from others, is once you get to around twenty or more years of not being
just a Christian, but trying to live your life as ChristŐs witness, this
Christian life seems to get a lot harder than you ever dreamed it could become.
Virtually every day you are confronted with circumstances that truly expose
your, and the fallen nature of all of humanity. As God roots deep into your
character, you begin to truly understand, why Christ had to die for your sin
and the sins of mankind. While that says that the mature Christian life is the
only worthwhile pursuit on the planet, it also indicates a need to look deep
into your remaining fleshly nature,
and drives you to the cross as the only hope of redemption.
Dear heavenly Father,
As I begin this day use all my circumstances to remake me
into the image of your son Jesus Christ. For I pray this prayer in his name and
for your glory. Amen.
Now that is a prayer that should be the first on the lips
every morning of every believer in the salvation found in Jesus Christ. But my
typical prayer after those concerns relating to my personal nature, may be
something like: ŇLord, your word says there is enough coming down today sufficient to itself, help me not to
blow it too badly.Ó
Back in Ephesians 3, Paul concludes the chapter with
these words:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is
named, that He would grant you,
according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His
Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all
the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love
of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness
of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him
be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.
Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
It is only in knowing how unworthy you truly are, do
these words bring GodŐs grace alive and bring the gratitude that Calvin taught.
Guilt, grace and gratitude. The church today is good on the grace part, but
talk about either guilt, or gratitude (the sacrificing of your personal desires
for GodŐs purpose), and you will be accused of being unloving.
As we have noticed these last few weeks, Paul and others
in their epistles basically divide them into two categories, the first is the
statements of the promises, facts, or conditions of GodŐs law, the other is a
response that we then carry out in our lives. This is the part we play, out of
gratitude for GodŐs saving grace. But we mix these two categories, or fail to
differentiate much of the time, changing our responses into legalism and works
righteousness.
Calvinists divide these two concepts into the indicative
- imperative, which are really good descriptions, but are really not common
words which all know the precise meaning, and I have a problem getting the In
and Im words and their definitions mixed up. As best as I understand, Lutherans
tend to continue to use the division of law - gospel, which if carried to
extreme can get confusing, because in these illustrations, the indicative is
really the law of the gospel (justification) also and the imperatives are
really what should be the fruits of the gospel. Most of American Evangelicalism
divide these concepts into duh? - duh? I would prefer to use rule -
exhortation, for it works in my dumbed down understanding of these great
truths.
While we are at it, I also have some problems with
positional sanctification (accomplished by ChristŐs justification imputed to me
a sinner) and progressive sanctification (accomplished by my being converted in
the image of Christ by my obedience to GodŐs word). It is just too confusing to
the typical 21st century Christian, and again we get the positional mixed up
with the conditional and think that we play a part in the positional and expect
God to do all the heavy lifting in the progressive. Stretching this
sanctification precision only slightly we could use the terms saving faith -
living faith. But living faith in this age conjures up
images of fun, frolic, and emotional experience, so I prefer to use the term
obedient faith, which is applicable, at times when love is just a commitment
and your emotions are vaporized by circumstance.
Most American Christians today, regardless of what they
hear from the pulpit on Sunday morning, believe that the American dream is
somewhere covered under the dispensational blessings of grace. Slowly in good
churches this tendency can be overcome through much repetition of the true source
of grace, but it is really a hard and some times not a popular sell. Especially
when you can get numerous helps so that you can built a user friendly, seeker
sensitive congregation, of wealthy, self indulgent suburbanites.
So how about a report from the front lines, to see if we
can see the amazing grace and power of GodŐs love for all humanity in action.
The following is an edited version of an email forwarded to me at my request by
Kris Repp (holakris@guate.net) who currently works in Guatemala and Honduras.
In circumstances like these our cheap grace comes in contact with the reality
of GodŐs love for the lost and cheap grace looses.
I wish I could have talked to you before I left. I
have to admit, that team was the most challenging to date! After praying about
it and really listening to the Lord on the matter, I decided that it was just
what He had planned and that, although it was hard, it went fine, and all is
well! I do have some things that I want to tell you from my heart and hope we
can work towards improving the general team experiences for all involved.
We have agreed on the point that all team members must
start a prophylaxis of Bactrim/Cipro the day they arrive (or before). We
stopped at least 7 times on the road between Nebaj and the City for the girls
to wretch their guts out and 'use' the bathroom. Anyway, I finally had our
driver stop at the pharmacy in Sacapulis and bought injectable medicine to stop
the nausea and vomiting long enough for us to get to the City, but barely. They
were even sick the morning they left. It was the absolute worst you could
imagine,.and all that AFTER the 2 weeks in the mountains!
I think many misunderstandings and problems could be
avoided if we, once again, tell the potential team members up front how 'it
is'. Rules like: You will not bring your American snacks (except essential
trail mix) with you. You won't have time for make-up, washing hair, manicures.
You may not get a chance to bathe for a week. You may not bring your novels to
read, or your Walkman's to listen to. You will probably sleep on dirt. You will
be required to wear dirty sweaty clothes. You will be expected to eat the food
served to you whether you like it or not.
You will get sleep deprived and physically exhausted and, maybe, even
very sick. You will be expected to be up at the crack of dawn and ready to go
anywhere, anytime, and work long demanding hours. You will be hiking in the hot
sun or pouring rain with a heavy backpack straight up and down steep mountains.
We hope you will do all of this and more, for Jesus sake. How's that?
Each group should have a leader prepared to be in
charge and command of the group. This leader must take initiative and keep the
group going. The leader must always be a step ahead of his/her group, out of
bed earlier, ready faster, and in bed last.
Considering the political climate of Guatemala today,
I feel strongly that potential team members should be informed of the risks
involved. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we are 'out there' and a
prime target for some irate villager's wrath. They know our pattern and could
decide they really don't like us. I am personally ready to lay my life down for
Jesus but I think it is only fair to tell people how it is and that, "You
may not come back!" At least let them know that we are not playing around
and there is potential danger involved. I am not living in fear, however, that
group of 8 young women in a brand new white 'tourist van' laughing and giggling
their way down the mountains (when they weren't vomiting on the roadside) was
not exactly low profile. I would hope that we could always use the 'chicken
buses' for our groups and even consider police escort if the situation is
'hot'. As for our demeanor and conduct in the villages, I think we should be
wise and prudent, not loud or silly. There is a time for joy but the issue of
cultural sensitivity is so very important.
Since we are working with the refugee's and the poor
in these unreached settlements, I feel that our medical teams are generally
more widely and favorably accepted than a group of young adults doing
'ministry'. When we come with a service that people value, they are more likely
to look upon us favorably than as 'an obnoxious religious group' that they
might want to 'chase out with sticks'. In Africa, the mobile medical clinics
are being used in areas hostile to the Gospel for that very reason Muslim areas
are where they will accept medical care from Christians. I think the evangelism
has it's place but in these areas where you are sensing resistance, I think
maybe we should stick to the medical teams for now, anyway.
Love, your Sis in Christ, Kris
I have been reflecting recently, that the truth of the
gospel is the basis of all truth in the world. To the extent that local culture
is based upon another sinful paradigm, it is but a transitory lie, which cannot
continue unchanged in the light and life brought about by the gospel. It is
only in that gospel are all men and women united as one family of love. Every
one with a unique diverse eternal personality. It is only as we begin to get a
glimpse of that God given diversity, do we begin to truly understand the
attributes of God and his love for mankind, created in His image. When we take
the risk to move beyond our own controllable limits, we are truly free of the
sins that entwine our every thought and desire, and we truly begin to glimpse
what Paul wrote so gloriously in this Ephesians passage.
These last few weeks have truly been a time of relying
upon the indicative rule rather than my ability to accomplish the imperative
exhortation. But through that experience I have begun to see more clearly my
personal exhortation. As you move further Ňupward in the high calling of Christ
Jesus,Ó you begin to see just how high is the upward call, and how little
ground you have really scrambled up over the years, but thanks be to God that
His rule, states that your destination is assured. Gratitude for that gift has
many times unconsciously lifted the individual and the church upward. May that
be in our common prayers this week and always.
Personally, I have begun to see just how these extremely
trying times of the last couple of weeks can be used for eternal advantage and
I proceed forward. Please continue to intercede for financial (especially GodŐs
chosen source of capital that He has not disclosed to me yet), personal, and
other provisions as God prods me slowly forward toward a move to the Little
Dalles.