“God has allowed us to know the secret of His plan, and it is this: He purposes, in His Sovereign will, that all human history shall be consummated in Christ, that everything which exists in Heaven or earth shall find its perfection and fulfillment in Him.” (Ephesians 1: 9 & 10 Phillips)
There is a reason for our existence. Human history is not a cosmic accident! Life, as we know it is planned. God has a purpose and we are major players in its enactment.
Evidence for this is plentiful. Something innate to our nature reveals that we are to be a significant part of this drama. We hope for it.
God has created us in such a way that we’re attracted by our desires to things that are important to us. We’re hungry and want to eat because we need food. We’re thirsty because we need water. Our libido is the powerful force that stimulates the necessary desire to mate and procreate. We seek pleasure because “laughter is the best medicine.” Kind of “daahhh!” things wouldn’t you say? Well yes and no! These are statements of the obvious. But they are also principles that can be found in less obvious drives within us. One such drive is this longing to have a purpose. Most, if not all, of us have it. We want to make a difference. Just like hunger reveals our need for water so this compulsion confirms we need a mission.
Our frustrations in life come from our attempts to define and fulfill this purpose by ourselves. The materialist believes our purposes are fulfilled in the evolutionary process. Unconsciously we are being swept along on this stream of self-improvement reaching ever higher forms of existence without even realizing it and ultimately dying completely oblivious to it. Empire after Empire, in its rising and falling, has demonstrated the foolishness of such a notion. Christ, Paul is assuring us, will bring about our fulfillment. We will find our purpose in relationship with Him.
Look at the language. “(A)ll human history shall be consummated in Christ.” Our highest purposes as God’s creative Masterpiece are explained and achieved in Christ. That’s what “consummated “ means. The union of a man and woman in Marriage is “consummated,” in the intimate bond which, unlike any other form of intimacy, generates another human life and perpetuates our species. Likewise, union with Christ, as His Spirit enters us and bonds us with Him, generates in us supernatural powers which enliven us for the magnificent, timeless purpose which has been ours since God made us. We become – in this union with the Spirit of Christ – wholly the person we’re designed to be. More importantly, our purpose individually, and as the noble race we are, is fulfilled. Collectively – our uniqueness uncompromised – in collaboration with our Trinitarian God we realize His highest purpose: a universe of beings living like Himself – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – in perfect, sacrificial love.
For us this is a dream; a vision that excites and stirs deep longings in us. For God it is present reality; the eternal “Now.” It is who you long to be; because it’s who you’re meant to be. It is “the You God Sees.”
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The You God Sees 5.
“In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of His Grace which He lavished upon us.” (Ephesians 1:7)
God’s Grace – His favor and good-will, lovingly, kindly, beneficently given – has been and is routinely lavished on anyone who will admit they need it and humbly receive it. The benefits are most certainly “lavish.” They are bountiful even excessive. There is no room here for thoughts of limits or “strings attached.”
Our Father paid a preposterous ransom! That’s what “redemption” is! Our sin indentured us. We became slaves to our cravings and delusions. The “enemy of our souls,” taking advantage of our “selfish ambitions,” made all kinds of promises. We “sold or souls” in the pursuit of dreams that became nightmares. But, with the “life blood” of the Son of Man we’ve been “ransomed.” With that all the claims the devil had on us have been declared “null and void.” Any protest he might make that we owe him – and he will – is mere falsehood; a lie! The guilt that often weighs you down is precisely that: devilish lies.
Furthermore, we have been “forgiven.” Christ’s prayer from the Cross “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing,” is answered for any and every person who believes He was praying for them and reaches with empty hands to receive the mercy it’s extending! Pardoned! Acquitted! The indictment against them is expunged! They are then and forever pronounced NOT GUILTY!
This is “lavish favor;” “bountiful loving kindness.” The only guilt we’re left with is what we insist on clinging to out of misguided notions that there’s something we must do to win God’s favor. Our pride will not let us accept something we haven’t paid for and therefore can’t believe we deserve.
But we are undeserving! Yes it’s a hard pill to swallow. Still it’s true! And, yes, God loves us anyway!
Swallow your pride. Let go! Let God redeem you! Abandon any future effort to be worthy. Let Him perform the “makeover” that exceeds all “makeovers.” Let Him make you “worthy;” a “New Creation;” the “Image of God restored;” “changed from one level of glory to another into the resemblance of Christ.” There are no limits! “No eye has seen … No ear has ever heard … No heart has imagined the things God has in store for those who love Him!” Now, “God by His Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.” (1Corinthians 2: 9 & 10)
This, the result of His “lavish Grace,” is “The You God Sees.”
God’s Grace – His favor and good-will, lovingly, kindly, beneficently given – has been and is routinely lavished on anyone who will admit they need it and humbly receive it. The benefits are most certainly “lavish.” They are bountiful even excessive. There is no room here for thoughts of limits or “strings attached.”
Our Father paid a preposterous ransom! That’s what “redemption” is! Our sin indentured us. We became slaves to our cravings and delusions. The “enemy of our souls,” taking advantage of our “selfish ambitions,” made all kinds of promises. We “sold or souls” in the pursuit of dreams that became nightmares. But, with the “life blood” of the Son of Man we’ve been “ransomed.” With that all the claims the devil had on us have been declared “null and void.” Any protest he might make that we owe him – and he will – is mere falsehood; a lie! The guilt that often weighs you down is precisely that: devilish lies.
Furthermore, we have been “forgiven.” Christ’s prayer from the Cross “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing,” is answered for any and every person who believes He was praying for them and reaches with empty hands to receive the mercy it’s extending! Pardoned! Acquitted! The indictment against them is expunged! They are then and forever pronounced NOT GUILTY!
This is “lavish favor;” “bountiful loving kindness.” The only guilt we’re left with is what we insist on clinging to out of misguided notions that there’s something we must do to win God’s favor. Our pride will not let us accept something we haven’t paid for and therefore can’t believe we deserve.
But we are undeserving! Yes it’s a hard pill to swallow. Still it’s true! And, yes, God loves us anyway!
Swallow your pride. Let go! Let God redeem you! Abandon any future effort to be worthy. Let Him perform the “makeover” that exceeds all “makeovers.” Let Him make you “worthy;” a “New Creation;” the “Image of God restored;” “changed from one level of glory to another into the resemblance of Christ.” There are no limits! “No eye has seen … No ear has ever heard … No heart has imagined the things God has in store for those who love Him!” Now, “God by His Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.” (1Corinthians 2: 9 & 10)
This, the result of His “lavish Grace,” is “The You God Sees.”
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The You God Sees 4.
“… to the praise of His glorious grace which He has freely given us in the THE ONE He loves. In Him we have redemption through his blood; the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1: 6 – 8)
What is this “Grace” that gets so much mention in 1st Century conversations about Jesus?
Simply, it is God’s favor toward us. Favoring us He shows good-will toward us. He’s loving and kind. He gifts us. He is bountifully beneficent with us. He is “lavish” in His generosity with us.
Often, when people try to explain this immeasurable – over-the-top – love, they will add phrases like, “undeserved;” “unmerited.” For example they will say, “Grace” is “undeserved favor.” This nuance is not present in the Greek work “charis,” from which we get “Grace.” “Grace,” in the sense of the Greek word Paul used, is “favor,” and those things which characterize such “good-will.” It's focus is on God; His favor toward us; and His determination to deal with us extravagantly.
Certainly we are undeserving. But God values us anyway. The decision to sacrificially love us and rescue us from our “free will” gone awry was made before ever a word of Creation was spoken. Grace pervades the Cosmos and always has. It is in the heart of God – Father, son, and Holy Spirit – to favor one another. That same favor is extended to humankind.
The undeserving aspect of God’s Grace toward us is necessary for us to grasp. We are unworthy. God loves us anyway. In another letter Paul writes, “Very rarely will anyone die for another man – even a righteous man – though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”(Romans 5: 7 & 8) “While we were still sinners;” utterly and completely undeserving. At precisely that moment, when we were – everyone of us – fallen, broken, unworthy, God performs the most dramatic act of Grace ever to be witnessed. This is His favor being played out despite our unworthiness. His love overlooks the wretched condition of the beloved and loves him or her anyway. We cannot ignore this.
A few years ago I was asked to perform a Graveside Memorial Service for a Woman who’d been married to a Jewish man. She was Christian. Her Husband had been dead for some time and her believing Family of origin had arranged for a Christian burial. They asked me to conduct the Service. They were completely surprised and shocked when several of her Husband’s Family showed up. There’d been no response from them when notice of the woman’s death was sent out; not so much as a word of sympathy or regrets. There was an Adult Son from her Husband’s previous Marriage. With him was a much younger and immodestly dressed Wife. Later – inconsiderately later – the Son's Children arrived. They were ostentatiously wealthy and let it be known that they were part of the “Entertainment Establishment.” One young man in particular was insolently flagrant about his importance. I’d already begun the Service but he ignored me as he greeted his Dad and demonstrably hugged his Stepmother. I spoke of Grace in the Service explaining that we must understand it’s unmerited, yet freely offered to those who acknowledge its cost to God, and their need of it. After I’d offered the final prayer this outspoken young man said, in a loud voice, “Unmerited!? How do you like that Dad?” This highly indulged young man wore his status symbols like a “sandwich board.” He was somebody! He didn’t need “Grace.” Nor did any of his elite Family and fellow “glitterati.”
We, Children of Adam and Eve, will never taste the bountiful “Grace” of our Heavenly Father until we recognize it’s something we can’t do without. THANK GOD! His love takes care of that. “(T)was Grace that taught my heart to fear, “ John Newton wrote in the song “Amazing Grace.” Over 4 hellish weeks he’d been driven to the brink of death in a storm at sea. The ship was badly damaged. There was little food left. Their vessel, outfitted for the tropics, had been carried into the North Atlantic by the tempestuous winds. He knew he would die in those icy waves. When, miraculously, they came near the Irish Coast Newton bowed in amazement that God would so obviously save “a wretch” like him from certain death.
Grace really is that “Amazing”! We know we’re “Miserable Offenders.” God, uncompromisingly Graceful, sees us as invaluable; worth whatever it costs to rescue us!
What is this “Grace” that gets so much mention in 1st Century conversations about Jesus?
Simply, it is God’s favor toward us. Favoring us He shows good-will toward us. He’s loving and kind. He gifts us. He is bountifully beneficent with us. He is “lavish” in His generosity with us.
Often, when people try to explain this immeasurable – over-the-top – love, they will add phrases like, “undeserved;” “unmerited.” For example they will say, “Grace” is “undeserved favor.” This nuance is not present in the Greek work “charis,” from which we get “Grace.” “Grace,” in the sense of the Greek word Paul used, is “favor,” and those things which characterize such “good-will.” It's focus is on God; His favor toward us; and His determination to deal with us extravagantly.
Certainly we are undeserving. But God values us anyway. The decision to sacrificially love us and rescue us from our “free will” gone awry was made before ever a word of Creation was spoken. Grace pervades the Cosmos and always has. It is in the heart of God – Father, son, and Holy Spirit – to favor one another. That same favor is extended to humankind.
The undeserving aspect of God’s Grace toward us is necessary for us to grasp. We are unworthy. God loves us anyway. In another letter Paul writes, “Very rarely will anyone die for another man – even a righteous man – though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”(Romans 5: 7 & 8) “While we were still sinners;” utterly and completely undeserving. At precisely that moment, when we were – everyone of us – fallen, broken, unworthy, God performs the most dramatic act of Grace ever to be witnessed. This is His favor being played out despite our unworthiness. His love overlooks the wretched condition of the beloved and loves him or her anyway. We cannot ignore this.
A few years ago I was asked to perform a Graveside Memorial Service for a Woman who’d been married to a Jewish man. She was Christian. Her Husband had been dead for some time and her believing Family of origin had arranged for a Christian burial. They asked me to conduct the Service. They were completely surprised and shocked when several of her Husband’s Family showed up. There’d been no response from them when notice of the woman’s death was sent out; not so much as a word of sympathy or regrets. There was an Adult Son from her Husband’s previous Marriage. With him was a much younger and immodestly dressed Wife. Later – inconsiderately later – the Son's Children arrived. They were ostentatiously wealthy and let it be known that they were part of the “Entertainment Establishment.” One young man in particular was insolently flagrant about his importance. I’d already begun the Service but he ignored me as he greeted his Dad and demonstrably hugged his Stepmother. I spoke of Grace in the Service explaining that we must understand it’s unmerited, yet freely offered to those who acknowledge its cost to God, and their need of it. After I’d offered the final prayer this outspoken young man said, in a loud voice, “Unmerited!? How do you like that Dad?” This highly indulged young man wore his status symbols like a “sandwich board.” He was somebody! He didn’t need “Grace.” Nor did any of his elite Family and fellow “glitterati.”
We, Children of Adam and Eve, will never taste the bountiful “Grace” of our Heavenly Father until we recognize it’s something we can’t do without. THANK GOD! His love takes care of that. “(T)was Grace that taught my heart to fear, “ John Newton wrote in the song “Amazing Grace.” Over 4 hellish weeks he’d been driven to the brink of death in a storm at sea. The ship was badly damaged. There was little food left. Their vessel, outfitted for the tropics, had been carried into the North Atlantic by the tempestuous winds. He knew he would die in those icy waves. When, miraculously, they came near the Irish Coast Newton bowed in amazement that God would so obviously save “a wretch” like him from certain death.
Grace really is that “Amazing”! We know we’re “Miserable Offenders.” God, uncompromisingly Graceful, sees us as invaluable; worth whatever it costs to rescue us!
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