(Originally written for pulbication in The Tidings)
To be honest, I think this question gets at the heart of the struggle for the modern western church. Too often I think American Christianity answers this question with an overly simple no, and consequently our faith and our journey with Christ stops at intellectual ascent and belief. The problem is our good works do count for something!! So, the issue is not whether or not our good works count for something, but what they count for.
Scripture makes it clear that it is by grace that we have been saved through faith. This comes from the often quoted passage of Ephesians 2:8-9. So, our salvation and acceptance by God is not contingent on the good or bad that we do, but on the goodness and graciousness of God! The truth is that outside of Gods grace we would not be able to do good works whether we are a Christian or not. So good works are the result of grace, rather than grace being the result of good works.
On the other hand, the good works that we do certainly count for something! Too often the church has ignored this point. The truth is, Jesus spent a large part of his earthly ministry addressing the fact that the religious leaders of his time were not doing good in their communities. Jesus often encouraged his followers to love the unloved, to feed the hungry, to care for the widows and the outcasts. So, the letter of James teaches that faith without works is dead. And the verse that states “It is by grace we have been save through faith” is immediately followed by this, “For [because] we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” So we are not just saved to passively live the rest of our lives here on earth and then in heaven. Rather, we are saved to do good works that God has prepared for us to do. And rather than waiting for heaven after we die, we have a part to play in fulfilling the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
The sooner we as the church and as members of humanity can grasp the fact that we cannot do anything good apart from the grace of God, and that we cannot earn our salvation, the sooner we are able to honor Jesus as Lord of our lives, trusting him for every good and perfect thing rather than trusting ourselves. And, in so doing, we will begin, through the grace of God, to live lives that will make a difference in our world not just for today, but for all eternity.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
How Can I Know the Will of God?
(Originally written for publication in The Tidings)
This question reminds me of a story that Brennan Manning tells in his book Ruthless Trust. The story is of an ethicist named John Kavanaugh who went to live with Mother Teresa in Calcutta. On his first morning Mother Teresa asked Kavanaugh, “What can I do for you?”
Kavanaugh replied, “Please pray that I get clarity for the future.”
Mother Teresa responded, “No! I will not do that . . .Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.”
“But you always seem to have clarity” was Kavanaugh’s reply.
Mother Teresa responded by saying, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray you trust God.”
This story is a harsh reminder of how difficult it is for us to give up control; how difficult it is to allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives; how stubborn we are to trust.
Often times when this question is asked the real meaning behind the question is “How can I know God’s purpose for my life?” I have learned over the last five years that when we ask this question we define purpose as a dangling carrot. Purpose, as most of us understand it, is that carrot that hangs right in front of us that we will never be able to grasp. Here is what I mean. Purpose so often for us is about tomorrow. “What am I going to be or what should I be when I grow up?” For instance, my purpose in high school was to get to college. And my purpose in college was to get to seminary. And my purpose in seminary was to get into ministry. One thing always leads to another. Now I am in ministry. So, what is my purpose? Over the last five years I have learned that I will never reach my purpose as long as it is defined as tomorrow.
Pete Grieg in his book The Vision and The Vow writes this, “When Jesus calls us to follow Him, we want clarity: to assess our options, set expectations, and know our boundaries. But God’s route from A to C is rarely via B. His voice is rarely unmistakable. His word often raises more questions than answers. We ask for guidance expecting a roadmap, or at least a sign, and He gives us His hand and the dimmest of torches.”
However, God is clear on how he calls us to live in His word. God’s purpose and the will of God is found in every decision we make, every day.
The will of God for you and I is that we would trust Him. Everyday.
That we would worship Him. Everyday.
That we would love those who are unloveable. Everyday.
That we would feed the hungry, and care for the poor. Everyday.
It is to forgive those we love and those who have hurt us. Everyday.
To share the story of Jesus with those who have never heard, and those who think
they don’t need to hear. Everyday.
To seek justice. Everyday.
To love mercy. Everyday.
To walk humbly. Everyday.
To glorify God. Everyday.
And to make disciples. Everyday.
To love God with all our heart, mind and soul. Everyday.
And to love our neighbor as ourself. Everyday.
Pete Grieg says it well, “The problem for most of us is not that we don’t know what God wants of us. It’s that we know exactly what He wants of us, and it’s not what we want to do!”
This question reminds me of a story that Brennan Manning tells in his book Ruthless Trust. The story is of an ethicist named John Kavanaugh who went to live with Mother Teresa in Calcutta. On his first morning Mother Teresa asked Kavanaugh, “What can I do for you?”
Kavanaugh replied, “Please pray that I get clarity for the future.”
Mother Teresa responded, “No! I will not do that . . .Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.”
“But you always seem to have clarity” was Kavanaugh’s reply.
Mother Teresa responded by saying, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray you trust God.”
This story is a harsh reminder of how difficult it is for us to give up control; how difficult it is to allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives; how stubborn we are to trust.
Often times when this question is asked the real meaning behind the question is “How can I know God’s purpose for my life?” I have learned over the last five years that when we ask this question we define purpose as a dangling carrot. Purpose, as most of us understand it, is that carrot that hangs right in front of us that we will never be able to grasp. Here is what I mean. Purpose so often for us is about tomorrow. “What am I going to be or what should I be when I grow up?” For instance, my purpose in high school was to get to college. And my purpose in college was to get to seminary. And my purpose in seminary was to get into ministry. One thing always leads to another. Now I am in ministry. So, what is my purpose? Over the last five years I have learned that I will never reach my purpose as long as it is defined as tomorrow.
Pete Grieg in his book The Vision and The Vow writes this, “When Jesus calls us to follow Him, we want clarity: to assess our options, set expectations, and know our boundaries. But God’s route from A to C is rarely via B. His voice is rarely unmistakable. His word often raises more questions than answers. We ask for guidance expecting a roadmap, or at least a sign, and He gives us His hand and the dimmest of torches.”
However, God is clear on how he calls us to live in His word. God’s purpose and the will of God is found in every decision we make, every day.
The will of God for you and I is that we would trust Him. Everyday.
That we would worship Him. Everyday.
That we would love those who are unloveable. Everyday.
That we would feed the hungry, and care for the poor. Everyday.
It is to forgive those we love and those who have hurt us. Everyday.
To share the story of Jesus with those who have never heard, and those who think
they don’t need to hear. Everyday.
To seek justice. Everyday.
To love mercy. Everyday.
To walk humbly. Everyday.
To glorify God. Everyday.
And to make disciples. Everyday.
To love God with all our heart, mind and soul. Everyday.
And to love our neighbor as ourself. Everyday.
Pete Grieg says it well, “The problem for most of us is not that we don’t know what God wants of us. It’s that we know exactly what He wants of us, and it’s not what we want to do!”
Hebrews and Kierkegaard
We have been studying Hebrews together as a church and this past week looked at chapter 12. One of the passages in the chapter states, “let us throw off everything that entangles us”. I was thinking this morning about how comprehensive that statement is! The passage does not say, “let us throw off everything that entangles us badly”, but states everything with no qualitative statement. In other words everything. What if I took that seriously? What would I have to get rid of? When will I be ready to buy into those comprehensive words in my life?
This reminds me of a quote I read recently from Soren Kierkegaard who was a nineteenth-century Danish philosopher. He said, “The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.”
The hard part for me is reading a quote like this, and knowing that I will continue to refuse to live according to the face value of Scripture. My prayer is that God will continue to give me the strength to let go of my ability to justify the parts of my life that fall short of the example of Jesus and the commands of Scripture.
This reminds me of a quote I read recently from Soren Kierkegaard who was a nineteenth-century Danish philosopher. He said, “The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.”
The hard part for me is reading a quote like this, and knowing that I will continue to refuse to live according to the face value of Scripture. My prayer is that God will continue to give me the strength to let go of my ability to justify the parts of my life that fall short of the example of Jesus and the commands of Scripture.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Where in the world? and What'sthe deal with . . .
OK, not ever sure if anyone is reading this. But I know you are not reading if I am not writing. I am one of those guys that reads other's blogs and gets irritated when they haven't update! Talk about needing to remove the plank from my eye!
I am hoping to update soon!
By the way. What is the deal with Peace, Love and Gap. Seriously! I like Gap and everything (I can shop there with fashion confidene), but putting a clothing store on the same level as peace and love? At least the song is catchy!
I am hoping to update soon!
By the way. What is the deal with Peace, Love and Gap. Seriously! I like Gap and everything (I can shop there with fashion confidene), but putting a clothing store on the same level as peace and love? At least the song is catchy!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
What? and How?
I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be a follower of Christ and how that relates to how we live our lives. This ongoing dialog with myself, Scripture and the Holy Spirit (OK a trialog) has been prompted largely by questions that some of you have been asking.
Generally in life we must answer the what question before we answer the how question. Here is what I mean. I don’t determine how I am going to build something before I determine what I am going to build. I must first determine the what before I try to determine the how. Almost all of life operates this way! As a consequence we are consumed with answering the question of “what am I going to do with my life?” instead of focusing on the question of “how am I going to live my life?”
However, following Christ so often requires looking at things in a completely different way! I wonder if a follower of Christ shouldn’t be more consumed by the question of how than the question of what. Is God as concerned with what as he is with how? Now, I know that being obedient requires both! I am just suggesting that maybe we have the two questions out of balance!! And, because we do, we struggle with living life day to day! Instead of living day to day determining how we are going to live we are paralyzed with the thought of what am I going to be in the future!
As I have been thinking about this I am more and more convinced that the Bible lays out instruction on how we are to live more than on what we are supposed to do. I believe it is the failure to recognize this that leads to legalism. Again, I am more and more convinced that the whole of Scripture supports this (I see foreshadowing of it in the Old Testament and fulfillment in the New Testament). However, it is the first part of Colossians chapter 3 that keeps coming to mind (Colossians 3:1-17). That passage closes with the statement, “And whatever (would suggest that what is not the main issue) you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
I know there are other examples of instruction and stories from Scripture that could be included! I would love to hear your thoughts! If you think of other support for this found in Scripture, let me know! And, better yet, if you are able to poke holes in this let me know!!
Generally in life we must answer the what question before we answer the how question. Here is what I mean. I don’t determine how I am going to build something before I determine what I am going to build. I must first determine the what before I try to determine the how. Almost all of life operates this way! As a consequence we are consumed with answering the question of “what am I going to do with my life?” instead of focusing on the question of “how am I going to live my life?”
However, following Christ so often requires looking at things in a completely different way! I wonder if a follower of Christ shouldn’t be more consumed by the question of how than the question of what. Is God as concerned with what as he is with how? Now, I know that being obedient requires both! I am just suggesting that maybe we have the two questions out of balance!! And, because we do, we struggle with living life day to day! Instead of living day to day determining how we are going to live we are paralyzed with the thought of what am I going to be in the future!
As I have been thinking about this I am more and more convinced that the Bible lays out instruction on how we are to live more than on what we are supposed to do. I believe it is the failure to recognize this that leads to legalism. Again, I am more and more convinced that the whole of Scripture supports this (I see foreshadowing of it in the Old Testament and fulfillment in the New Testament). However, it is the first part of Colossians chapter 3 that keeps coming to mind (Colossians 3:1-17). That passage closes with the statement, “And whatever (would suggest that what is not the main issue) you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
I know there are other examples of instruction and stories from Scripture that could be included! I would love to hear your thoughts! If you think of other support for this found in Scripture, let me know! And, better yet, if you are able to poke holes in this let me know!!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
John Mayer, (Red), and our place in the world
I have been listening to the latest John Mayer album and I have been haunted by the first single released from the album. The track is on the album Continuum and is titled Waiting on the World to Change. The song opens with the following lyric:
"me and all my friends
we're all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could
now we see everything that's going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means
to rise above and beat it
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change"
The song has bothered me for two reasons. First is the lack of hope that we have the power or authority to change the world. And second, is that the consequence of that lack of hope is the decision to just sit back and wait on the world to change.
These two concerns lead to two other concerns. First, I believe that not only do we have the power to impact the world, but we are impacting our world everyday in either a positive way or a negative way. And second, if we are sitting back waiting on the world to change, our passivity is impacting the future of our world.
As these thoughts have been kicking around in my head (especially while hearing the song) I have come across this picture that displays the statement “We are the people we’ve been waiting for.” This statement has been challenging me in positive ways to examine how I am living my life. Am I sitting back waiting for the world to change and only complaining about why things are the way they are or am I choosing to make a positive difference. You have know choice in whether your life will have an impact on the world. However, you can choose how you will impact the world!
Jim Wallis was the speaker at the Stanford graduation in 2004 and had these words to share (the speech can be found in it’s entirety here):
“I would encourage each of you to think about your vocation more than just your career. And there is a difference. From the outside, those two tracks may look very much alike, but asking the vocational question rather than just considering the career options will take you much deeper. The key is to ask why you might take one path instead of another - the real reasons you would do something more than just because you can. The key is to ask who you really are and want to become. It is to ask what you believe you are supposed to do.
Religious or not, I would invite you to consider your calling, more than just the many opportunities presented to graduates of Stanford University. That means connecting your best talents and skills to your best and deepest values; making sure your mind is in sync with your soul as you plot your next steps. Don't just go where you're directed or even invited, but rather where your own moral compass leads you. And don't accept other's notions of what is possible or realistic; dare to dream things and don't be afraid to take risks.
You do have great potential, but that potential will be most fulfilled if you follow the leanings of conscience and the language of the heart more than just the dictates of the market, whether economic or political. They want smart people like you to just manage the systems of the world. But rather than managing or merely fitting into systems, ask how you can change them. You're both smart and talented enough to do that. That's your greatest potential. Ask where your gifts intersect with the groaning needs of the world.
The antidote to cynicism is not optimism but action. And action is finally born out of hope. Try to remember that.
What is really possible? The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews says this:
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." And my best paraphrase of that for you is this: Hope is believing in spite of the evidence, and then watching the evidence change.”
You can make a difference! And whether you know it or not, you are making a difference, you don’t have a choice in that! But will you choose to make a positive impact on the world, or will you settle for the alternative.
"me and all my friends
we're all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could
now we see everything that's going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means
to rise above and beat it
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change"
The song has bothered me for two reasons. First is the lack of hope that we have the power or authority to change the world. And second, is that the consequence of that lack of hope is the decision to just sit back and wait on the world to change.
These two concerns lead to two other concerns. First, I believe that not only do we have the power to impact the world, but we are impacting our world everyday in either a positive way or a negative way. And second, if we are sitting back waiting on the world to change, our passivity is impacting the future of our world.
As these thoughts have been kicking around in my head (especially while hearing the song) I have come across this picture that displays the statement “We are the people we’ve been waiting for.” This statement has been challenging me in positive ways to examine how I am living my life. Am I sitting back waiting for the world to change and only complaining about why things are the way they are or am I choosing to make a positive difference. You have know choice in whether your life will have an impact on the world. However, you can choose how you will impact the world!
Jim Wallis was the speaker at the Stanford graduation in 2004 and had these words to share (the speech can be found in it’s entirety here):
“I would encourage each of you to think about your vocation more than just your career. And there is a difference. From the outside, those two tracks may look very much alike, but asking the vocational question rather than just considering the career options will take you much deeper. The key is to ask why you might take one path instead of another - the real reasons you would do something more than just because you can. The key is to ask who you really are and want to become. It is to ask what you believe you are supposed to do.
Religious or not, I would invite you to consider your calling, more than just the many opportunities presented to graduates of Stanford University. That means connecting your best talents and skills to your best and deepest values; making sure your mind is in sync with your soul as you plot your next steps. Don't just go where you're directed or even invited, but rather where your own moral compass leads you. And don't accept other's notions of what is possible or realistic; dare to dream things and don't be afraid to take risks.
You do have great potential, but that potential will be most fulfilled if you follow the leanings of conscience and the language of the heart more than just the dictates of the market, whether economic or political. They want smart people like you to just manage the systems of the world. But rather than managing or merely fitting into systems, ask how you can change them. You're both smart and talented enough to do that. That's your greatest potential. Ask where your gifts intersect with the groaning needs of the world.
The antidote to cynicism is not optimism but action. And action is finally born out of hope. Try to remember that.
What is really possible? The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews says this:
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." And my best paraphrase of that for you is this: Hope is believing in spite of the evidence, and then watching the evidence change.”
You can make a difference! And whether you know it or not, you are making a difference, you don’t have a choice in that! But will you choose to make a positive impact on the world, or will you settle for the alternative.
Friday, September 29, 2006
I Have a Log in My Eye, or How Batman and NPR Taught Me an Important Lesson
A couple of weeks ago on my way home I surfed the radio dial to NPR. I usually only listen to NPR when I need some quiet background noise, but don't want to listen to the crap on the radio and am tired of the 3,000 songs I have on my ipod (completely American).
Anyway, on the ride home one of the stories was that George Clooney was appearing before the UN to address the crisis in Darfur. My immediate response was to laugh. My immediate thought was, "Why in the world is George Clooney meeting with the UN?" "How arrogant for him to think he has something to say!" And, "How ignorant of the UN to waste time with him!" Surely the UN can find someone more intelligent and more in touch with the situation to listen to.
These thoughts were almost immediately followed by my realization that it is so easy for me to point the finger at Clooney and complain. Instead, I should focus that energy on finding out what I could do to help the situation! My initial reaction to the story was the same that the Pharisees would have had! It's easier to pass judgement than to extend grace! And, besides, if the church were doing more to help in these situations we wouldn't be relying on Hollywood stars to issue a call to action.
I know that there are some Christians and Christian organizations serving in the area, but where is the rest of the church? Why do we always seem to be the last to respond to these social issues? Why is it that sometimes the non-Chrisitans seem to follow the example of Christ better than those that profess to follow him? Maybe it is because we are too busy following the example of the pharisees. Maybe it is because we are too busy passing judgement on those who are setting an example, we should be setting.
There are two songs that speak to the injustice in the world in light of the sovereignty of God in an incredibly powerful way! Well worth downloading!! One is called Our God Reigns and is by Delirious. The other is Oh My God by Jars of Clay! Seriously, check them out!
Anyway, on the ride home one of the stories was that George Clooney was appearing before the UN to address the crisis in Darfur. My immediate response was to laugh. My immediate thought was, "Why in the world is George Clooney meeting with the UN?" "How arrogant for him to think he has something to say!" And, "How ignorant of the UN to waste time with him!" Surely the UN can find someone more intelligent and more in touch with the situation to listen to.
These thoughts were almost immediately followed by my realization that it is so easy for me to point the finger at Clooney and complain. Instead, I should focus that energy on finding out what I could do to help the situation! My initial reaction to the story was the same that the Pharisees would have had! It's easier to pass judgement than to extend grace! And, besides, if the church were doing more to help in these situations we wouldn't be relying on Hollywood stars to issue a call to action.
I know that there are some Christians and Christian organizations serving in the area, but where is the rest of the church? Why do we always seem to be the last to respond to these social issues? Why is it that sometimes the non-Chrisitans seem to follow the example of Christ better than those that profess to follow him? Maybe it is because we are too busy following the example of the pharisees. Maybe it is because we are too busy passing judgement on those who are setting an example, we should be setting.
There are two songs that speak to the injustice in the world in light of the sovereignty of God in an incredibly powerful way! Well worth downloading!! One is called Our God Reigns and is by Delirious. The other is Oh My God by Jars of Clay! Seriously, check them out!
Salvation from . . . and to . . .
I have been thinking a lot about the idea of salvation. When we say salvation what do we mean? Often I think we limit the definition of salvation to a rescue from hell. I mean, this is what is preached in many churches; that is, if you don’t believe in Jesus or accept him as Lord, you will spend eternity in hell. Salvation, when defined this way, has very little to do with our lives in the here and now. I think this is why so many of us live our lives the exact same way our non-Christian friends do.
Dallas Willard writes this in his book The Divine Conspiracy:
“The sensed irrelevance of what God is doing to what makes up our lives is the foundational flaw in the existence of multitudes of professing Christians today. They have been led to believe that God, for some unfathomable reason, just thinks it appropriate to transfer credit from Christ’s merit account to ours, and to wipe out our sin debt, upon inspecting our mind and finding that we believe a particular theory of the atonement to be true—even if we trust everything but God in all other matters that concern us (italics mine).
It is left unexplained how it is possible that one can rely on Christ for the next life without doing so for this one, trust him for one’s eternal destiny without trusting him for ‘the things that relate to Christian life.’ Is this really possible? Surely not! Not within one life.
In the Gospels, “the gospel” is the good news of the presence and availability of life in the kingdom, now and forever, through reliance on Jesus the Annointed.
Accordingly, the only description of eternal life found in the words we have from Jesus is ‘This is eternal life, that they [his disciples] may know you, the only real God, and Jesus the anointed, whom you have sent’ (John 17:3). This may sound to us like “mere head knowledge,” But the biblical “know” always refers to an intimate, personal, interactive relationship.
The eternal life of which Jesus speaks is not knowledge about God but an intimately interactive relationship with him."
So, if salvation is not just the promise of eternal abundant life after I die, but is also the promise of abundant, eternal life in the here and now, how come I often feel like life falls short of abundant? I believe it is because I often choose to live life on my own, apart from Christ. My pride takes over, and I decide I want to live life for myself! I choose to make myself and idol. True life, abundant life, eternal life can only be found as we seek an interactive, personal, intimate relationship with Christ in all things and recognize that He is Lord of our lives.
Dallas Willard writes this in his book The Divine Conspiracy:
“The sensed irrelevance of what God is doing to what makes up our lives is the foundational flaw in the existence of multitudes of professing Christians today. They have been led to believe that God, for some unfathomable reason, just thinks it appropriate to transfer credit from Christ’s merit account to ours, and to wipe out our sin debt, upon inspecting our mind and finding that we believe a particular theory of the atonement to be true—even if we trust everything but God in all other matters that concern us (italics mine).
It is left unexplained how it is possible that one can rely on Christ for the next life without doing so for this one, trust him for one’s eternal destiny without trusting him for ‘the things that relate to Christian life.’ Is this really possible? Surely not! Not within one life.
In the Gospels, “the gospel” is the good news of the presence and availability of life in the kingdom, now and forever, through reliance on Jesus the Annointed.
Accordingly, the only description of eternal life found in the words we have from Jesus is ‘This is eternal life, that they [his disciples] may know you, the only real God, and Jesus the anointed, whom you have sent’ (John 17:3). This may sound to us like “mere head knowledge,” But the biblical “know” always refers to an intimate, personal, interactive relationship.
The eternal life of which Jesus speaks is not knowledge about God but an intimately interactive relationship with him."
So, if salvation is not just the promise of eternal abundant life after I die, but is also the promise of abundant, eternal life in the here and now, how come I often feel like life falls short of abundant? I believe it is because I often choose to live life on my own, apart from Christ. My pride takes over, and I decide I want to live life for myself! I choose to make myself and idol. True life, abundant life, eternal life can only be found as we seek an interactive, personal, intimate relationship with Christ in all things and recognize that He is Lord of our lives.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Studio 60 continues
Another good hour of television writing. I continued to recognize parallels between what was going on in the show and what is going on in the church. The most interesting thing was the way the church was presented in the show as pointing the finger at culture. The opening number (which was shown at the end of the show) had some caricatures of Christians in America that we should probably pay attention to. These shows may be missing the point (though not always); at the very least they are informative as to how non-Christians percieve our behavior.