Monday, February 21, 2005
A word about being ‘saints”
“Set apart for God.” That’s what being holy is.
Our sanctification, the process of our becoming more and more holy, is the result of having been made holy.
There is an extraordinary difference between one who hallows the name of the Messiah and one who ignores or demeans that Name. There is an essential difference between one who reveres the work God has done at Calvary and the person who does not. There is an extraordinary difference of foundational existence.
Sanctification proceeds from the foundation of being set apart. We grow in holiness through the give and take of both God’s initiative and our corresponding response. Sanctification is a living thing that is essentially relational. It is the result of cultivating an ongoing relationship with God
We don’t grow into the status of being holy. Through Calvary’s labor actuated by faith, we are a holy people. We are progressively transformed as we develop what God has placed within us. In essence, it’s an outworking of our real identity and destiny. We’re instructed to act in accordance with that which is worthy of our calling. Not being … ingrates.
“Ingrate” is a great word by the way. It helps to describe the person who has received the grace of God and has nevertheless refused to respond in a fashion that looks in any way commensurate to the love God has displayed for that individual. So, I suppose most of us will always have to plead “guilty” to one degree or another. However, in recognizing where one falls short we receive grace to persevere
He loves you although you are what you’re like. Recognizing this is part of abiding in the love of God. It is part of the tension of being saved and hearing the resultant upward call. I don’t know if we will ever be released from that tension while we’re on this planet, or pre-resurrection.
This produces stress in many. That stress can be illustrated in this question, “How do I abide in Jesus’ love while I am so unworthy of His devoted affection?”
Answering that type of question is what the Love of God project is about.
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“Set apart for God.” That’s what being holy is.
Our sanctification, the process of our becoming more and more holy, is the result of having been made holy.
There is an extraordinary difference between one who hallows the name of the Messiah and one who ignores or demeans that Name. There is an essential difference between one who reveres the work God has done at Calvary and the person who does not. There is an extraordinary difference of foundational existence.
Sanctification proceeds from the foundation of being set apart. We grow in holiness through the give and take of both God’s initiative and our corresponding response. Sanctification is a living thing that is essentially relational. It is the result of cultivating an ongoing relationship with God
We don’t grow into the status of being holy. Through Calvary’s labor actuated by faith, we are a holy people. We are progressively transformed as we develop what God has placed within us. In essence, it’s an outworking of our real identity and destiny. We’re instructed to act in accordance with that which is worthy of our calling. Not being … ingrates.
“Ingrate” is a great word by the way. It helps to describe the person who has received the grace of God and has nevertheless refused to respond in a fashion that looks in any way commensurate to the love God has displayed for that individual. So, I suppose most of us will always have to plead “guilty” to one degree or another. However, in recognizing where one falls short we receive grace to persevere
He loves you although you are what you’re like. Recognizing this is part of abiding in the love of God. It is part of the tension of being saved and hearing the resultant upward call. I don’t know if we will ever be released from that tension while we’re on this planet, or pre-resurrection.
This produces stress in many. That stress can be illustrated in this question, “How do I abide in Jesus’ love while I am so unworthy of His devoted affection?”
Answering that type of question is what the Love of God project is about.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Called to Experience Jesus' Love
Last month we were discussing the directive Jesus gave to remain in a conscious knowledge of His love. This is a significant spiritual statute. Through it the door to experientially abiding in Jesus has been opened. The command is divulged in John 15:9, "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love." This directive is the clarification of His decree, “…Abide in Me.”
Nobody ever remained in the awareness of God’s love like Jesus did. He still desires to pass this grace on to those who belong to Him. He is the Master Teacher. If anyone could ever teach us how to experience God, He can.
In John 15:9 Jesus was saying, “My love for you is the same type of love I have been receiving from Father. Abide in Me through abiding in My love for you.” As we rightly value this command we gradually get into synch with God’s priorities. This command is essential. We must do it.
According to John, it is so important to remain in Jesus that the Holy Spirit has been given to enable us to abide!
1 John 2:27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
John’s gospel identifies this anointing with the manifestly active presence of the Paraclete. The Holy Spirit is intent upon teaching and strengthening us to abide in Jesus. His fiery focus is often instinctively contested by earnest hearts: “No, this can’t be so! Surely, the purpose of the anointing is for us to do the work of the ministry!” Instead, power for service is supposed to be an aspect of the fruit of abiding in Him. Again, the anointing has been given for the expressly to teach us to abide in Him.
Let’s read the next verse: John 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love
In 10a the text says, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love…”
This call to conversion is actually a little startling. I probably would never have written that. Most likely, I would have written this: “If you keep My commandments you will end up having a holy character and nature.” or this: “If you keep My commandments you will become a whole human being.” or this: “If you keep My commandments you will finally be pleasing to God.” Yet we find Jesus saying that the object of keeping His commandments is completely different from normal godly goals.
What does the text say? Let’s make believe we’re in school and test our knowledge. Please “fill in the missing word.”
John 15:10a “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My ____”
Many might fill in the missing word with ‘work’ or ‘ministry.’ “You will abide in My work! Yes, if you keep My commandments you will abide in My work just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His work.”
The work is important, but that’s not what is says! Let’s rehearse what it actually says:
John 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.”
Jesus emphasized that keeping His commandments is the means of staying within His love. They are boundaries. It is impossible to consciously remain in His love without keeping His commands.
This injunction was given to apostles, but even they were not fully mature and holy. Although they were clean through the word He had spoken to them (John 15:3), let’s recall that they had just been arguing about who was greatest amongst them, had refused to wash one another’s feet and were about to desert or deny Jesus. These are the clean ones He is exhorting to keep His commands that they may abide in His love.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of the rich young ruler. Immediately after Jesus said one must receive the Kingdom as a child, he appears upon the scene. With impeccably bad timing he asks, “What must I do to inherit the Kingdom?’ One doesn‘t do anything to get the Kingdom, one receives it as a child.
Israel was already in covenant with God and had received deliverance from bondage before the Torah was given at Sinai. So with us, Jesus’ commands are to keep us in His love, not get us into His love.
Look at the way the Psalmist describes God’s commands. Let’s agree with David‘s evaluation of God‘s commands found in Psalm 19:7-10: The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restorative sure, right and sweet.. The commandments of the Lord are pure. They rejoice the heart. They make the simple, wise. They are more desirable than gold!
Yes, the commandments of God are beautiful in and of themselves. God’s ethical demands are exquisite. Yet, according to Jesus, His commandments are not to be kept out of an overflowing appreciation for their beauty. He is not looking for, “I love these ethics. I love the commandments of God. Let‘s keep them!”
No. Jesus instructed His disciples that keeping His commandments are a means to an end. Have we learned that lesson yet?
Paul manifested the heart of the Holy Spirit when he travailed in prayer for the spiritual development of the Galatians (Galatians 4:19). There should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that the Spirit is continually also laboring to produce “Christ-like” character in every believer. (Romans 8:26)
Father is seeking to ‘raise children’ who will be conformed to the image of His Son. Philippians 3:10 is the corresponding reciprocal cry of the called to God’s search for those who are willing to suffer, die and live for that which impassions His heart (that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;).
It is impossible for this to be reproduced in any person without the sanctifying effort of the Holy Spirit. However, God does not want ‘holy character’ to be our prize. He wants our prize is to be the Lord, Himself, and a specific aspect of God is the point of the prize.
John 17:3 states that eternal life is the experience of knowing God. It is a Biblically sound presupposition that God wants us to know Him. Upon closer examination we find that He wants us concentrating on knowing His love. The quality of which John wrote (1 John 4:8 “… God is love…”) is the essential characteristic God wants us to know about Himself.
Jesus said, “… abide in my love…”
We might reply … “How do we do that?”
He replies, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.”
What was the Messiah’s motivation for calling us to abide in His love?
Let’s ask Him a question…
“Lord, why are you saying these things to us? Why are you sharing these priorities?”
He replies: “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:11)
Jesus urged the disciples to diligently abide in His love so they may experience His joy. But why does He want us to have joy?
Well, He wants us to have joy because He … because He … loves us!
John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
The Messiah calls us to abide in His love. By keeping His commands, we remain in the experience of our redemption - the love of God. The commandments are pure and perfect, but the point of obedience is to remain in the experience of the love of God. Jesus desires us to obey His commandments so we may have the joy of abiding in Him through remaining in the conscious awareness of His love.
Let’s pray, “Lord, teach us how.”
|
Nobody ever remained in the awareness of God’s love like Jesus did. He still desires to pass this grace on to those who belong to Him. He is the Master Teacher. If anyone could ever teach us how to experience God, He can.
In John 15:9 Jesus was saying, “My love for you is the same type of love I have been receiving from Father. Abide in Me through abiding in My love for you.” As we rightly value this command we gradually get into synch with God’s priorities. This command is essential. We must do it.
According to John, it is so important to remain in Jesus that the Holy Spirit has been given to enable us to abide!
1 John 2:27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
John’s gospel identifies this anointing with the manifestly active presence of the Paraclete. The Holy Spirit is intent upon teaching and strengthening us to abide in Jesus. His fiery focus is often instinctively contested by earnest hearts: “No, this can’t be so! Surely, the purpose of the anointing is for us to do the work of the ministry!” Instead, power for service is supposed to be an aspect of the fruit of abiding in Him. Again, the anointing has been given for the expressly to teach us to abide in Him.
Let’s read the next verse: John 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love
In 10a the text says, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love…”
This call to conversion is actually a little startling. I probably would never have written that. Most likely, I would have written this: “If you keep My commandments you will end up having a holy character and nature.” or this: “If you keep My commandments you will become a whole human being.” or this: “If you keep My commandments you will finally be pleasing to God.” Yet we find Jesus saying that the object of keeping His commandments is completely different from normal godly goals.
What does the text say? Let’s make believe we’re in school and test our knowledge. Please “fill in the missing word.”
John 15:10a “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My ____”
Many might fill in the missing word with ‘work’ or ‘ministry.’ “You will abide in My work! Yes, if you keep My commandments you will abide in My work just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His work.”
The work is important, but that’s not what is says! Let’s rehearse what it actually says:
John 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.”
Jesus emphasized that keeping His commandments is the means of staying within His love. They are boundaries. It is impossible to consciously remain in His love without keeping His commands.
This injunction was given to apostles, but even they were not fully mature and holy. Although they were clean through the word He had spoken to them (John 15:3), let’s recall that they had just been arguing about who was greatest amongst them, had refused to wash one another’s feet and were about to desert or deny Jesus. These are the clean ones He is exhorting to keep His commands that they may abide in His love.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of the rich young ruler. Immediately after Jesus said one must receive the Kingdom as a child, he appears upon the scene. With impeccably bad timing he asks, “What must I do to inherit the Kingdom?’ One doesn‘t do anything to get the Kingdom, one receives it as a child.
Israel was already in covenant with God and had received deliverance from bondage before the Torah was given at Sinai. So with us, Jesus’ commands are to keep us in His love, not get us into His love.
Look at the way the Psalmist describes God’s commands. Let’s agree with David‘s evaluation of God‘s commands found in Psalm 19:7-10: The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restorative sure, right and sweet.. The commandments of the Lord are pure. They rejoice the heart. They make the simple, wise. They are more desirable than gold!
Yes, the commandments of God are beautiful in and of themselves. God’s ethical demands are exquisite. Yet, according to Jesus, His commandments are not to be kept out of an overflowing appreciation for their beauty. He is not looking for, “I love these ethics. I love the commandments of God. Let‘s keep them!”
No. Jesus instructed His disciples that keeping His commandments are a means to an end. Have we learned that lesson yet?
Paul manifested the heart of the Holy Spirit when he travailed in prayer for the spiritual development of the Galatians (Galatians 4:19). There should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that the Spirit is continually also laboring to produce “Christ-like” character in every believer. (Romans 8:26)
Father is seeking to ‘raise children’ who will be conformed to the image of His Son. Philippians 3:10 is the corresponding reciprocal cry of the called to God’s search for those who are willing to suffer, die and live for that which impassions His heart (that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;).
It is impossible for this to be reproduced in any person without the sanctifying effort of the Holy Spirit. However, God does not want ‘holy character’ to be our prize. He wants our prize is to be the Lord, Himself, and a specific aspect of God is the point of the prize.
John 17:3 states that eternal life is the experience of knowing God. It is a Biblically sound presupposition that God wants us to know Him. Upon closer examination we find that He wants us concentrating on knowing His love. The quality of which John wrote (1 John 4:8 “… God is love…”) is the essential characteristic God wants us to know about Himself.
Jesus said, “… abide in my love…”
We might reply … “How do we do that?”
He replies, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.”
What was the Messiah’s motivation for calling us to abide in His love?
Let’s ask Him a question…
“Lord, why are you saying these things to us? Why are you sharing these priorities?”
He replies: “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:11)
Jesus urged the disciples to diligently abide in His love so they may experience His joy. But why does He want us to have joy?
Well, He wants us to have joy because He … because He … loves us!
John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
The Messiah calls us to abide in His love. By keeping His commands, we remain in the experience of our redemption - the love of God. The commandments are pure and perfect, but the point of obedience is to remain in the experience of the love of God. Jesus desires us to obey His commandments so we may have the joy of abiding in Him through remaining in the conscious awareness of His love.
Let’s pray, “Lord, teach us how.”
