Spiritual Appraised

     When I was in college, I was reading a book called "Billy Budd".  I hated that book.  More than just hate it though, I didn't understand it.  It was confusing and I might as well of been reading French or some other language foreign to me.  I complained to a friend's mother about it and she took pity on me and bought me a copy of the cliff notes for the book.  Largely because of those cliff notes, I was able to make enough sense of it to pass.
     And that is largely how I would approach most subjects.  I feel like I am intelligent enough that if I simply study hard enough and work hard enough then I can figure it out.  Many people approach trying to read the Bible and understand spiritual things in the same way.  But, the Bible declares that we need to not only have intelligence, but to be spiritual appraised in order to understand God's Word.  In fact, it says regarding the natural man and the Bible that:

  "But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man."

    Maybe this is why we have so many theories and ideas about spiritual things.  So many churches and cults and false religions.  Because there is a way that seems spiritual and good and right to man and then there is another way that is right to God.  And also the thing is, that unless God gives understanding and gives us guidance and understanding from the Holy Spirit, then no cliff notes in the world are going to help.  We must be willing to swallow our pride to understand that.

     I think this is why Paul said this in the book of Colossians, "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.  For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form." Colossians 2:8-9.  He said this because he said that the cross of Christ was foolishness to those who are lost.  They don't understand how victory can come through a cross.  They want to continue to add to Christ. 

   In 1 Corinthians 2:16 it says, "For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him?  But we have the mind of Christ."  So what does that mean to have the "mind of Christ"?  I believe it means that God reveals truth to the believer through His Spirit when we are truly depending on Him.  It means we have to humble ourselves and realize that interpreting and understanding the Bible requires more than our own insights or intelligence.

   

Inside Out

    I don't know if you've had the pleasure of reading any of the work of Dr.Larry Crabb.  I had to read about his counseling model for a class last fall and now I am reading one of his other books on my own called "Inside Out".  It is about how God desires to change us from the inside out.  To be honest, Dr.Crabb is a deep thinker and I'm not sure I understand all that he is saying, but one of the things that he talks about is that as people we tend to seek out things that will fill our needs with things and stuff instead of God.  Dr.Crabb calls this part of who we are the crucial part of our person.  And he says that nobody can fill this area of our life except for God.
    He points out how often Jesus referred to himself as water or living water.  But, he also shares this passage in Jeremiah 2:13 "For My people have committed two evils; They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, that can hold no water."  It's like a man who refused to use the well of water that is provided and takes a shovel and digs through rock randomly seeking water.
    This is what the woman at the well was trying to do when she met Jesus.  Jesus said to her in John 4:10, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you. "Give me a drink" you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  Later Jesus says to the crowd, 'If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scripture said, "From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water."  So, Dr.Crabb was pointing out that one of the first requirements to be changed on the inside is that we must recognize our thirst.  Upon recognizing it, we must go to the right source to fill it, which is Jesus.
    But, sometimes people get prideful and think they are doing okay and don't recognize their thirst.  They hew cisterns for themselves, which can be any kind of pleasure of thing that brings passing satisfaction.  Our own stubbornness keep us from recognizing our need.  So, we try to be self-sufficient.  But, you can't receive if you don't come to Him and to do that you must humble yourself and see your need.  The Pharisees never did, they thought they had it all together and Jesus condemned them.

For a review and info about this book on amazon go to
http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Out-Larry-Crabb/dp/1600060994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327256483&sr=1-1#_
   

Sanctified

    So, I was reading through 1 Peter 1 and I noticed a word in verse 2.  The word is "sanctifying".  The word "sanctification" is an interesting word.  In Baker's Evangelical Dictionary it says that this word means "the state of proper functioning" in other words to sanctify something is to set it apart for its intended use, the purpose for which it was made by its creator.  I thought that was an interesting idea, that God sanctifies us in Christ, so that we can fulfill our intended purpose.

    In examining this further, I looked at passages to see how this word is used.  The first time this word is used is in Lev 22:32.  It is the Hebrew word Qadash (verb) and it means to be "set apart, dedicate, be seperate, to be hallowed".  In this chapter, it is mentioned in terms of the priests.  God says to them, "So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the Lord. And you shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the Lord who sanctifies you."  You notice this throughout the Bible, that the act of sanctification is always something that God does.  You also notice that all three persons of the Trinity are involved in this process.

   For example, look at 1 Peter 1:2 which says, "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood; May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure."  You notice all three persons of the Trinity mentioned here.  The Father knew who would be sanctified, the Spirit is involved in sanctifying and the blood of Jesus is sprinkled upon the believer.  It is through the sacrifice of Jesus and in Jesus that you are sanctified.

   One other thing that I noticed that nowhere this word is used does it indicate that we do this ourselves.  Never does it indicate that we impress God with how good we are.  Never does it indicate that I'm good enough.  Never does it even hint that God is impressed with our actions.  It does not say that it adds to anything, subtracts anything or purifies anything.  In fact, I would submit to you that if you think that you can add to the cross and resurrectioin of Jesus by your actions then your a heretic and not being biblical. 

   This is one of the reasons Paul got so upset with the Galatian people in the letter of Galatians.  He said, "But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:8.  He said this because Hellenistic Jews were coming to the Galatians telling them they needed to add to the cross with the law of Moses.  But, Paul corrected them saying "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law, since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified." Galatians 2:16

    This is a part of the good news of the gospel.  Your salvation does not hang in the balance because of your performance of good deeds.  This means there is no purgatory or things like that.  That is a man made idea which leads to fear.  Rather, perfect love casts out all fear.  We don't live in fear of hell as a believer.  Rather, we know that we are loved and cherished and washed clean because of the blood of Jesus.  And you don't have to add anything to it. 

How does God speak today?

    Recently, I was visiting a forum where a person asked if it was okay to ask for a sign from God or a prophetic word.  I can relate to this question because there have been times when I have really desired a word from God.  Maybe something written across the sky or something that would help me to know God's will.  I say this, knowing that often God's voice is much more subtle than that.  It often takes us time and it takes prayer.  How does God speak to us today?

   In Hebrews 1:1-2 it says, "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world."  To me, this means that Jesus' message still speaks to us today and it is where our focus should be.  Not on seeking additional revelations, but on obeying what He has already said. 

   There are times I realize when we may want a specific word about what to do or where to go.  Do I take this job offer?  Do I move to a different home?  Do I marry this person?  I do think that God cares about those things.  But, I think that more than just about what we are doing God cares about who we are.  He wants us to focus on things like holiness, purity, humility and patience.  He seems to have a different agenda in other words than we do.  And unfortunately, these qualities are often worked out in suffering and in trial and in discipleship.  Most people want a quick fix, but God tells us instead, take up your cross and follow me.

   There are times when God grows silent.  I don't know all of the reasons why.  I only know that the testimony of many strong believers suggests that it isn't just because of sin that God becomes silent.  I heard one man say that when you are a young christian you need God to speak like a neon sign.  As you grow older and more use to his voice, you should not need the neon sign anyone.  In a mature relationship, often a couple or a friend can say a lot to you with only a look.  God wants us to know Him like that.  That we know how to respond to him because we are that close.


"Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart; Commit your ways to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it." Psalm 37:4

God's Ways are Higher

  In Isaiah 55:8-9 it says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts."

       One of the most important books besides the Bible to me is a book written by J.I. Packer called "Knowing God".  It is a profound book about the nature of God.  You might think that it is not that important to consider the nature of God, but I believe for the christian it is one of the most important issues.  Frankly, it seems to me that for most christians God is in all practicality nothing more than a good friend who does magic tricks rather than a transcendant, holy and loving God who is all together different in the way he conducts himself.
      Packer says this about knowing God, "knowing god is a matter of persona dealing, as is all direct acquaintance with personal beings. Knowing God is more than knowing about him, it is a matter of dealing with him as he opens up to you, and being dealth with by him as he takes knowledge of you.  Knowing about him is a necessary precondition of trusting in him, but the width of our knowing about him is no gauge of the depth of our knowledge of him." (Packer, 1973, p.39).
     So, there is a difference then between knowing about God and knowing him.  Just as there is a knowledge of the head and a knowledge of the heart.  I may read a passage that says, "do not worry" or something of that nature in the Bible and agree with it.  But, I toss and turn and the passage isn't real to me in my heart.  Then, something happens and I not only believe in my head, but also see that it is true in my own life.  My faith is enlarged and I realize the foolishness of worry and the importance of giving it to God.  My outlook changes.
     An example of this in scripture is in 1 Samuel 1:1-18.  There is a lady who cannot provide her husband with children in this story named Hannah.  Hannah goes and prays near the doorposts of the house of the Lord.  Eli the priest sees her praying and thinks that she is drunk.  When she tells him of her earnest prayers he says to her "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him." verse 17.  And it says of Hannah, "So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad." verse 18.
     So we see that Hannah believed Eli and it caused her to respond differently to her situation.  Because she was a person of faith.  Her head believed, but also her heart.  So, even though at that moment she wasn't pregnant, she believed that it was going to happen.  This is what it says in Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you."