Written by Paige K.
I love reading Keri and Sam because they are my balance, they translate the scriptures into real life when the drone of cold doctrine starts to ring too loudly in my mind. The Spirit was piecing scripture together in my heart recently about turning away from the things of the world and, after reading Sam's blog about they beauty of Jesus coming after the broken, all those words started to sound cold. Problem is, it's scripture, so how do I reconcile those two truths.
There's so much beauty in watching the Pure pursue the broken, the sick, the filthy. It's what stirs our hearts to love Him; it's what creates real, heartfelt worship beyond a song on Sunday morning…like my sister said "Jesus could take us captive as slaves, but instead he chooses to captivate us as lovers." Our Holy God has every right to enslave us, to make us obey his ways, but the way of Love is far better.
So, yes! Christ comes to us in our brokenness and dirty faces and holds us; but such a great love won't stop at rescue, it demands restoration and transformation. God intends for us to move beyond brokenness to the beauty of sharing in his Holiness—because it is there that we get to walk in a power that is so obviously not our own, that so strikingly radiates the glory of who He is.
I think holiness is a hard word to wrap our emotions around, after a long time it loses meaning. But when we look at Jesus' life, that word gets flesh. His was a holy life—at first, that sounds lame and boring…just to be honest. But what did that really mean in the day-in and day-out of Jesus's humanity?
It meant that he could touch people who had been in pain for a lifetime, and in a moment that pain was gone.
It meant that even though he was rejected and ridiculed, he could talk about a joy that overflows the boundaries of the soul.
It meant that he could sit in a room with the most sinful people and, instead of being dragged into the temptation of their sin, his goodness overpowered and changed them.
That kind of purity is not boring, it is a life-changing force of power…that is what the cross offers us! More than comfort, more than forgiveness, more even than salvation—the power of Christ at work in and through us to heal the sick, to comfort the dying, to rejoice in suffering, to give our depressingly circular lives meaning and purpose. He's inviting us beyond gratitude into partnership. He's inviting us to reorient our lives, to work with him to build a Kingdom, a new way of doing Life, on this earth that operates in supernatural power and restoration—that's something that this world and our brokenness will never give us. Are you in? There's a cost, though. Salvation is a gift, but sanctification is a partnership.
Let me show you what I mean, the progression of the scriptures that have been echoing in my soul…
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." (Titus 2)
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12)
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth…But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.'
"Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2)
Let that sink in for a second…If we get rid of the stuff in our lives that is dishonorable, we are ready vessels, useful to God!!! What an incredible invitation and promise.
Paul writes the same thing to the Ephesians, "you were dead in the sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world…in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and mind…But God, rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive with Christ…For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
See the contrast? Following the ways of the world means that we give in to the obsessions of our flesh…we all know what that feels like. There are things that are part of our lives that we hear the Spirit calling us to turn away from (I think some are common, but some are different for each of us), and we have two choices: we can obey and submit to that sanctification, or we can justify our friendship with the world and reject the Holy Spirit:
("I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh…Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires").
The tricky part in all of this is distinguishing passions because I think the most dangerous things are the ones that seem harmless or even good. Hebrews says, "let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…" Identifying sin is the easy part, but what about the "every weight" (another translation says "throw off everything that hinders") part? Having hair on your body is not inherently bad, so why do runners shave their legs and their heads sometimes? If food is a good pleasure, why do athletes consistently abstain from certain foods as a lifestyle? These things are good, but they create unnecessary weight for a runner. That's our analogy! Identify the things good and neutral things that hinder us, that weigh on us, and lay them aside/throw them off.
The most reliable test I've found in my own life is asking Matt Chandler's question, "Does this get me more or less of Jesus? Does this rob me of intimacy with him?" I have to be more specific because I know my tendency to apathy—"Does this make me desensitized to the things that God cares about? Does this make me apathetic toward the kingdom of God?"
Ok, time for an example, too much theory. One of my favorite things is reading/listening to fiction. This works out perfectly with my job because I can put in a book on CD and just listen all day long at work while I'm checking in changes in the chapters I'm working on. Not inherently a bad thing, right? Well, I started noticing after about two weeks of this, that I was starting to get sucked into that fictional world. When I had to get back to reality, I found it harder to care about my real neighbors (coworkers, roommates, family) and their needs because I was getting caught up in the fantasy of fictional characters. It might sound stupid, but tell me avid sports fans don't experience the same thing, how many times do you see a husband ignoring his wife and kids because his eyes are glued to the game—it may be different for everyone, but we all have preoccupations and obsessions that rule us and captivate our affections if we aren't careful.
I'm not against enjoying the pleasures of this life because so often they create the most genuine, spontaneous worship; but, again, we have to find a balance. For me it means that I only listen for half of the day, and the other half I listen to a sermon and meditate on those truths and pray for our community. Or that for half of the week I can listen all day, but the other half I take a break. But I'm having to learn to discern the voice of the Spirit in that. It's not a formula, it's trusting him enough to submit to him. It was hard at first, but I'm seeing fruit and heart change—and that's what we're after.
I heard a great sermon recently, the pastor said, "What you think about, you'll care about, and what you care about you'll chase." It's the same thing Jesus was getting at when he said that where your treasure is, you'll find that's where your heart is. So what was he teaching in the very same breath? Matthew 6—don't run after the things this world chases, as if your life consisted of those things. The body was made for more than just impressive food or fashion, wealth will not satisfy you if it is your ultimate…but seek first the kingdom of God! What are you consumed with, those things that dull your affections for Jesus, that rob you of passion for pursuing His fame in your life?
Paul said it to the Corinthians this way, "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh…being merely human." What an invitation, to become more than merely human…
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