Are you a "Christian?

Seems like a simple question. But the origin of the words put greater demands on our answer.

The early followers of Christ were given the them "Christian" by outsiders. It was meant as a slight. Literally it meant "little Christs". In essence they were saying, 'so you want to be a little Jesus, a goody two-shoes, a holy roller." As Paul preached to Agrippia, he parroted these sentiments in Acts 26:28, "In a short time would you convince me to be a Christian?" Agrippa was almost mocking Paul. "You? Preach to me? And to lower myself to be part of your club of Christians?"

But the early church adopted this term. Did they want to be little Christs? Did they want to imitate Christ (1 Corintihans 11:1, Ephesians 5:1, 1 Thes 1:6)? Absolutely! With all their heart, soul and strength.

Lord, deliver me from the weight that drags me down and the sin that ensnares and help me to imitate you in your humility, mercy, obedience, gentleness and grace.

Our True Size

Each time we look at the cross Christ seems to be saying to us, “I am here because of you. It is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying.” Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross. All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size.

John Stott, As Each Day Begins

I'm getting pretty old, but I learned something this week. I am waiting on some pretty big news...life changing, big decisions kinda stuff. As life goes on around me, I am watching situations change. So I am playing in my mind with them. I just found out that a friend will not be moving to a new job as quickly as expected and another did not get a certification on his first try. "So," i wonder, "is God doing that so that I can bring them with me to a new job?" Or is God going to use them to make something else happen?

So I am praying about that and I feel like I get a pretty direct message. I need to stop trying to figure out what God is doing.

His leading wasn't harsh or rude, but direct. I need to spend less time trying to figure out what he is doing and spend more time on doing what he has told me to do.

First, when I need to know what I need to know, he will make that clear. Second, my proud, self-centered heart will always take that information and manipulate it to my greatest advantage. I am not a glass half-empty guy, I am a glass almost spilling over guy. Way too optimistic. I will take all the circumstances and drop them into a scenario that will be to my greatest advantage. So no matter what situation I see, I am thinking about me. With every turn the car takes, like a kid, I am thinking, "then Daddy must be taking me to that Baskin-Robbins".

But it's not about me, and it's not about then. It's about God and his glory, and it is about how I am to obey now, today. So let me lay aside my puny plans and and let myself be swept into the great current of God's plan.

Father, let me be a man of humble obedience. Let me first be a common laborer in the building of your temple. Let me work with the bricks and mortar that you have immediately at hand and be faithful. Let me trust that as I work, you will give me the next plan, new bricks and new co-workers in your time.

Earning the Gospel

I was listening to a guest speaker recently. He talked about how hard it is for us to accept the free grace of God. We, whether is as people or as Americans, don't want to accept something that is free. We have a desire, or a perceived need to "earn" everything we get.

Why is that? Why can't we accept free grace. Why, on a smaller scale, can't we accept a free gift?

I think that he was right, we need to work for it, to earn what we get. That free grace goes completely against our pride, our view of self worth. Given means that we can't claim credit. Free means we cannot admire our hard work. Unearned means charity and only the lowly get charity.

Well, we can't earn what we need. It is impossible to repay the debt. So...

Your choice.

As for me, I admit that I am a helpless charity case and I need free.

Am I Making Progress in Holiness?

From Jerry Bridges:

As we progress in holiness, we come to hate sin (Psalm 119:104) and to delight in God's law (Romans 7:22). We see the perfection of God's law and the righteousness of all He requires of us. We agree that "His commands are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3), but are "holy, righteousness, and good" (Romans 7:12). But during all this time we also see our won inner corruption and our frequent falls into sin. We cry out with Paul, "What a wretched man I am" (Romans 7:24), and we want to give up. This we dare not do. If we would succeed in our pursuit of holiness we must persevere in spite of failure
Jerry Bridges, the Pursuit of Holiness (pg 108)

So this begs several questions:
1. Do I hate my sin more than I did?
2. Am I delighting in God's Word more?
3. Am I seeing my own inner corruption more?
4. Is it making me run to the cross and be grateful for my savior more?

I Don't Have Time For Devotions

"I need to get this done", "I need to get to work", "I need to..."

All comments that I have said to myself. All thoughts that I have allowed to roll around in my head. What arrogance! What a statement of self-sufficiency. Do you know what I really need? I need to sit at my Fathers feet. I need to drink of his goodness. I need to feed myself on his word, to meditate on his promises, to remind myself of the primacy of the gospel in my life.

I need help. I need to remember. I need to be a servant. I need to get before I can give. I need to receive orders before I can march.

I have needs, and they can only be met by waiting on God:

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress, I will not be greatly shaken.
Psalm 62:1-2

Worry and Humility

do not be anxious about anything, but in all things through prayer and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Anxiety is the opposite of faith. Fear is the opposite of faith. Therefore anxiety and fear are sin, because nothing that does not proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:23). Worry is pride telling us that we need to abandon God and not trust in him. Worry is pride telling us that something bad is happening or more likely about to happen and that we cannot depend on God to make all things work for good.

"Worry is a sign that in some way we have ceased to trust God and are now trusting in ourselves. Worry is lust for control." (Pastor Rick Gamache, MN)

But what would humility tell us? Humility reminds us that we are not in control but that God is sovereign. It reminds us that,unlike us, He neither sleeps nor slumbers. God is omnicient and we are not. God is omnipotent and we, if we are totally honest, have very little power to effect anything.

There is good news, however. If we stand at the foot of the cross in a posture of humility, this is what we hear; that we are powerless to change more than a few small things surrounding our circumstances, but that God can. And he demonstrated his love for you in this, that while we were yet sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8), the godly for the ungodly (Romans 5:6).

But if I am not humble (seeing myself in the light of and the need of the gospel), I will not hear that beautiful message.