Philippians 3:8-11
8More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
In the carnal realm, ambition is to be appalled. Yet in the realm of the spiritual it is the driving force of identification with Christ and knowledge of God. Ambition for the glory of God is a virtue, not a vice, and may God permit that we as saints embody it in an ever increasing fashion.
The apostle Paul pursued the knowledge of God and union with Christ with a holy conflagration. He saw the knowledge of Christ as being the most valuable thing that a human being could ever have, and he was willing to disregard everything that would hinder obtaining such a precious possession. He wanted to be "found in Him" and "know Him in the power of His resurrection and fellowship of His suffering". Paul wanted nothing less than total identification with the life of the Son of God. The Greek word translated "found" gives the idea to "learn the whereabouts or location of something". In other words, if someone where on the hunt to find Paul, he hoped that they would discover that his whereabouts, the totality of his life, is in Christ Jesus. This is the same idea that Paul speaks of in Col. 3:3, "we are hidden in Christ in God." Paul wanted this hiddeness to be a reality in his life. He wanted to be invisible; totally absorbed and overflowing with Christ. He wanted nothing of himself to be visible: "not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ." All this man wanted was Jesus. Paul wanted to participate in the fullness of Christ resurrection and suffering. Again, he wanted absolute identification with Christ. Nothing less would do.
God wants us to pursue him with this kind of holy ardor. To pursue anything else is idolatry. In our culture of selfism and human exaltation we indeed know about passion; we know about ambition. However, the type of passion and ambition is one that is self-centered and worthy of judgment in hell. This type of consumer mentality has knocked on the door of the church, and people are letting it in without ever questioning its origin. "Christians" pursue God for all the wrong reasons. Ministers pursue worship numbers, fame, building programs, baptism numbers, and church growth methodology. The idea that "Christ is first" in all of this is used as a misnomer. It is a statement that they use to justify their selfish ambition, all the while the church becomes more and more "professionalized" and less and less "spiritualized". Oh we say that we believe in prayer! Oh we say that we pursue Him! Yet if you examine our vocabulary, the way that we do church, and the things that we emphasize, you will be left asking "do we really believe these things we confess?"
In the pews it is no different. People pursue God as a means. He becomes their source, but not their ambition. They hold on to their selfish ambition and pursuit of the world, and try to use the spiritual resources of God to help them reach their end. We say that we believe that God is the center, but again this is a misnomer. We say that God is the center of the universe, and then imply that this One who is the center of the universe, exists for me! We present Christ not as one to be pursued because He is worthy; not as one to be pursued because this is what He requires; not one to be pursued because it is all about Him and His glory and fame. No, God is to be pursed as the center of the universe because I won't be happy with out Him; my marriage won't work without Him; my life won't be fulfilled without Him; I'll never reach my potential without Him; I'll never have a great ministry without Him; I'll never reach my goals and aspirations without Him. God exists to fulfill me, comfort me, and help me. No He does not! God exists to be worshiped! To be pursued! To be sought after and obeyed! Salvation is not about me, but about God! He chose us, we did not choose Him. He chose us not to enhance our lives or fulfill us, but to form the image of His Son in us (Rm. 8:28-30). All of these other things are a by product of my pursuit of God. The end goal; the prime product, is God Himself. Paul understood this, and saw identification and knowledge of Christ as things that were of surpassing value.
The apostle John said in his first letter that the world and all its lust are passing away, but the one who does the will of the Father abides forever. So, pursue God, not the world. Serve Him and stop trying to use Him to help you get all that you can out of life, because in the end, you will have nothing.
I am tired of this "new religion". I am tired of seeing God defamed. I am grieved at all the deadness and compromise and apathy. We need holy fire. We need God to open people's eyes and stir their hearts. We need awakening.
So, what is your life going to be about? Are you going to keep it for yourself, or are you going to lay it on the alter of God and let Him consume it with holy fire. If you lay it on the alter, you can be sure of one thing: That because so few are alive and burning, the light of your fire will shine brightly with the glory of the Lord. If you hold on, you'll be like all the rest. So, you can try to use God or serve God. Calculate Him into your pursuits or make Him your pursuit. It is time for a decision. Stop playing games and wasting your time; either serve God or serve the world. Either worship God or use Him. Stop wallowing in compromise. If you are His, separate yourself and get on with God. Stop loving the world and fondling it! Stop cheating on God!!!!!!! Stop committing adultery against your one husband, Christ. You were previously an adulterous whore whom He ransomed from your depravity. Why go back to it? Why? Leave the world and its lust and its sparkle alone. Pursue Christ as your most noble ambition. Whatever you do, at least do it with all of your might! You can rest assured of this, that there will be a day of judgment that will bring everything to light. Where will you be found? In Christ? I pray so.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Walking with God
Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. Gen. 5:24
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. Heb. 11:5
In Genesis 5:24, the Hebrew word for walk indicates the idea of "walking to and fro". The implication is that wherever God was, Enoch was there also. If God went left, Enoch went left. If God stood still, so did Enoch. He was caught up in the great way of God. The word is also used with the connotation that the one who would walk before Yahweh be blameless and pleasing to Him (cf Gen. 17:1) The author of Hebrews quotes the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) which picks up on this idea of the Hebrew word and translates it with a Greek word that can mean "to please someone". The way that the Greek is used in both the Septuagint and the New Testament gives the idea that the sum total of Enoch's life was one that was pleasing to God.
How does one walk with God in such a way that the Most High finds pleasure and delight in him? The author of Hebrews tells us in verse 6 that it is by faith, and that without this faith it is impossible to please God.
The great aim of the sanctification of the Spirit is to get us walking with God. He desires to pull us out of ourselves and get us caught up in the Great Way of God. Enoch was caught up in the Great Way of God. He was in stride with Him and only did what He saw God doing. He only went where God told him to go. Thus, he was pleasing to God.
When we turn to the New Testament, we see that this type of life finds its zenith in the Son of Man. Jesus himself said in John 5:19 "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise." There it is! Do you see it? It is the bravura of His relationship with God. Jesus shows us this dazzling display of what it means to truly walk with God.
The next question we have to ask is "what does faith have to do with all of this?" Indeed this is an important question, for without it, we are unable to live in a manner that is pleasing to God. It is a given that saving faith is a gift that can only be granted to a person by God (Eph. 2:8-9). In the context of Hebrews, it is not saving faith that the author has in mind, though it can certainly not be excluded. Based on verse 6, the faith has to do with "diligently seeking". In other words, a life that is pleasing to God is one that takes Him for who He is, and expends itself to following hard after Him and getting caught up in His Great Way.
In order to walk with God, you must come to your own funeral. Paul went to his when he said in Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." As long as the idol of self is allowed to co-exists next to the ark of God, there will be divided loyalty. You cannot be focused on God and walking in stride with Him as long as you are self conscious. You will always factor yourself into the equation. There is no place in the spiritual highlands for a saint, who like the Levite that served Micah and his household gods for 10 shekels and a shirt (Jdgs 17), that will compromise. The inclusion of self will always lead to compromise.
To be in God's Great Way is impossible without faith. Once we come to our own funeral, we have to trust in the life of the Son of God to carry out this stringent lifestyle through us. He was the one who had perfect vision and insight to what God was doing, and the power, by faith, to carry out what He heard. Since Christ now lives in us, He wants to live that same type of life through us- the life in stride with God. It is the life that only does what it sees the Father doing. This requires vision of God, and vision is only obtained by standing in the presence of God.
So many today have no concept of what it means to stand in the presence of God. The majority of Christians today both behind the pulpit and behind the pews have become like blind Eli, not perceiving the workings of God. There is dullness of heart and mind, because self is still in the equation. Prayers are empty of power and wonder, because there are few who know what it means to stand in God's presence. Few know what it means to walk to and fro with God. What is the life that is pleasing to God? It is the life of faith that turns all of its being to the face of God, and allows the Son to bring him or her into the blessed fellowship and wonder of the Triune God.
So, are you walking with God? Do you stand in His presence? Heed His counsel? Know His voice? Recognize His groaning? Feel is heartbeat? Understand what He is speaking to the churches? Or are you self deceived, kindling your own fire and walking in your own artificial light. Are you serving Micah for 10 shekels and shirt, living in compromise, or are you serving the living God, walking in stride with Him?
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. Heb. 11:5
In Genesis 5:24, the Hebrew word for walk indicates the idea of "walking to and fro". The implication is that wherever God was, Enoch was there also. If God went left, Enoch went left. If God stood still, so did Enoch. He was caught up in the great way of God. The word is also used with the connotation that the one who would walk before Yahweh be blameless and pleasing to Him (cf Gen. 17:1) The author of Hebrews quotes the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) which picks up on this idea of the Hebrew word and translates it with a Greek word that can mean "to please someone". The way that the Greek is used in both the Septuagint and the New Testament gives the idea that the sum total of Enoch's life was one that was pleasing to God.
How does one walk with God in such a way that the Most High finds pleasure and delight in him? The author of Hebrews tells us in verse 6 that it is by faith, and that without this faith it is impossible to please God.
The great aim of the sanctification of the Spirit is to get us walking with God. He desires to pull us out of ourselves and get us caught up in the Great Way of God. Enoch was caught up in the Great Way of God. He was in stride with Him and only did what He saw God doing. He only went where God told him to go. Thus, he was pleasing to God.
When we turn to the New Testament, we see that this type of life finds its zenith in the Son of Man. Jesus himself said in John 5:19 "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise." There it is! Do you see it? It is the bravura of His relationship with God. Jesus shows us this dazzling display of what it means to truly walk with God.
The next question we have to ask is "what does faith have to do with all of this?" Indeed this is an important question, for without it, we are unable to live in a manner that is pleasing to God. It is a given that saving faith is a gift that can only be granted to a person by God (Eph. 2:8-9). In the context of Hebrews, it is not saving faith that the author has in mind, though it can certainly not be excluded. Based on verse 6, the faith has to do with "diligently seeking". In other words, a life that is pleasing to God is one that takes Him for who He is, and expends itself to following hard after Him and getting caught up in His Great Way.
In order to walk with God, you must come to your own funeral. Paul went to his when he said in Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." As long as the idol of self is allowed to co-exists next to the ark of God, there will be divided loyalty. You cannot be focused on God and walking in stride with Him as long as you are self conscious. You will always factor yourself into the equation. There is no place in the spiritual highlands for a saint, who like the Levite that served Micah and his household gods for 10 shekels and a shirt (Jdgs 17), that will compromise. The inclusion of self will always lead to compromise.
To be in God's Great Way is impossible without faith. Once we come to our own funeral, we have to trust in the life of the Son of God to carry out this stringent lifestyle through us. He was the one who had perfect vision and insight to what God was doing, and the power, by faith, to carry out what He heard. Since Christ now lives in us, He wants to live that same type of life through us- the life in stride with God. It is the life that only does what it sees the Father doing. This requires vision of God, and vision is only obtained by standing in the presence of God.
So many today have no concept of what it means to stand in the presence of God. The majority of Christians today both behind the pulpit and behind the pews have become like blind Eli, not perceiving the workings of God. There is dullness of heart and mind, because self is still in the equation. Prayers are empty of power and wonder, because there are few who know what it means to stand in God's presence. Few know what it means to walk to and fro with God. What is the life that is pleasing to God? It is the life of faith that turns all of its being to the face of God, and allows the Son to bring him or her into the blessed fellowship and wonder of the Triune God.
So, are you walking with God? Do you stand in His presence? Heed His counsel? Know His voice? Recognize His groaning? Feel is heartbeat? Understand what He is speaking to the churches? Or are you self deceived, kindling your own fire and walking in your own artificial light. Are you serving Micah for 10 shekels and shirt, living in compromise, or are you serving the living God, walking in stride with Him?
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