In Evil Long I Took Delight

A hymn by John Newton (1779). Read with care ...

In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopped my wild career.

I saw One hanging on a tree,
In agony and blood,
Who fixed His languid eyes on me,
As near His cross I stood.

Sure, never to my latest breath,
Can I forget that look;
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke.

My conscience felt and owned the guilt,
And plunged me in despair,
I saw my sins His blood had spilt,
And helped to nail Him there.

A second look He gave, which said,
“I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
I die that thou mayst live.”

Thus, while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.

Sanctification

Quite a while ago I used the term sanctification, and promised to elaborate on that subject at a later time. Actually, I believe I said "soon"... well, that time has come, although I'm sure this will no longer be considered "soon". Sorry.

Here we go anyway...

The word sanctification refers to the act of process of making holy or setting apart (as special) and occurs approximately 5 times in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 1, 1 Thessalonians 4, 2 Thessalonians 2, and 1 Peter 1).

To sanctify is literally "to set apart for special use or purpose," figuratively "to make holy or sacred".

There is much that can be said (or written) on this subject, but for your reflection, I'll leave you with some words from CJ Mahaney in The Cross Centered Life:

"...the power of the gospel doesn't end when we're justified. When God declares a sinner righteous, He immediately begins the process of making that sinner more like His Son. Through the work of His Spirit, through the power of His word and fellowship with other believers, God peels away our desires for sin, renews our minds, and changes our lives. This ongoing work is what we call "sanctification". Sanctification is a process - the process of becoming life Christ, of growing in holiness ... about our own choices and behavior. It involves work."

How does this differ from justification? Mahaney again clarifies this for us:

"Justification is being declared righteous. Sanctification is being made righteous - being conformed to the image of Christ. Justification is our position before God. Sanctification is our practice... Justification is objective - Christ's work for us. Sanctification is subjective - Christ's work within us. Justification is immediate and complete upon conversion... Sanctification is a process. You will be more sanctified as you continue in grace-motivated obedience."

As I read this section from Mahaney's book, I remembered that I was supposed to write on this topic, and it's been an encouragement to me today. I pray that as you reflect on these two theological terms, that you will be encouraged as well.

Exodus 33:14-23 / Moses Sees the Lord's Glory

14 The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."

18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."

19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."

21 Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen." (NIV)

What an intense section of Exodus, a chapter that deals with threatened separation and Moses' prayer. Recently reading through these verses has left me feeling refreshed; however, it has also reminded me of times when I would find myself feeling hesitant towards God and his plan for me. So often we can feel out of sync with the world and peoples lives in the world. We can feel lonely and isolated in many environments and circumstances. We find ourselves feeling doubt, calling out to God for a sign of hope, peace, and assurance. The world we live in is revolved around instant success, instant bliss, instant beauty! "Now show me your glory”. I'm not referring to 'Flash Prayers' where someone inwardly asks for the Lord's joy and a deeper awareness of his presence to rise up within every day life; which is important, but I am referring to finding ourselves seeking for a sign in the sky or a miracle before our own eyes to prove God's greatness and a means of progress. Our lives can become secluded and somewhat egocentric for such desires. Nevertheless, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23). Verses such as this one in Lamentations and the ultimate sign, assurance, and mark of Jesus Christ's death, burial, and physical resurrection are that which should give us comfort and restoration. By trusting in Jesus' death we receive LIFE; this is undoubtedly all we need. Of even greater appeal, we are guaranteed Jesus' continual intercession and the Holy Spirit's constant intercession. We are now guided into the new covenant relationship with God that the bible was expecting (God's master plan).

A recent book I have read touches on such the subject: guidance. In Guard Us, Guide Us by J.I. Packer, he said, "It is natural that spectacular signs of God's presence, purpose, and promises should abound in days when resources for inward knowledge of God and discernment of his will were less than they are for us, and it is equally natural that in view of the richer resources that we Christians have for this knowledge and discernment, outward signs should be fewer, as no longer needed in the same way".

What a true and compelling statement.

Exodus 33:14-23 is just one of those amazing encounters we come across in scripture of God's presence and glory. How spectacular! It is one that I have not read or reflected on in a while.

Equally important, this goes to show that with knowledge of biblical text, (old testament and new) we can always be reassured with how such stories are the means of fulfilling the purposes of peoples lives before the coming of Jesus' life. This also goes to show the anticipation of reading the bible. The Bible is like a mine of treasures, infinitely deep, always inviting! Another attitude when approaching God's Word, beside anticipation, is desire. Paul has touched on this in his last Blog quoting: "As a result, unless there is diligent Scripture reading at home, a knowledge of the Bible's content leaves much to be desired." With that said, there should be a need to study, but desire it! Something that is not forced, but should come naturally to those who knows the Author personally, and loves his fellowship.

May all of us go away feeling blessed and fulfilled each and every time we plug in and out of God's Word.

Spiritual Maturity and Diligent Study

"It is a fact of life that people come to the worship service usually for only one hour, half of which is taken up by singing and praying. This implies that the second half is for biblical instruction for a period that lasts more or less for thirty minutes. As a result, unless there is diligent Scripture reading at home, a knowledge of the Bible's content leaves much to be desired."
- from "The Prevailing Church" by Simon J. Kistemaker, Tabletalk Magazine, January 2009 p.68.

How are we doing in this area? Personally, and corporately (as Westside), how are we promoting diligent, daily Bible study and reflection? At times I wonder about this...

The same article notes that most sermons are forgotten within 24 hours. (Yikes!) If we are to live God-honoring lives at home, at work and at play, we need to ensure that we're getting a regular - daily - "diet" of Scripture.

So I ask it again... how are we doing this at Westside? What could we do differently/better? How can we encourage our congregation to work towards this?

Trust : Job 7:17-18

[This post is courtesy of Zac!]

17 "What is man that you make so much of him,
that you give him so much attention,
18 that you examine him every morning
and test him every moment? (NIV)

In this particular situation, Job cries out to God because of his pain and misfortune. Despite this pain and misfortune, his statement speaks truth. God has created us all in his own image, each and every one of us. Many of us are different and unique, but all share one main purpose: the purpose of attaining different spiritual gifts for the advancement of His kingdom. Instead of feeling remorse we should be rejoicing - for what responsibility is greater than that of sharing the Gospel? Each and every one of us will face obstacles along our walks of life, but it is through trusting our Lord and Saviour amongst these trials that we will be blessed always. Just a few days ago, I was listening to a preacher on the internet who was speaking from one of the most profound verses in the bible, Proverbs 3:5-6:

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. (NIV)

What was so special about this sermon [to me] was that it included the insights from many people's lives(personal testimonies). I find that personal testimonies are most encouraging and thought provoking. From just one of them, I would like to share a (anonymous) man's closing thoughts.

He said: "I am walking where I need to be walking and trusting God in what I need to be trusting in Him. I've got really nothing to worry about. I'm going to go through trials and I'm going to go through situations, but God has placed those in front of me knowing that if I rely on him there's a better outcome than I could have ever imagined". Wow! (This man was speaking from a troubled past)

Therefore, the preacher concluded that in verse 5 of Proverbs 3, as followers of Christ, "God wants everything, just trust Him in every part of your life, the bible says trust in all your ways. Verse 6 is God's part: he'll make your paths straight". He then ended on a funny note: "What a slam dunk deal, my part is trust, in all my ways I'll trust, and then God is going to make your path and my path straight".

Our Father, "examines us every morning and tests us every moment". Under such knowledge we should then always be aware of what God can and will do each and every day of our lives, whether enduring times of trouble or abiding in times of praise. (This of course through trust). We may feel frightened or scared at this but also blessed, for we know our Lord is always watching. It is my prayer that God may
take away any sin from me, (and those who are reading this as well) for I know that my sin may keep others from knowing Christ. With this guidance from His word, help us to know what it is required of us to fulfill the will of God. Help us to see the grace, care, and attention God gives us. Not so much that it clouds our vision of His power. I also pray for humbleness, for it is beyond our power to do any of this. We must all use our gifts from God appropriately and effectively. I leave with this vow of praise from Psalm 51:13-17.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise. (NIV)

Grace

I was in a conversation this evening with someone who committed her life to Christ after many years in the catholic church. I asked her what, in her experience, was the biggest difference in her spiritual life and her understanding of Jesus Christ was, since her conversion. Now, I could come up - in very short order - with several distinct doctrines and beliefs, but I was curious, and wanted to hear it from her, rather than relying on my own ideas. Her answer was so simple, concise and refreshing... it was nothing short of amazing.

Here's what she said:

"I was brought up believing that I had to earn my salvation and I felt that there wasn't enough that I could do.", then, "It was so legalistic". She went on to mention how guilty she felt at that point in her life. But then she said the most wonderful thing: "Then I realized that I can be saved by grace - that there's nothing I can do to earn it, it's just grace."

Even as I type this and recall her expression and visible relief, I am amazed, and my heart feels full.

It was fitting, then, that as I worked my way through my evening devotions, that I am at Galatians 2. For the sake of brevity, I won't go into much detail about the context of Galatians, but as I enter the second chapter, I notice that the writer, Paul, is defending 'his' gospel - the gospel, given to him by Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12). There were many questions about this former persecutor of Christians and the gospel he brings - especially by the Judaizers - and Paul invests much effort to defend his position and intentions.

In chapter 2, Paul is describing a journey to Jerusalem, where he is accompanied by Barnabas and Titus. Titus, we are told in verse 3, was a Greek and was uncircumcised. This might have been seen as an act of provocation - taking a Gentile to the 'headquarters' of the Jerusalem church! Well - Paul, Barnabas and Titus walk into the church anyway, and a discussion ensues about Titus' lack of circumcision. We're told in verse 4 that,

"This matter arose because some false teachers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves." (NIV)

These false teachers took issue with Titus, and insisted that he be circumcised to fulfill the Mosaic Law.

What happens next is so encouraging! Paul writes, "We did not give in to them for a moment" (NIV).

Paul affirms that Titus' salvation was not dependent on his circumcision, and neither is our salvation dependent on our works or rites.

The woman I spoke with this evening is free from the ritualistic and legalistic practices of the catholic church - and rejoices in the grace that is given freely. I pray that tonight you will be reminded of that joy - that overwhelming relief that we are justified by grace, not by our works or the law.

Writer's Block.

I guess I'm in a bit of a slump? I have some ideas, but neither the time nor the words to form my thoughts in an interesting and engaging way. I hope that as the week progresses I'll have more success.

For now, enjoy the thought from Jonathan Dodson's blog - posted on The Resurgence. The series of posts are about The Church, here's a quote from today's blog entry:

Rules vs. the Gospel

All too often Christian communities have rules at their center, not the gospel. If you read the Bible, don’t drink beer, and “go to church,” you’re accepted. If you do the opposite, you are not accepted. This is religion, not the gospel. As Tim Keller puts it, religion says “I obey a set of rules, therefore I am accepted,” but the gospel says “You are accepted by sheer grace in Jesus, therefore you obey.”

As dysfunctional people, we need something more than performance to bind us together. We need something that provides acceptance and forgiveness even when we fail one another. We also need something big enough to satisfy our infinite appetites for community—something divine. We need Jesus.

Have a wonderful, snowy day!