Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Being like Jesus

We often hear that we need to be like Jesus, grow into being more like Jesus, be Christ-like.
I need to be careful, here, because the above would be so very wonderful and, obviously, different.

Jesus was and is counter-intuitive. One only needs to read His words in the Bible and follow His actions during His ministry, right down to the very last words to see that He doesn't operate at all like we do. No one has been like Jesus!

The issues are two-fold. One, He is GOD! God, by His own definition, is OTHER. He is totally different from His created to the point of being quite impossible to define or even clearly understand. We simply cannot be God. There are some people who walk this world with the misconception that they, in fact, are like God, but that is not true and leads to a serious set of problems, eternally.

Two, He is sinless and perfect. Sin is in our bones, if you will. Even the most wonderful Christians in this world continue to sin because of the nature of the flesh. Try as we may, we will not eradicate sin from our lives while we walk this planet.

So, here is the rub. To set a goal to be like Jesus is to set a goal that cannot and will not be achievable. I would suggest, and this is just me, that even at the point of Sanctification, we will still not be like Jesus because we will not be God.

The point is that we need to be careful not to define our walk by such an unreachable set of expectations. Do we need to wonder in awe at the very way Jesus lived? Yes. Do we need to pray to the Spirit that He will work with us to be more loving of our fellow man and appreciative of God's blessings? Yes. To emulate is not to be equal. 

The wonderful truth is that we will someday, through no work of our own, be face-to-face with a God who loved us enough to send His Son to die so that we might abide and live in His presence.

Glorious! Praise God!

Monday, March 12, 2018

We all need to Go Back....

Referencing an old Byrds tune, "Going Back." The song essentially refers to returning to the simplicity and innocence of youth. 

If we take Jesus at His word, it appears that we are in need of being like children even to gain the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus frequently admonishes his disciples to allow the children access to Him.  Our church contains a print of Jesus, looking very European, gathering a group of children to Himself. The point is that there most be a set of characteristics found in children that we would want to emulate as adults.

The terms child-like and childish are obviously quite different. For an adult to be childish, one must return to behaviors that I am sure Jesus isn't championing, here. We all know that there is a wearing down of characteristics like trust, surrender, lack of concern and worry and unconditional love that accompanies getting older and dealing with the stresses and responsibilities of this life. 

We cannot say that little ones are not affected by sin; yet, it would seem that their sins, especially at an early age, are innocent of pre-meditation.

So how is it that we can revert or turn back to a more child-like existence, as the Lord Jesus seems to be stressing? I would suggest that those who have accepted Christ and been ind-welled by His Spirit are well on their way to being more Christ-like and, I would add, child-like in their hearts. The Fruit of the Spirit are, in many ways, representations of a heart that thinks like a child. These are wonderful sign-boards that point toward Sanctification of those who are a part of God's blessed Kingdom

Can we make these changes on our own? I would suggest that the answer is 'No." Like so many things, God must be the One who initiates and supports a changed heart and a desire to love others and worship God.

So let's Go Back. We don't give up adult responsibilities and issues. We do look backward to
a living style that is more full of hope and excitement, joy and love. It's not so very difficult.
Just takes a desire to be like a child.

Praise our God.


Thursday, March 8, 2018

God's messed up, broken, wonderful creation

It's a messed up world out there! One really can see this, quite easily, while driving in traffic or in interpersonal relationships. God's perfect creation was tainted by sin, broken and cursed. What was it meant to be like? Scripture hints at it, Jesus embodies it and Revelation promises a re-creation, of sorts.

Yet....   There are countless, breath-taking examples of God's magnificent creative abilities. One can see this, quite easily, as well. My favorite scenario: A walk in a piney woods perhaps in the Great Smokies, just taking in the sounds, sights and smells. The peacefulness that comes from siting beside a stream and just taking it in. The smell and feel of a baby, the energy and naivete of a toddler, snuggling along with a favorite pet. Can you imagine the list we could make of the beauty all around us? Want to make one?

The same concepts can be associated with us humans. WE aren't what we were intended to be, are we? We are haunted by our flesh, our sin nature. We were born with it, and with it comes a life-long battle to overcome it. We don't do what we internally realize we ought, as Paul suggests. It is frustrating.

Yet....   There is glorious freedom in knowing that God has created us with a value based simply upon His Glory. We are loved and valued. He has sent His begotten into the world to provide us with forgiveness. He has patiently waited for us to hear his voice, feel His welcome and accept His Grace. So we live with this battle between who we are and who we were meant to be.

There is wonderful beauty and hope in this creation. It will be even better; so much better that we cannot even imagine it. Thus with us. We will be resurrected and new, yet we have inherent value in being God's children. That hope spurs us on to work at living a life that glorifies a most amazing Creator, Father and King.

Praise our God.