It’s amazing how exciting the Bible gets once you believe it’s true! I don’t just want to read it; I want to know every single word God said because there’s something in it for me—like the autographs in a yearbook—not only for eternity, but today! Right here! Right now! Hallelujah!
People aren’t programmed to think that way, however—well, we are, but we try to override our natural inclinations with forced propriety. From kindergarten on, children are indoctrinated in the Chip and Dale Method of social interaction (the genteel Disney characters; not the all-male review. . .) we learn manners—not to take the last cookie or the biggest helping of cake. Enough slices of pizza to feed a third world nation are tossed out with the box because no one is willing to snatch that last piece!
In theory, etiquette sounds lovely, but how can the believer be sure that it’s not just the world talking? Satan boasts to Jesus’ face that the earth has been handed over to him,[1] and the Master doesn’t appear to challenge this blatant claim.[2]
The Emptier’s been known to distort even the noblest of intentions and stink up every one of God’s best gifts for us. He reduced the blissful intimacy of marital sex to a glossary of dirty words. He befouled the integrity of authority, causing men to abuse their roles and women to resent theirs. Even Chip and Dale weren’t spared, for Pete’s sake!
The legacy of the late Kenneth E. Hagin bears much posthumous slack for what is irreverently referred to as the “name it-claim it, blab it-grab it” doctrine. With all due respect, I don’t one hundred percent agree with Hagin either, but I think his core message may have been lost in the translation. The counterfeits jumping on the prosperity bandwagon frankly give faith ministry a bad name.
When asked for the greatest commandment, Jesus answered, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:29-31)
The scribe didn’t specifically ask the Master for the second greatest commandment—Jesus merely volunteered that information. In the end, I suppose it’s a matter of interpretation, but as I see it, the charge presupposes that we nurture some level of self appreciation upon which to gauge our love for our fellow man. That’s not giving the last cookie away—that’s splitting it and sharing it between the two.[3] Amen?
Having said all that let me caution you not to swing wide to the other side. As Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel-san in the beloved 80’s classic movie, Karate Kid, “Balance is key!”
Fact: “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
BUT . . .
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10)
It’s not us so much, as who we are in Christ. Without Him, we’re a stack of dry bones. In Him, we have the breath of life . . . [4] Righteousness by association, to be sure, but righteousness, none the less. Amen, and amen.
[1] Luke 4:6, New King James Version., Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
[2] Kenneth E. Hagin, Bible Prayer Study Course, Thirteenth Printing 2003, Faith Library Publications, 149
[3] Luke 3:11
[4] Ezekiel 37:1-14
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
A Wrech like Me
In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his tradeAnd he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down or cut him’til he cried out in his anger and his shameI am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains . . .
--Paul Simon, “The Boxer”[1]
We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed . . .
--Another Paul, 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9
I used to wear a tee-shirt that said, “I’m the wretch the song refers to.” I threw it away when I quit being a wretch and stopped thinking of myself in wretched terms. At that point, I started peeking at my reflection though the eyes of my Beloved. “You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.” (Song of Solomon 4:7) Praise God!
Regardless if we’re trembling at the altar for the first time or we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, any believer can confidently make bold identity statements based on biblical promise.[2]
I’ve read countless verses that literally knocked me to my knees in awed and speechless gratitude, but I rarely hear believers profess their righteous standing in faith. Instead, many make apologetic declarations. “I’m a sinner saved by grace.” “My righteousness is as filthy rags . . . I’m the wretch the song refers to.” Is that any way for a being indwelt by the Spirit of God to carry on?
Self-effacing assertion may be made in an honest attempt at humility but ends up being more of an expression of pride—“If I can’t be the most righteous, by golly, I’ll be the sorriest sinner in this congregation!”—and the focus shifts away from the glorious Redeemer and onto the sorry sinner.
Don’t get me wrong. Chest beating is fine for unconfessed sin, but after sincere and contrite repentance, 1 John 1:9 kicks in. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This verse rings triumphant in any translation and I highly recommend yanking it off the fridge and cross stitching it on your heart!
In the meantime, let’s keep in mind that Scripture is wrought with all sorts of exhortation and assurance like this, so why don’t more Christians have that joy, joy, joy, joy down in their hearts? What exactly do believers believe in? What lies between the sinner’s prayer and grave? Does faith prorate the promise of salvation, in the hereafter, into abundant life in the here and now?
Ironically, believers sometimes depreciate the Word of God; dismissing it as poignant poetry for weddings and funerals. Caving into the relentless pressure of the world view, some have all but dismissed the literalism of the Bible.[3] Almost without pause, we believe Paul Harvey, Dr. Phil, and even the Emptier’s lies, but squirm when confronted with the conviction of truth that beckons to a higher purpose.
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” (1 Corinthians 9:24, 25)
Personally, I don’t agree one hundred percent with anybody apart from the inspired writers of Scripture. Even Billy Graham’s saintly soul resides in a fallible jar of clay. The teaching of man is bound to be biased by doctrinal agenda or simply tainted with pride; my own not withstanding. I sit at the feet of many great teachers and preachers, but, to borrow the words of a dear and wise woman I know, I eat the chicken and leave the bones. (My proof text is too good to footnote) “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
Ultimately, I trust the Word of God.
[1] © 1968 Paul Simon
[2] Kenneth E. Hagin, Bible Faith Study Course, Fourteenth Printing 2005, Faith Library Publications, 72-78
[3] Ken Ham, The Big Picture, Creation Magazine, Volume 23, Issue 2, Published March 2001, www.answersingenesis.org (accessed September 15, 2005)
--Paul Simon, “The Boxer”[1]
We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed . . .
--Another Paul, 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9
I used to wear a tee-shirt that said, “I’m the wretch the song refers to.” I threw it away when I quit being a wretch and stopped thinking of myself in wretched terms. At that point, I started peeking at my reflection though the eyes of my Beloved. “You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.” (Song of Solomon 4:7) Praise God!
Regardless if we’re trembling at the altar for the first time or we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, any believer can confidently make bold identity statements based on biblical promise.[2]
I’ve read countless verses that literally knocked me to my knees in awed and speechless gratitude, but I rarely hear believers profess their righteous standing in faith. Instead, many make apologetic declarations. “I’m a sinner saved by grace.” “My righteousness is as filthy rags . . . I’m the wretch the song refers to.” Is that any way for a being indwelt by the Spirit of God to carry on?
Self-effacing assertion may be made in an honest attempt at humility but ends up being more of an expression of pride—“If I can’t be the most righteous, by golly, I’ll be the sorriest sinner in this congregation!”—and the focus shifts away from the glorious Redeemer and onto the sorry sinner.
Don’t get me wrong. Chest beating is fine for unconfessed sin, but after sincere and contrite repentance, 1 John 1:9 kicks in. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This verse rings triumphant in any translation and I highly recommend yanking it off the fridge and cross stitching it on your heart!
In the meantime, let’s keep in mind that Scripture is wrought with all sorts of exhortation and assurance like this, so why don’t more Christians have that joy, joy, joy, joy down in their hearts? What exactly do believers believe in? What lies between the sinner’s prayer and grave? Does faith prorate the promise of salvation, in the hereafter, into abundant life in the here and now?
Ironically, believers sometimes depreciate the Word of God; dismissing it as poignant poetry for weddings and funerals. Caving into the relentless pressure of the world view, some have all but dismissed the literalism of the Bible.[3] Almost without pause, we believe Paul Harvey, Dr. Phil, and even the Emptier’s lies, but squirm when confronted with the conviction of truth that beckons to a higher purpose.
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” (1 Corinthians 9:24, 25)
Personally, I don’t agree one hundred percent with anybody apart from the inspired writers of Scripture. Even Billy Graham’s saintly soul resides in a fallible jar of clay. The teaching of man is bound to be biased by doctrinal agenda or simply tainted with pride; my own not withstanding. I sit at the feet of many great teachers and preachers, but, to borrow the words of a dear and wise woman I know, I eat the chicken and leave the bones. (My proof text is too good to footnote) “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
Ultimately, I trust the Word of God.
[1] © 1968 Paul Simon
[2] Kenneth E. Hagin, Bible Faith Study Course, Fourteenth Printing 2005, Faith Library Publications, 72-78
[3] Ken Ham, The Big Picture, Creation Magazine, Volume 23, Issue 2, Published March 2001, www.answersingenesis.org (accessed September 15, 2005)
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