A Net in Time

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Faith Shaped

The Christian’s Obsession with Christ

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One of the things my hubby pastor says frequently “I need to preach Christ”.  That means regardless of the scripture passage being used, Christ is to be preached.  He is central to the entirety of scripture.   He is woven throughout the fabric of our history, from the beginning of the world until it’s very end.  Christ is always to be found.

Therefore, Christianity is Christ. This is the central theme of this chapter from the Faith-Shaped Life.

The Christian's Obsession with Christ

Throughout the gospels this truism is seen most clearly.  Jesus doesn’t tell people in Matthew 11 to some other being in order to find rest.  He says “come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”.   He calls people to himself. 

Jesus was very much aware that he was the answer to people struggling with the affects of sin in their lives. 

It’s so True

Consider how God took care of all the details when his Son died.  How he made sure all scripture was fulfilled, that Jesus had a witness, and more.  God gave us his everything.  So we have EVERYTHING… not just what we need, but everything possible.  It’s all tied up in Jesus. 

In John 15 Jesus tells us that he is the vine and we are the branches.  He is the ONE that gives us the life that we need to flourish. 

This means that if we are struggling, the first thing that we must do is turn to Jesus.  We need to look to him for the answers.  

And wow.. it’s so easy to forget that eh?   We find ourselves down in the dumps and what do we do?  Everyone has their own thing.

 I know what I do!   I make myself busy and force myself to be involved in the world around me.. even if all I want to do is curl into a ball and stay away from the world.  But that’s not turning to Christ first.  That’s me making decisions about what I think I need to do.  It’s the same advise I give to others who struggle.  Stay involved, don’t shut yourself away, community is there for a reason. 

When perhaps, if I turned to Christ first, if I looked to him for the answers, he might have another solution for me.  A solution that would be better in the long run instead of a short term solution.   If instead of losing myself in an electronic game, tv show or book.  That instead, I took a walk and spent time just talking with God.  Or spent time perusing scripture. 

I need to remember when I am struggling to look to Jesus.  In him I can find the solution I need.  How about you?

Our Tongue, a Fire

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One of the things that is difficult between my son and I is figuring out to talk to each other. He is a very specific thinker and I’m more of a global thinker and so often I think I am answering a question of his and I’m not. He wants a straight up yes or no…but that’s not what I hear. Often I am left feeling so confused, and wondering how did I misunderstand?

Why do I tell you this?

I was thinking about that today as I read this chapter in The Faith-Shaped Life. How we talk as believers shows Christ to the world. If we are people of kindness and gentleness, people who are slow to anger, talking with love to those around us we show Christ to the world. The world then, has NO ambiguity about whose we are.

Problems Arise

But problems arise right?  The book of James tells us how much trouble our tongue can be.   How our tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.  Oh, how it can cause trouble.   Anger, gossip, taking sides, sowing dissension, lying, heartless, self-willed, and all manner of inappropriate speech comes out of our mouths. 

You know what I mean right?   How often you want to say the right thing and don’t.  When you want to share a concern, and end up gossiping.  The times when you blurt something out, and hurt someone’s feelings. Those times when you fudge the truth, and one thing leads to another and trouble occurs.     

What Do We Do?

In Proverbs we are told that “the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable“. (Prov 10:32)  That means we need to be take our time and consider if our words are indeed acceptable and fitting to be said.   Do the words we say build up or tear down?  Do we take our time to make sure our words are wise, gentle, kind, patient, merciful, and sincere?  It doesn’t mean we can’t offer correction or rebuke, but we can offer it with carefully, making sure our heart is in the right place. 

We need to be careful of our language.  Show Christ to the world around us in the way we moderate our words.

The Importance of Numbers

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Throughout the inspired word of God numbers come up all the time.  Numbers of Israelites, numbers of people who served God, numbers of those who died, numbers of families, generations between one main figure and the next. Numbers pop up all the time.   The question begs to be asked… why are numbers so important?  Why do they come up all the time?

Importance of Numbers

In this chapter of the Faith-Shaped Life, Mr. Hamilton brings up the importance of numbers. Numbers tell us alot of information.   We see numbers being used to delineate the number of people in each tribe of Israel.  Numbers show the amount of disobedient people destroyed.  Generations are given to show passage of time, and God’s planning.  They also help us to see progression, such as we see in Acts when the Holy Spirit moves among the people bringing many to faith. 

In some circles, my own even, people often decry the focus on numbers.   Saying what matters is that faith is central.  The people are faithful, or growing in their faith and that the word of God is preached.  Therefore it doesn’t matter the size of the congregation, but more that they are faithful.    I agree with that sentiment.   At the same time, as I listen to Mr. Hamilton I wonder about these salient facts.

Developed an Unexpected Mindset

Perhaps in the focusing on faithfulness, could we unexpectedly believe that smaller is better?  Could we perhaps have become content with being small?  And therefore think that small is beautiful and good?   If that thinking becomes our mindset (however inadvertently) it affects how we live out our faith. 

Prayer

Prayer gets forgotten.  Because we have the mindset that small is good, do we forget to pray for the lost in our communities?   Have we forgotten to pray that God help us see and meet needs in our communities that show God to those around us?  Have we forgotten to ask God to add to our numbers?  To help us grow, to help us wrestle with the things of God.  

Have we truly forgotten how to pray deeply and meaningfully?

OR potentially… when we pray are we praying with the wrong motives in mind?   Wanting ourselves to look good, or give our church a better profile?   Does it grieve our hearts to see so many lost souls around us?   Do we really want to see God glorified?  The motivation should be central to all we say and do, and even more so should be our focus on our prayers.  That God use us to bring him further glory.  Do we understand that and pray for it?  Or has it gotten lost in our smallness mindset?

Preachers

Are our preachers remembering to preach the cross of Christ in everything?   To always, in their messages, to bring forth the cross of Christ and how it affects our entire being?  Christ’s love brought him to the cross.  His love is the compelling force in our lives.   Does that come through with every message preached and/or heard?

Is smallness bad?

Do not imagine for a moment that just because your church is small that you are somehow doing something wrong.  BUT do look at the size of your church and ask these important questions.  Is your church small because you don’t ask God, with the right motivation, with the compulsion of Christ’s love, for enough?    Are you thinking too small in your prayer life?

Know this: we are living in the days of a risen, reigning Saviour. God gave him all authority in heaven and on earth.  Remember therefore, that we can ask him for ANYTHING in his name.  God tells us to “ask” and in that asking, to know it will be given to us.

Since the cross, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus we are no longer living in a day of small things! Ian Hamilton, The faith-shaped life. p.120 Click To Tweet

Sins Are Not Covered Up

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Have you ever noticed how God’s inspired word doesn’t hide the sin of his people?  The fact is that our sins are not covered up.  Even though it’s our natural tendency to make ourselves look better than what we are, none of the biblical authors covered over the sins of the people of God.   They didn’t. Do you ever wonder why that was?

Sins are not covered up,
Photo by Thư Anh on Unsplash

Why is this?

Ian Hamilton says this “through the manifest weaknesses and sins of believers, God impresses on us the true character of the life of faith.” (p.116, the Faith Shaped life).  

Isn’t that an interesting statement?

Our weaknesses show the character of faith lived out.   Our faith is lived out in weak, sin-filled bodies.  It doesn’t matter who we are as believers, we will fail as we live out our faith.   None of us can live a life of perfection.

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Our failures, a means of doubt

The very fact that we fail is often used by the devil as a means of questioning our faith.  The fact that we love God and want to serve him faithfully, and yet fail in our duties, in our desires.  Surely that shows our lack of faith and commitment!!!!  (at least this is how we often think).

And yet, if we look to examples of people of faith in the bible, we will see that they failed as well.  God didn’t hold that against them.  Punishment happened as a consequence of sin but God didn’t say “you aren’t good enough to be called one of my own”.   Not even once.

God continually offered grace to his people.  

Means of Encouragement

In offering up grace to his people, and letting us see examples of men and women of faith who have failed in living out their faith well.  These examples are an encouragement to us.  An encouragement that God doesn’t give up on his people. 

God is ever so kind to us. Letting us see how he helps his people, picking them up, forgiving them and getting them back on track.  This is why there is no white-washing in scripture.  We need to see this.

Dare to Be Different

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We live in a post-modern world. Sometimes it’s hard to define what that is, so I thought I’d go looking for a clear definition. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica Postmodernism, also spelled post-modernism, in Western philosophy, a late 20th-century movement characterized by broad skepticism, subjectivism, or relativism; a general suspicion of reason; and an acute sensitivity to the role of ideology in asserting and maintaining political and economic power.

As Christians, how do we live out our faith in this post-modern world? How do we live out moral, faith-based lives when surrounded by political-correctness, skepticism and suspicion? How do we follow this adage in 1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. Yet follow the example of Jesus who was “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners”.  How do we engage in Christian living in a post-modern world?

How do we stay true to the absolute moral standards that God calls us to?  It’s not an easy thing, especially when people twist our actions, or fellow believers get side-tracked, or when we aren’t sure of our own way. How do we hold true to God’s will and word?

How to stay true:

Dare to be different. It takes courage to choose to stay the course.  Courage is needed to live by a standard that others will not hold to. Christian men choosing to living out godly headship, sacrificing themselves for their wives and families.  Christian women choosing a simpler life, striving to raise up families, caring for them full well, able to submit to their husbands.  Show by their godly lives the example of Christ to the world. Showing lives of obedience, lives that please him full well.

Dealing with our Past: Trusting God

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Do you ever struggle with remembering God remembers our sins no more?   I know that I do.  I remember some of the horrible things I’ve done, sometimes I wonder why that is. Why do I keep remembering those things?   Why do they keep me wondering if God really forgives me?   OR worse… makes me wonder about my faith and if it can be real.   WHY, why do we do this?

Dealing with our Past: Trusting God

Mr. Hamilton suggests that it’s a matter of trust.  

Do we truly believe that God forgets our sin, that he removes our transgressions from us?   That he indeed washes us whiter than snow, cleaning us all up!  It’s an amazingly sweet, and simple, and basic truth.  

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

See…it’s right there.  God tells us that we are, as believers, washed, sanctified and justified.   Do we believe it?   It’s a hard one to grasp… I KNOW THIS.  I fight myself everyday to remember WHOSE I am and why I should trust that he has my back.

Being reassured that Jesus intercedes for me with God. Asking God to be mindful of me, protecting me from the evil one.  Who do you think puts those thoughts in my head that I’m not good enough, or that God doesn’t really forgive sin, or that I somehow need to find a way to make up for the wrongs I did.   It isn’t God.  

So the question comes… can I trust God’s spoken word?   Can I believe what he tells me over and over and over again?   He loves me, he forgives me, his Son paid the penalty for MY sin, for YOUR sin… it’s covered, we’re washed, sanctified AND justified.

Satan has no hold on me, or you or anyone who believes in the Lord.   Not one single hold.

Believe it.  Oh… reader, if you love the Lord, believe it.   Jesus is our high priest and intercessor.  He died and rose again so that our pasts: our sins, our failures, and our dirtiness can’t be held against us. 

I liked this quote: “Satan will always want you to ‘look in’ to yourself; God wants you always to ‘look out and up’ to Christ.”  (p111, the faith shaped life)

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Let’s look up to Christ.  Let us see him more and ourselves less. We so need to remember whose we are. 

Faith’s Submissiveness

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As I have been going through the book of John, a recurring theme is Jesus saying he does the will of the one who sent him.   He doesn’t talk or do anything outside of the will of God the Father.  He trusts God completely. You might argue that he is indeed God, so why shouldn’t he trust God the Father completely, but the fact remains is Jesus was human. 

He is God the SON not God the Father, and it was hard for him sometimes.  He agonized over his upcoming death, he struggled with the disciples, and he suffered in his temptation in the desert.  It’s not sinful to do so.  Yet he always stayed true to what God wanted of him.  Not in a proud “I am God way” but in a faithful, I am his son way. He taught and lived out what God would have him teach and live out.

Faith's Submissiveness, a matter of relationship

Then tonight I was browsing facebook and there was a fellow on there talking about how we often believe lies about ourselves. Lies that we tell ourselves.  If we would actually just stop and treat ourselves like we are someone we love, we would be happier people. 

I got to thinking about that.  Then he mentioned that he wears a bracelet that says WWJD… I stopped the video the lad and I were watching and we talked for a bit.  I said “Imagine what it would be like if we all just knew ourselves the way Jesus knew himself and his mission.   He knew himself so well that it helped him give grace to others, it allowed him to stay true to himself when he was angry, it allowed him to be sad over what was to come and yet reach out to those important to him.   Imagine what the world would be like if we truly lived like Jesus.”

Thoughts Prepared

I have all this in my thoughts as I opened this chapter in the Faith Shaped Life, and read about Faith’s Submissiveness. Jesus submitted himself to the will of his heavenly Father.   It’s how he lived out his life. So what would happen if we, knowing ourselves, which if we follow Jesus’ example means knowing God to the fullest extent possible, what would that do to your trust in God?  If you trusted him full well would it matter what happened to you in your life?

If you were Samuel Rutherford, who lost two of his children, trusting God you would write something like this “I was in your condition; I had but two children, and both are dead…The good husbandman may pluck His roses, and gather in His lilies at mid-summer, and for aught I dare say, in the beginning…“. (p.106, Faith Shaped Life, Ian Hamilton).   Do you see the trust Mr. Rutherford had, calling God the good husbandman?  It’s a horrible thing to lose a child, much less lose two!   And here he is, trusting God even in this terribly hard time. His heart breaks and yet, he submits himself humbly to God.  

Do you see it?

There’s relationship there, do you see it?

That’s what does it you know.  That having relationship.   If you don’t have a good relationship, you can’t humbly submit. Submission can happen but is it humble?

Being humble in your submission shows your trust and belief in the one you are submitting to. Jesus going about his daily business of showing God the Father to the world around him.  It’s Jesus not complaining when people treated him poorly.   Jesus calling out to God “not my will, but yours be done”.    It’s Jesus showing us the way all the time.   

Jesus Brings us Along

And through Jesus we are brought into relationship with God. The humbleness we have in our submission is a reflection of our of faith and trust in God the Father shown us in the Son. The Son’s obedience in all things to his Father, shows us that God didn’t even spare his own son when it came to us.  That is the depth of concern that God has for us. 

That’s worth something isn’t it?  It’s worth us getting to know him all the more and having a relationship with him. That relationship, oh…that relationship helps us to put all things into perspective. I find him helping me to catch my breath once in a while and grabbing for a different perspective on life.  The more I learn of him, the more surprised and hopeful I become.  It amazes me all the time.  And how all these different pieces fit together…. like it is totally all God’s planning.  He builds my faith in him and the more that happens, the more I willingly accept all that he gives me. It’s weird in many ways, but it all comes down to this … Relationship.