A Net in Time

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Faith Shaped

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.

 

Tenderness of Faith

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Do you remember what happened when Jesus came to the tomb where Lazarus was buried?  Jesus, who had delayed coming because the faith of his disciples was very important.   You remember what he did when he came to the tomb.   He wept.  Jesus wasn’t stoic or unfeeling.  He didn’t immediately set about strengthening the faith of the disciples.  Jesus stood and he wept.

Tenderness of Faith, Jesus shows us how to be tender

First off:

Lazarus was a friend, and now his friend was dead.  It’s not small wonder that Jesus wept is it?  Not only was his friend dead, but his friend’s sisters were heartbroken as well.   Jesus was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.   You know what this means for us right?   It’s not a sign of lack of faith when we are heart broken, or if we are moved to tears, or if we troubled in our spirits.  Jesus went through this, why should we be surprised if we also have moments like this as well.  No one can question Jesus’ faith eh?  So if Jesus can take a moment (or three) for sadness, heart break and tears… SO CAN WE.

Next:

Not only that, do you see that part of Jesus’ sorrow was the heart break he felt at his friends’ sorrow.  Mary and Martha were sad and full of tears.  They wept.  Jesus wept.  This tells us that when we weep, Jesus weeps with us.  Oh, isn’t that a lovely thing?  That tenderness that he shows us in our vulnerable moments?   

This is our Jesus, the one who shows us the tenderness of faith.  Showing us how to care for the sad and tearful among us.  That ability to weep with those who weep.  The ability to sit with those who mourn. To talk memories and hope.  To shake together through fear and remember promises.  This example Christ gave us, we do well to emulate it yes? .

Our Heart’s Longing

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I had to think about this chapter for a while.   Pondering how to talk about the thoughts it inspired in my heart and mind.  This chapter started talking about how people always seek for happiness, but perhaps what people are doing is not really seeking for happiness but for something deeper.   Eventually we headed over to Romans 1 were we can read: 

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Our Heart's Longing

The thought is this.  God put a spark of knowing him within all of us.   BUT we fight that knowing to the point that some of us suppress that truth.   We deny it, calling it something else, like “I’ll be happy when I have a family”, “I’ll be happy with the right job”, “I’ll be happy when _____________”.  Some of the ideas we come up with may seem more lofty than others, but in the end all we are doing, if we aren’t pursuing God, is denying that spark that has been put within us. 

And God… God takes us seriously.  If we continually pawn him off, exchanging him for other things, he’ll let us do that.  Which results in people searching and searching, wanting to fill that emptiness within.   All the emptiness, and God gives them over to their empty searches. 

What do we do with that as believers?

That’s the question isn’t it?  If as believers we know that God has made it possible for us to know him, that everyone can recognize him for who he is by looking at creation, and looking deep within themselves, what does it mean for us?   

It means truly that if we seek for him we will find him.  There’s no doubt about it is there?  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 

If we are believers, there is no excuse for us not to know the Lord God.  To be able to find him and learn of him and everything because we have not only the creation to reveal God to us, but we have his written word!  Actual information, actual words from his Son to help us understand what we see around us.   It’s HUGE if you stop and think about it. 

I urge you (and when I say you I also mean me)… follow your heart’s longing.  Follow it.  Feed the spark that is within.  Be amazed at God in the creation around us. 

Encouragers in Faith

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Ian Hamilton entitled this chapter “What Faith Aspires To” and I wondered what that would be about. Then I read about Barnabas and how he was known as the “Son of Encouragement” so I HAD to call this post the Encouragers in Faith.   Have you ever met one?  It’s a great thing you know… to find someone who will truly encourage you in your faith journey. 

Encouragers in Faith

Mr. Hamilton goes on to say that Son and Daughters of Encouragement aren’t seen in churches as often as they should be, giving three reasons for that.

  1. Our innate selfishness.  We are so programmed to look to ourselves and our own needs that we fail to look to the needs of others.  Encouragers though, take to heart the injunction “look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others”.  
  2. The Speck. You know…it’s how we look for the faults and flaws in others while not seeing our own.  We are so busy seeing those flaws that we fail to see how we can work to build each other up. Sometimes the a rebuke is needful, but it better to have a rebuke from a friend, than from one who only looks for faults. 
  3. Our pride.  No other way to put it, our pride gets in the way of our humility and therefore our humanity.  We forget the weaknesses of others.  Encouragers remember that we are but weak vessels and deal with us in compassion.  Just as Jesus in his high-priestly ministry deals with us. 

What to do?

The question then is this, how do we become strong encouragers?

We do this by encouraging a Christ-like spirit, and humble attitude.  Remembering that we are no better than those around us and sometimes we may struggle even more in areas than others do.  We have our struggles, we have our giftings, just like EVERYONE else.  We so desperately need to remember this.  That desperation… to exemplify Christ should be what drives us to write a note of encouragement, to encourage the new singer in church, to pray a moment with a needful one, to inquire after the health of an injured or sick one, or to ask how things are going with a new job, new schooling, new adventure in the life of another.  Take a moment… think beyond yourself and see how you can show Christ to others.

Want to follow along? Check out The Faith Shaped Life