I spent A LOT of time teaching Jr. High kids in confirmation classes about the tension between faith and works in the Christian faith. The more I read the Bible, and live my faith, the less tension I'm seeing.
Maybe it's time to put this classic debate from the reformation to rest. It has divided denominations, and it has led to many Christians having an anemic faith that is purely "spiritual" or emotional. If you have a faith that is divorced from how you live, your faith isn't worth much to your neighbors.
I think most Christians would say something like this: Our faith inspires and empowers us to live differently. There is a myth that all Christians who sin are somehow hypocrites. The truth is that becoming more like Jesus takes time. When we first say that we want to follow Jesus, God doesn't simply remove our natural desires and tendencies. He works in and through us to reveal in us what He needs to change for us to serve Him better. He is patient with us. But over time God does change us, and we are able to live for Him more and for ourselves less.
My faith is a God-given gift, and it is the greatest gift I could receive. Faith saves me. But my faith, if it is genuine, will naturally work its way out...
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
Wisdom.
James 1: 5
"If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you."
Wisdom seems to be in short supply these days. Many of us (often myself included) seem to be living in a world that defies reality. The recent mortgage crisis is just one example; we were led to believe that home equity lines were like Monopoly money, that our homes would grow in value indefinitely, and that the measure of our worth was how beautifully and quickly we could remodel our homes.
Reality bites.
And when reality bites, we're left with the consequences of the unwise decisions we've made.
So where can we get some wisdom? The kind of wisdom that helps us to know what is sound and what is foolish; the difference between good and bad, right or wrong?
The New Testament answers this question repeatedly - for those of us who follow Jesus, we can go directly to God and ask for guidance and wisdom. The tough part is that we're all interconnected - the decisions that we make have a profound effect on our neighbors, and so even the wisdom and guidance we receive from God don't always take away the negative repurcussions from the bad decisions made either by ourselves or by our neighbors. If God is to honor the integrity of our decisions, and our dignity as creatures made in His image, His change and wisdom has to take time. And that can sometimes feel like an eternity, or like God just isn't there...
But God's promise is that He will be faithful. If we ask, He will answer. That is a truth that is too profound to really wrap my brain around...
Think about that for a second: The creator of the universe has come down to our level and told us that we can approach Him with whatever we need. We don't need a Priest or a Pastor. Because of what God has done through Jesus, God has brought us near to Himself. That is the heart of the Gospel: "...God's peace and justice has been made available to you... (Mark 1:14).
God cares.
Take a moment to tell Him what's on your mind, and ask for His thoughts to become your own. As God transforms us, His wisdom begins to inform our practical decisions, and if we'll allow Him in, He can and will change us to be more like Him.
May the God of all wisdom speak His truth into your life, and may your life be used in His service for all time.
Amen.
"If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you."
Wisdom seems to be in short supply these days. Many of us (often myself included) seem to be living in a world that defies reality. The recent mortgage crisis is just one example; we were led to believe that home equity lines were like Monopoly money, that our homes would grow in value indefinitely, and that the measure of our worth was how beautifully and quickly we could remodel our homes.
Reality bites.
And when reality bites, we're left with the consequences of the unwise decisions we've made.
So where can we get some wisdom? The kind of wisdom that helps us to know what is sound and what is foolish; the difference between good and bad, right or wrong?
The New Testament answers this question repeatedly - for those of us who follow Jesus, we can go directly to God and ask for guidance and wisdom. The tough part is that we're all interconnected - the decisions that we make have a profound effect on our neighbors, and so even the wisdom and guidance we receive from God don't always take away the negative repurcussions from the bad decisions made either by ourselves or by our neighbors. If God is to honor the integrity of our decisions, and our dignity as creatures made in His image, His change and wisdom has to take time. And that can sometimes feel like an eternity, or like God just isn't there...
But God's promise is that He will be faithful. If we ask, He will answer. That is a truth that is too profound to really wrap my brain around...
Think about that for a second: The creator of the universe has come down to our level and told us that we can approach Him with whatever we need. We don't need a Priest or a Pastor. Because of what God has done through Jesus, God has brought us near to Himself. That is the heart of the Gospel: "...God's peace and justice has been made available to you... (Mark 1:14).
God cares.
Take a moment to tell Him what's on your mind, and ask for His thoughts to become your own. As God transforms us, His wisdom begins to inform our practical decisions, and if we'll allow Him in, He can and will change us to be more like Him.
May the God of all wisdom speak His truth into your life, and may your life be used in His service for all time.
Amen.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Two BIG Questions...
1) What are the biggest problems facing our future?
2) What does Jesus have to say about them?
It seems to me that for those of us who follow God in the way of Jesus, these could be the two biggest questions of our lives.
I wonder what the world would look like if our faith began from this starting point, instead of my own personal quest to attain heaven (or escape hell)?
What would your community look like if living the answer to these questions was as mandatory for our faith as Church attendance on Sunday morning - what if every Christian took these questions seriously?
I can't take credit for coming up with these questions. Read more deeply about them in Brian McLaren's new book, Everything Must Change...
www.lifesongchristiancommunities.org
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