Who Is A Spiritual Christian?

            First, the term “spiritual christian,” as I employ, does not refer to a sect of Russian orthodoxy.

            Second, broadly there are two types of Christians –genuine and false. Genuine Christians are described as, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10: 9-10, NASB). A false Christian neither confesses nor believes in the historic Christ, and denies HIM. Therefore, a false Christian will not be saved.

            Third, within the spectrum of genuine Christianity, there could be spiritual and unspiritual (carnal) Christians. This is a complex subject, so I wish not to stand in judgment over anyone.

            Here’s an illustration of the complexity I am referring to. Consider a Christian soldier who, due to his work exigencies, cannot spend time positively communing with God. Would we term this Christian soldier spiritual or unspiritual? I’d rather not stand in judgment over this person or anyone in similar situations.

            However, let’s come to the topic on hand.

            The local church is an outstanding setting to observe the spiritual branding of Christians. For example, the pastor or a member of the Church board / committee or a preacher will be considered to be more spiritual because of his/her spiritual profile. Elsewhere, a Christian who speaks in tongues or prophesies would be considered more spiritual than those who lack these gifts. Is this how Christians should be branded as spiritual or not?

            Matthew 7: 22-23 categorically rules out a universal branding based on spiritual gifts. Therefore, possessing spiritual gifts need not be the criteria for spirituality.

            Spirituality is not about positions as well. Matthew 23 is a case in point. Christ condemned those who held high positions for their hypocrisy. 

            What about the learned and the scholarly? Is intellectuality a case for spirituality? The scribes and pharisees were learned; Matthew 23 negates spirituality based on intellectuality. Moreover, Satan knows the Scriptures well enough, for he quoted Scriptures to the Lord. So knowing the Scriptures need not be the criteria for spirituality.

            What about those who fervently pray in the public? Are they to be considered more spiritual than the others? Verses such as Matthew 6:5, 23: 14** and Luke 18: 11 negate a universal application of prayer as criteria for spirituality.

            What about those regularly attending their local church? If spirituality is determined by a diligent regularity to the worship in the local church, then this statement gains validity, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.” A Christian gains nothing out of his church attendance, if his body is inside and his mind outside the church.

            Sacrificial giving does not attest to spirituality. Sacrificial giving amounts to nothing if the intention behind the giving violates God’s commands (Cf. Malachi 1: 6-14; Luke 18: 9-14, 18-27).  

            To sum up, a Christian need not necessarily be spiritual due to:

            (1) His high position in the local church or in God’s Kingdom (e.g. head of a Christian organization).

            (2) Spiritual gifts (speaking in tongues, prophesying etc).

            (3) Knowledge of Scriptures and intellectuality.

            (4) Articulate prayers.

            (5) Regular attendances to the local church.

            (6) Sacrificial giving.

            Who then is a spiritual Christian?

            First, a spiritual Christian lives in and for the truth (Joshua 24: 14; 2 Kings 20: 3; Psalm 15: 2 et al.). His private and public life should consistently testify to his truthful lifestyle, primarily to God and consequentially to man.  This is not to say that he would be sinless, for none are sinless.

            He does not willingly venture into sinful deeds for hedonistic or narcissistic intent, but he will quickly repent and relent of his sinfulness. God would be his primary focus and he would sincerely attempt to view and interpret the world and his life from Christ’s perspective a.k.a. “what would Christ want me to do…[in every situation].” He would not intentionally violate God’s commands.

            Living in truth mandates the exposure of lies that strives to destroy a Christian’s faith in Christ. Because Satan masquerades as an angel of light, the spiritual Christian will always fight the good fight against all dark and evil forces and their entailments with the armor of God (2 Corinthians 10: 5, 11: 14; Ephesians 6: 10-20).

            Second, humility would be the spiritual Christian’s hallmark with Christ’s humility as his benchmark. He would intentionally strive to be lesser while Christ becomes greater in and through his life. He would do nothing to glorify himself. Even if he unintentionally does, he would consciously strive to purge those unintentional self-glorification deeds from his life.

            Third, a spiritual Christian would love and yearn for more of God and for the continuous anointing of the precious Holy Spirit. His first love is God. His life would be lovingly dedicated for God’s glory.

            A spiritual Christian would ‘love’ [God and] man in the words of 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a (PHILLIPS):  

            “This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience—it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance.

            Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails.

            Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.”

            Very significantly, a spiritual Christian would travel the extra mile to love that one needy person over and above the many. Contemporary Christianity is adept at ignoring the one person over the many. This is much unlike Christ who left the ninety-nine out in the open to care for the one lost sheep (Matthew 18: 12-14; Luke 15: 3-7)

            In other words, quite a number of contemporary Christian leaders love to serve the needs of the many and not the one. That one needy person is deemed insignificant. This is the bane of contemporary Christianity, which is scrupulously unchristlike and consequently unspiritual.

            Fourth and finally, the spiritual Christian would demonstrate the fruit of the Holy Spirit in a growing measure from his life. So he/she would:

            …love the unlovable (Matthew 5: 39-42; 1 John 3: 18)

            …be joyous in pain (Job 6: 10)

            …as much as possible be at peace with everyone (Romans 12: 18; Hebrews 12: 14)

            …be patient with God and man in pain and suffering (2 Corinthians 1: 6)

            …be kind (Romans 11: 22)

            …be good (3 John 11)

            …be faithful when faith in Christ is threatened (Romans 1: 17; 1 Corinthians 4: 2; Cf. Isaiah 5: 20)

            …be gentle (Matthew 5: 5; Philippians 4: 5)

            …be self controlled amidst temptations (Titus 2: 11-12; 2 Peter 1: 5-7)

            These attributes or the fruit of the Spirit will be evident in a Christian’s life when he/she remains in the Lord (John 15: 5). Apart from Christ we cannot bear fruit.

            Therefore, truth, humility, love and the fruit of the Spirit are mandatory to the spirituality of a Christian. He achieves this by continuously yielding himself to the control of the Holy Spirit. Everything else (position, spiritual gifts, knowledge of Scriptures, articulate prayers, regular church attendance, and sacrificial giving) is a mere postscript to true spirituality.

            This, I believe, is God’s will for those in Christ Jesus – being truthful, humble, loving, and exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit at all times by virtue of a loving and a surrendered life in Christ. Amen.

Endnotes:

** - Matthew 23: 14 would not be found in certain translations because the verse was not found in some early manuscripts. 

Moments Of Being Ashamed….To Be A Christian

I wonder if there are moments when Christians, as disciples of Christ, are ashamed to be called HIS disciples? I most surely do, which I will describe in this short essay.

A few days ago the doctor dilated my pupils after which my eyes were to be closed for 45 minutes. It was then I reaffirmed to myself that I preferred sight over blindness! My temporary blindness increased my sympathy and respect for the blind who are living a grateful life! The great hymn writer Fanny Crosby was blinded within two months after her birth. Her response to those who sympathized with her was, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind? …Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.” ¹ I am unsure if I would have lived such a grateful life, let alone make that petition. I am surely ashamed of myself!

If you relate with me, then grappling with reasons behind this predicament reveals that we are our first enemy. First, we offer preeminence to our selfish desires (e.g. I ought not to be blind). Second, while exalting our selfish desires, we slander God (that God should not have allowed blindness upon me). The reason we sincerely doubt if we will ever respond as Fanny Crosby is because we sincerely believe that we will either continually live thinking that God has wronged us or live a sad life. Let me elaborate. (Disclaimer: Horrendous physical ailments [blindness, cancer etc.] are much worse than any emotional pain [loss of a loved one, rape, false accusation etc.]).

In moments of suffering we respond with, “Why me, Lord?” Sometimes we respond differently by remaining sad through our suffering. There are hidden assumptions in these responses, which are:

(1) Suffering is an unjust punishment: The Bible does not consider suffering as only a punishment (cf. Isaiah 43:2; John 16:33; 2 Corinthians 4: 8-10; 2 Timothy 3: 12; 1 Peter 4: 12-13 et al.). In fact, the Bible is replete with facts of God’s people undergoing extreme suffering. So suffering is not only a punishment, let alone being unjust.

(2) I am good: Thinking of us as good implies an anticipation of good rewards and not painful rewards. Not only is this transactional Christianity (I am-doing-good-so-God-should-only-give-me-good), but this is a very high thought of oneself, either borderline of pride or smacks of pride. Pride is a sin (Proverbs 21: 4).

(3) I have not sinned: Once again this is a high thought of oneself. This is a false assumption for there is no one who is righteous and all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Psalm 14: 1-3; Romans 3: 10, 23) .

(4) There are other bad people in this world: This accuses God of bad judgment in inflicting suffering upon the innocent-me when there are other bad people in this world. 

These assumptions exalt man and denigrate God by disputing HIS wisdom and authority. This is not to say we should not question God or we should not be sad. But we cannot live in persistent questioning of God (rebellion) and/or in constant grief.

Constant sadness and questioning God are spiritually dangerous for it could lead us away from HIM. Going away from God will result in godlessness.  

This real life story of Mabel was told by William Lane Craig about his former colleague visiting shut-ins in nursing homes, “…on this particular day I was walking in a hallway that I had not visited before, looking in vain for a few who were alive enough to receive a flower and a few words of encouragement. This hallway seemed to contain some of the worst cases, strapped onto carts or into wheelchairs and looking completely helpless.

As I neared the end of this hallway, I saw an old woman strapped in a wheelchair. Her face was an absolute horror. The empty stare and white pupils of her eyes told me that she was blind. The large hearing aid over one ear told me that she was almost deaf. One side of her face was being eaten by cancer. There was a discolored and running sore covering part of one cheek, and it had pushed her nose to the side, dropped one eye, and distorted her jaw so that what should have been the corner of her mouth was the bottom of her mouth. As a consequence, she drooled constantly. I also learned later that this woman was eighty-nine years old and that she had been bedridden, blind, nearly deaf, and alone, for twenty-five years. This was Mabel.

I don't know why I spoke to her - she looked less likely to respond than most of the people I saw in that hallway. But I put a flower in her hand and said, ‘Here is a flower for you. Happy Mother's Day.’ She held the flower up to her face and tried to smell it, and then she spoke. And much to my surprise, her words, though somewhat garbled because of her deformity, were obviously produced by a clear mind. ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘It's lovely. But can I give it to someone else? I can't see it, you know, I'm blind.’

I said, ‘Of course,’ and I pushed her in her chair back down the hallway to a place where I thought I could find some alert patients. I found one, and I stopped the chair. Mabel held out the flower and said, ‘Here, this is from Jesus.’

It was then it began to dawn on me that this was not an ordinary human being…During one hectic week of final exams I was frustrated because my mind seemed to be pulled in ten directions at once with all of the things that I had to think about. The questions occurred to me, ‘What does Mabel have to think about - hour after hour, day after day, week after week, not even able to know if it's day or night?’

I went to her and asked her, ‘Mabel, what do you think about when you lie here?’ And she said, ‘I think about my Jesus.’

I sat there and thought for a moment about the difficulty, for me, of thinking about Jesus for even five minutes, and I asked her, ‘What do you think about Jesus?’ She replied slowly and deliberately as I wrote. And this is what she said, ‘I think how good He's been to me. He's been awfully good to me in my life, you know. I am one of those kind who's mostly satisfied. Lots of folks would think I'm kind of old-fashioned. But I don't care. I'd rather have Jesus. He's all the world to me.’

And then Mabel began to sing an old hymn: ‘Jesus is all the world to me, My life, my joy, my all. He is my strength from day to day, Without him I would fall. When I am sad, to him I go, No other one can cheer me so. When I am sad, He makes me glad. He's my friend.’

Dr. Craig adds, ‘This is not fiction. Incredible as it may seem a human being really lived like this. I knew her; how could she do it? Seconds ticked and minutes crawled, and so did days and weeks and months and years of pain without human company and without an explanation of why it was all happening. She lay there and sang hymns! How could she do it! The answer, I think, is Mabel had something you and I don’t have much of. She had power. Lying there in that bed unable to move, unable to see, unable to hear, unable to talk to anyone, she had incredible power...’”²

A wonderful and an awe inspiring life indeed. I can’t imagine living that life if I were to trade places with Mabel. I am ashamed of myself! It’s not wrong to plead with God to remove the suffering from our lives, but it’s not right to live a defeated life in suffering (cf. 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10).

The world we belong to, longs for, and promotes self-deification. Compared to such wonderful lives of Fanny Crosby, Mabel and the many, I am ashamed to be a Christian (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:6, 11: 1; Philippians 3: 17; 1 Thessalonians 1:6). I cannot imagine myself as an equal to such wonderfully lived lives. Fanny Crosby may have received her share of popularity and rewards, but Mabel had none whatsoever. Mabel’s gain was 25 years of constant pain. For Mabel, it’s all about Jesus. It’s not about Mabel, but it’s all about Jesus.

May we long to live such glorious lives by remaining in Christ always. God will surely empower those who long for such glorious lives as we usher in the season to remember our Savior’s birth. Amen.

Endnotes:

¹ Fanny Crossby: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/poets/crosby.html

² Mabel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jja35hqxBQo

Impatient Love is Impotent

God Almighty is all-powerful and all-knowledgeable. HE can do anything HE can and possesses the sum total of all knowledge there ever was and ever will be. But I am awestricken whenever I think how God patiently waits for man to believe, love, and coexist with HIM.

God does overwhelm people through visions, revelations and dreams (e.g. Conversion of Saul to Paul). HE can do what and how HE wants, for what HE does is always just. Finite man ought to concede this facet to the infinite God, for justice is omnipresent in God. 

Let us examine how love is often expressed in human relationships. If the spouse has things done his/her way, love abounds. If things are not done his/her way, love demands. If demands are unmet, love is polluted. Similarly, if a child pleases the parent through appreciable acts, the parent showers the child with love and its most befitting tangible and intangible expressions. Contrarily, if the child fails to satisfy parent’s expectations, parental love demands. If demands are unmet, love is polluted. Often, pollution of love entails anger. This anger could be tied with frustration, where one seeks control to motivate the other to love him.

Yes, more often in relationships, we seek control to love one another. If we assume to know the right, that knowledge often desires worship of self, and claims that the other should concede (what they believe as right), prostrate and love us. This is love in our parlance. Sadly, this is love in its superfluous mediocrity - an impotent love.

God knows the best and the right. Why then is HE patient in HIS love for man? Why does the Bible attribute patience as the first component of love (1 Corinthians 13: 4)? The Bible mandates patience upon the believer, for patience is love’s primary component. But wait! Man’s patience contains an attribute that is nonexistent in God’s patience. The patience of man includes ‘hope’ or ‘expectation;’ ‘hope’ is an attribute that is nonexistent in God’s patience.  God cannot hope, for omniscience excludes hope. Thus, patience in God gains a modified meaning. Allow me to elaborate.

Patience is exhibited during situations of adversities – delay, pain, provocation, misfortune etc. In adversity, one patiently hopes for the situation to heal / be favorable. 

For instance, a child may patiently wait for a gift, but in the mind of the child there is a hope that the gift is imminent. Another instance is when I am patiently waiting for a bus that is delayed. I hope the bus will arrive sooner than later. I am unsure when and if the bus would arrive, but I hope for its arrival. Hope overwhelms uncertainty, but lacks practical knowledge. The bus may or may not arrive soon; hence I am unsure of the practical knowledge of the timing of the bus’ arrival. Thus, practical knowledge is absent in hope.

As I wait patiently in hope for the bus to arrive soon, and if it arrives later than the time I had hoped, I’d be disappointed. If it fails to arrive altogether, I would be frustrated. There is always an outcome to patience. Patience is fulfilled when the bus arrives or when the child gets his gift. When the desired goal is achieved, patience will be non-existent. Patience can be filled with disappointment upon delay - in receiving the gift or for the bus to arrive. Patience is frustrated, when the gift is not received by the child, or when one misses an important engagement due to the bus’ delay. Thus, patience can result in one of the following - joy upon fulfillment, disappointment upon delay, or frustration upon denial of that which is expected.

God’s patience has no fulfillment, disappointment, or frustration. These emotions do not exist in God. Foreknowledge, or in a broader sense, omniscience, excludes fulfillment, disappointment and the likes. Let us dig deeper.

Going back to the instance of the delayed bus, when I observe such a delay, I call my friend - the bus driver, who informs that the bus would be indefinitely delayed due to clogged traffic. The moment I possess this knowledge, the aspect of hope departs from my mind. I no longer patiently hope for the bus to arrive, but I am certain that it would not. So I find an alternate action, which is to walk home in frustration. Thus, when knowledge replaces hope, patience becomes virtually nonexistent. Hence, in God, hope and the consequent disappointment is nonexistent, for HE is omniscient. 

God’s patience excludes fulfillment, hope, disappointment and the likes. When God loves, HE loves patiently knowing with certainty if man would love HIM or not. God’s patient love provides, provides and provides – to even those whom HE knows will never believe or love HIM, or that the believing man will always fall short of HIS glory. God does not find an alternate action when man fails HIM. But HE continues the act of providing immensely. Can you comprehend the magnificent facet of God’s love? God loves, knowing that man will relentlessly fall short of HIM. HE neither hopes nor is HE disappointed.

This is the love we ought to exhibit. Our love should be without hope or disappointment. I am neither advocating stoicism (or other similar –isms), nor am I advocating that a christian should not expect to be fulfilled or be filled with hope or get disappointed. I believe that fulfillment, hope and disappointment should not pollute our neighborly / godly love. 

When you and I talk about loving each other as God loves us, we ought to love, by providing their necessities and in some instances their extravagances too, albeit disloyalty and hatred. Love is patient, and patient love is potent!

But belief is a condition to God’s love. I have drifted through this subject in my previous blog. If man does not believe in God, he misses out on the best part of God’s love i.e. eternity. It is only man’s belief in God that will enable him to experience the unmitigated expressions of God’s love.

When one lovingly gives and gives himself sacrificially to another, and if the other refuses to believe in the source of love, I believe that the giver’s ‘giving’, would decrease or amend at a certain time. But when belief is truthfully and rightfully placed on the source of love, the giving of the giver exceeds all expectations for love to flourish. This is the conditional nature of love and patience.

In other words, the Bible states that love keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13: 5, NIV). However, we see a reality of hell in the Bible (my friends from the christian universalistic persuasion would disagree with me, but we can agree to disagree). Hell is where the account of wrongs (due to unbelief in God) is considered and respectfully rewarded, for only belief in Christ saves man from his sins. Thus, in case of unbelief, love recognizes the extent of evil or the record of wrongs, and patience becomes virtually nonexistent. Love and patience are finite / limited in unbelief.

Having said this, we can emulate God’s love, by HIS power and grace, by being patient with each other. Since the believer in Christ is growing in Christlikeness, we can pray to love each other potently as God in Christ loves each of us. May we, by the power of God, destroy the impotency in our love and love each other with the potent love of our Almighty God. May God grant us this blessing.

I am drifting through the subject of love, so in my next blog I will endeavor to dig into the subject of jealousy in love. The Bible says that love is not jealous (1 Corinthians 13: 4, NASB), but God, the source and the model of love, is a jealous God (Exodus 20: 5). Comprehending this apparent contradiction would be the theme of my next blog. Please uphold me in your prayers. Amen. 

Spiritual Pride

           Our superior religiosity or spiritual success can so blind us that we fall prey to devil’s deceit and snare. We imagine ourselves as righteously priceless in God’s kingdom. If our ministry (service to God and man) flourishes, we believe it to be because of our righteousness (good works), and that our good works is the result of us remaining in God. We delight in these verses for these verses fuel our superior religiosity:

“For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12, NASB)

“A faithful man will abound with blessings…” (Proverbs 28:20a, NASB)

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty...” (Psalm 91:1ff, NASB)

            On one end of our religious tightrope walk, we suppose we are righteous because of our superior communion with God. On the other end, we conclude we are God-appointed “holy-commandos” to cleanse all the sin and filth that surrounds us. This is at the core of superior religiosity.

            Pride inculcates a strong “I” or a powerful self-will even without one’s cognizance, thereby slowly yet surely corroding man’s dependence on God. C.S Lewis said this in Mere Christianity, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”

            The spiritually proud are so convinced of their righteousness because they are internally persuaded that they distinctly hear God’s voice without a doubt. But we ought to know that God never contradicts HIS word. God will never ask HIS disciple to condemn, but only to be gracious.

            Spiritual pride puts on a façade of God’s presence in them. The spiritually proud boast outwardly of their superior religiosity, whereas their religiosity corrodes in their inner being. A truly religious person reveals God’s grace and resists condemnation. God’s will is for us to be gracious even as HE is gracious to us (Matthew 5:48). This is Christlikeness.

            While we are on this superior religiosity mode, we forget or ignore the one most foundational aspect – that we are products of God’s grace. We were saved by grace through faith (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9). Furthermore, we forget or ignore the constant presence of God’s grace, since we continue to sin in our thoughts, words, and deeds (Proverbs 20:9; Jeremiah 2:35b; Romans 3:10; 1 John 1:8). Oh that we would incorporate the fact that we cannot survive outside of God’s grace!

            The constant presence of God’s grace in our lives is a sobering thought that should crush our pride into a relentless dependence on God’s presence and grace. Not only that, we should actively proclaim God’s grace to all.

            We are mandated to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), not destroy them. May we live up to this mandate by the grace and power of God.

            Overcoming the innate corruption of one’s inner self is at the heart of Christianity. In my opinion, the theology of “works” within Christianity is a product of that corruption, and hence it needs to be completely debunked and the theology of “God’s grace” should overwhelm all Christians. HE wills and so we will. More on this later. Amen. 

Heart of Condemnation

            We may think there are no ugly crimes perpetrated within Christendom, especially in the likes of Nirbaya or a Sandy Hook massacre. That thought could lead us to be smug in our glass houses, thinking all is well within Christendom. But no, not all is well in Christianity.

            Do we think of our church as the best, our denomination so close to God’s heart, our music and worship even appealing to the heavenly realms, our knowledge of the Bible so vast, deep and impressive, our prayers greatly remarkable and efficient, and our sermons enchantingly admirable?

            How often do we mock at our neighbors faults? How often do we boast to our family and friends that we are so unlike the other sinful and appalling mortal (Cf Luke 18:9-14)?

            If we have gone through these motions, then welcome to the world of spiritual pride!

            At the heart of spiritual pride is a deeply embedded superior religiosity that looks down on everybody around. Let me give you an example from my own life. By the grace and power of God, I discarded smoking and alcoholism several years ago. My immediate response to practicing Christians who drink and smoke was that of a holy scorn. I mocked the legitimacy of their Christianity. How can they continue to drink and even drink like a fish, and smoke and even smoke like a chimney, and yet claim to be practicing Christians! I walked with a powerful halo around my condescending head showering utter disregard to these Christians.

            Condemnation also manifests in other ways – subtle as they may be. Couple of days ago, I had a short chat with a person I shall leave unnamed. He was shifting home, hence they requested their Pastor to visit and bless their new home. But on the day of their moving in, they were told that the Pastor was ill and cannot visit. If the Pastor was genuinely ill, then one should give him the latitude, for he is also a human being with a legitimate need to rest and recover. However, we need to ask one question here, if the same request had come from a powerful and influential member of that church, or from a rich member of that church, or from one of the elders, would the Pastor have visited the home in spite of his illness? The answer is only known to that Pastor and of course, God. If a Pastor or a church leader shows favoritism, then the person who has been deprived of the Pastor’s attention has been condemned to a state of humiliation.

            The holocaust was motivated because of the Nazi principle, “Life unworthy of life.” Then and literally, the Nazi’s decided who lived and died. Today and not so literally, we decide who lives and dies. Those condemned die a million deaths. One would not realize this fact unless they have experienced condemnation.

            The Bible screams against spiritual pride. I will endeavor to dig deep into this subject soon. May the good Lord bless and keep us always. Amen. 

Transformation: Christlikeness – Why Condemn?

            Christlikeness for God’s people is God’s plan (Romans 8:29), God’s mandate (Philippians 2:5), and an obvious development (2 Corinthians 5:17) after our “born again experience.” A believer of Jesus Christ ought to be like Jesus Christ.

            However, the most difficult existential reality to encounter is questions relating to the hypocrisy of Christians. People may not read the four gospels in the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), but they can surely read the fifth gospel - the Christian. But are we the gospel people read and give glory to God or are we the gospel people read and question the existence of the God and in some cases even lose faith in God?

            Someone said that Christians ought to be more redeemed before people believe in their redeemer. “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ,” is another famous quote against Christians.  Ravi Zacharias expresses his difficulty in answering questions of the likes, “Why is it that you as followers of Jesus Christ lay claim to a supernatural transformation, but there is very little evidence of it in your lives?” (Source: Marching to a Different Drummer)

            Just as how the Bible is the most critiqued document, we Christians are being observed by our brothers and sisters of the other worldviews. Within the safe precincts of our home and the church, we make life-size statements staking claim to our supernatural transformation. We also pray that the world is a dark world, and of course it is! But the question we need to ask of ourselves is if we are the light (Matt 5:14-16).

            Ravi Zacharias wrote a book titled, “Has Christianity failed you?” Would he have written that book if there was not a need? The need is a popular notion that Christians are ailing and failing. Many have suffered rejection in the hands of Christians. Even if one is convicted of a sinful act, does he merit that rejection (condemnation)? Is it what the Bible teaches?

            The good news is Christ came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and HE came to save the sinners, not the righteous (Luke 5:32). Christ saves by not condemning the sinner but by being gracious to him. Even when the woman was caught in the act of adultery the Lord’s response was, “When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:7-11, NIV).

            We focus so much on John 3:16 that we, for a moment, ignore the very next verse, John 3:17, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (NIV)

            Why condemn when we can love like how Christ loved us? Are we not hypocrites when we stake claim to be Christ’s disciples yet betray HIM through our condemnation of our neighbor? We are not Christlike when we condemn our fellow neighbor!

            If you have suffered condemnation in the hands of Christians, do not worry, for the Lord Jesus Christ loves a repentant sinner. My prayer is that we, by the grace of God, will not condemn each other, but be Christlike through our love for our neighbors (Matthew 22:39; John 13:34). Amen. 

Transformation: Christlikeness.

As we journey through the topic of transformation, we ought to know who we should resemble. May the Lord minister to us through this poem today. I don't need to write anything over and above what I consider to be a marvelously worded poem.

Please read the poem and be blessed.

Jesus and Alexander

Jesus and Alexander died at thirty-three;

One lived and died for self; one died for you and me.

The Greek died on a throne; the Jew died on a cross;

One’s life triumphed seemed; the other a loss.

One led armies forth; the other walked alone;

One shed a whole world’s blood; the other gave His own.

One won the world in life and lost it all in death;

The other lost His life to win the whole world’s faith.

Jesus and Alexander died at thirty-three;

One died in Babylon; and one on Calvary.

One gained all for self; and one Himself He gave;

One conquered every throne; the other every grave.

The one made himself god; The God made Himself less;

The one lived but to blast; the other but to bless!

When died the Greek, forever fell his throne of swords

But Jesus died to live forever Lord of lords.

Jesus and Alexander died at thirty-three.

The Greek made all men slaves; the Jew made all men free.

One built a throne on blood; the other built on love,

The one was born of earth; the other from above;

One won all this earth, to lose all earth and heaven.

The other gave up all, that all to Him be given.

The Greek forever died; the Jew forever lives;

He loses all who get, and gains all things who gives.

- Anonymous -

May the Triune God empower us to resemble our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Enjoy a blessed day. More later.....

Transformation

            When I committed to serve the Lord full time in August 2004, I encountered a life strengthening incident. I approached my friend – an experienced Christian missionary, and expressed my great relief to have departed from the evil, political, corrupt, and cut-throat secular world. But to my utter shock and surprise, he ruined my joy and said, "Welcome to a dirtier world." I couldn’t believe my ears! But today, I thank him wholeheartedly for that timely word of wisdom that keeps ringing in my ears always.

            I view the Bible as the word of the Triune God given to mankind to deliver us out of evil and sin to draw us into HIS presence with whom we will spend all of eternity. I consider the Bible as a revelation that draws the believer into the life-giving presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Cf. John 5:39-40). When we come into HIS presence, we are to live a life bearing good fruit (Matthew 7:18-20). Unless we remain in Christ, we cannot bear good fruit (Cf. John 15). When we remain in Christ, we are continually transformed into HIS likeness (Romans 8:29).

            These verses are the backbone to my blog. The Holy Bible says, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5). If transformation is one of the major themes of the Bible, then it is imperative that we open the eyes of our hearts to introspect how we as Christians ought to transform so that our Lord’s name be glorified.

            This is not about perfection ministering to imperfection. That equation works only between God and man. This blog is all about one imperfection challenging another. The end objective is that both should change for the better. May the good Lord guide us as we journey through our lives (Jude 24-25).  

            Please do not expect political correctness from this blog. My thoughts are to be governed by the Bible, so chide me if I walk away from the living Word.

            But, it is time to introspect. More on this later….enjoy a blessed day!