Avoiding: Garbage in = garbage out

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

God saved me “by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5) and a big part of this renewal is to live by a renewed mind. That is, what I think about is vital to how I live. The NT says this:

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:8–10)

Renewed in knowledge means knowing what God has done for me, thinking about it, letting it govern how I talk and act. This is because “what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person…” (Matthew 15:18–20)

The psalmist wrote, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” (Psalm 119:9) and the NT says, “Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.” (Philippians 3:15) It also gives the standards of how to think:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

God says He will put His laws on my heart, and write them on my mind (Hebrews 10:16) but how do they get there? Usually not from reading or watching the news, from fiction books, listening to podcasts, etc. but this way:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

Most excuses for time spent in Scripture involve being too busy and not enough time, yet if I evaluate what I do have time for, how will that affect my mind if I trade it for godly thinking that helps me not only to know Jesus better, but have thoughts that are not sin-producing but sharable with others who do not know Him?

Jesus, I’m so thankful for the habit of having daily devotions that began even before You renewed my heart, and for the love of reading and studying Your Word. It is my protection from evil, a faith-builder, and encouragement to give to others. It is how to know You better and the best way to think Your thoughts.

Let God change my mind…

Reading this morning, I’m reminded how quickly the God-blessed understanding He gives to His followers can turns into a self-centered attitude motivated by Satan and rebuked by the voice of the Lord. Main example: Jesus asked His disciples...

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13–19)

God revealed the identity of Jesus to Peter and when he said it, Jesus told Peter that this was  were foundational to the establishment of the church and key to answered prayer. Recognizing the deity of Jesus Christ is vital, but it also makes targets of those who believe it. Peter was Spirit-filled and obedient, but after that, he yielded to sinful thinking: 

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:21–23)

This incident seems shocking until I think of a few examples, some observed and some from my own quickly changing loyalties to Jesus. I can say certain sins are behind me and no longer an issue, but stray off in a dream or imagination myself back into that sin. I can pledge forgiveness to others who have hurt me, then find myself thinking of ways to get even or verbally complaining about what they did. I can vow that prayer is vitally important yet be distracted by my to-do list or some other lesser matter and forget to pray. 

Key to much of this is a mindset. Jesus told Peter his mind was set on the things of man, in this case the idea that good people should not suffer, or that Jesus’ purpose was to conquer the world rather than die for our sins. 

The NT says much about mindset:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5–8)
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:2)
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)
It also says: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1–2)

I could blame my lapses on ADHD, or like others say, “I’m only human” but those are only excuses. God tells me to be in His Word and let Him continually renew my mind rather than letting it, or the world, or the devil govern my thinking.

PRAY: Lord, I know this is important. Also, I know that confessing each lapse into fleshy thinking means forgiveness AND cleansing (1 John 1:9). Excuses do not move me into a godly mindset. Only Your Holy Spirit can do that, for which I am humbly and totally thankful. Enable me to guard my heart today and every day. Amen.


 

Changing my mind?

 

This morning the news tells that 200 books will be banned from the libraries in our province. These are mostly sexually explicit and the banning is to protect young minds. I ran a search “history of book banning” and AI gave me this:

The history of book banning is a recurring phenomenon driven by political, religious, and moral motives, with examples ranging from ancient China to the present-day United States. Key historical moments include China's Emperor Shih Huang Ti burning texts in 259 B.C., the 1637 banning of Thomas Morton's New English Canaan in America, the Comstock Act of 1873 against "immoral" materials, Nazi Germany's book burning, and the apartheid era in South Africa. Recent trends show a significant increase in bans, with organized groups challenging books on topics of race, racism, LGBTQ+ issues, and sexuality, highlighting the ongoing struggle for control over ideas and narratives.

The search result gave the reasoning: “to control public thought and enforce religious or political ideologies, suppressing dissenting views.”

My first thought is that the Word of God could easily, in some minds, fall into this category. While even many Christians do not realize it, the ways of God are “dissenting views” to the ways of the world. We are told:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

The Bible also says:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

My next thought was that the ideas of banning books to change the way people think and act may have an effect, but only God can do a true mind-renewal. He can change how a person thinks, as well as change their entire life and behavior. This is not a DIY project. His Word says:

Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil. (Jeremiah 13:23)

God says that only those who put their trust in Him have the full guarantee of being able to live this changed life He calls us to. I noticed these two verses today because they illustrate the contrast between our thinking and His:

The desire of the righteous ends only in good, the expectation of the wicked in wrath. One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. (Proverbs 11:23–24)

God's way is opposite to ours. He even says that devising anti-God schemes may appear to ‘win’ for a time, but their end is not what is expected. Those who are generous may appear foolish to others but in the end, God takes care of their prosperity and contentment. On the other hand, the stingy of this world never stop wanting more and are never content. As far as banning books goes, that will not change human nature either.

However, urging readers toward wholesome material, even to reading the classics written by those who love and trust God could change the trajectory of their lives, but only if the Creator touches their heart and mind in mercy and grace, and does what we cannot do on our own.

PRAY: This is my prayer today, Jesus, that You will use this book banning for good, and also protect Your Word from being included as a book with “dissenting views.” It certainly goes against the way the world thinks, yet the goodness and love of God is revealed in it. What folly it would be to try and keep Him from all who are showing signs of a deep need for the One who can provide all that we need. I am encouraged by Your promise: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Education needed?

I belong to a few quilt groups. Most of the quilters are very skilled and their work shows good judgment with color, design, and other elements that make up a compelling quilt. However, some others have little money for good fabric, are mostly self-taught and seem unaware of basic principles concerning accurate seam widths, pressing, and other skills.

When I started this activity, I had sewn for years, but my first efforts revealed that I needed more education to do this art properly. I took twelve basic classes and many others, and still feel like I’m a beginner.

Piper’s devotional today is about the need for education. He says all Christians have reason for training our minds so we can read the Bible with understanding. I know I need the Holy Spirit to understand what I am reading even though several years of school taught me how to read. My high school literature teacher is fondly remembered for teaching much about books and understanding how words work.

For me, Piper’s statement seemed a bit obvious. I take for granted the preciousness of reading, yet realize not all cultures have a written language. Many people are not able to read even ordinary writing, like a newspaper or a simple book, let alone something as complex as Stephen Charnock’s writing or the Word of God that was translated into English, even though we have several hundred versions at various reading levels. Some are for children, others for those just learning English.

At least the translators realize how levels of reading ability are important. Otherwise, like quilts made without some instruction, the understanding can fall short of being a blessing. This happens because even with the ability to read and understand just the words and ideas expressed, some do not realized the importance of the Holy Spirit to interpret His words as He intends them. Even as I read, I need to read with this intent:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

This points to the need for renewal. Even the well-educated can assume sufficiency apart from God and from relying on His Spirit. Reading all of this passage is a good reminder:

Where is the one who is wise?. . . . Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. . . . For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. . . . these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. . . . For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:20-2:16)

PRAY: Jesus, while I need to grasp biblical thoughts, have learned the alphabet, grammar, syntax, the rudiments of logic, and how meaning is imparted through the connections of sentences and paragraphs, I cannot hear You speak without Your Spirit. That You give Him to me is pure grace. Thank You.

Trusting God’s Will?

At least once, the mere mention of hoping that God’s will is done has brought a negative response from the Christians I was talking with. This was a surprise, yet I’ve also been afraid of what might happen. Today’s reading says this:

I feel more deeply than I can express the grievous wrong that is done to our heavenly Father by the dread His own children have of His blessed will. If those who profess to know and trust Him dread His will, we cannot wonder that the world looks on the will of God as something to be feared and resisted more than anything else, and we need not question why they are driven away from Him. If God’s own children regard Him as a tyrant, what can His enemies be expected to think?

The difficulty lies in not really trusting that He wants our good. Satan told that lie to Eve in the garden and it worked. Falling for it brought sin into the world and it still is causing sin. Even God’s children, that lie motivates us to take matters into our own hands and not trust the Lord. Doing our own thing is the essence of sin:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Again, it began with a lie. God told Eve she could eat anything but not from the tree in the middle of the garden. Here is the subtle suggestion that enticed her to think it would be a good idea:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1–5)

He puts ideas like this into my head: “If you do what you determine is right or good or okay, even if God says otherwise, then you will benefit from it. The will of God is not going to do you any good.”

For most of us, failures from making decisions by trusting our own judgment ought to teach us that we don’t know what is best, but after years of being my own boss most of the time, it seems a hard way to learn. Here is a better one:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

Obedience and mind-renewal. Reading the Word of God feeds the new nature, building it up so I can and want to do the will of God, and obedience to what He shows me also reveals that His will is good, totally acceptable and perfect. Instead of being afraid of God and suspicious of His motives, trust is increased and my way becomes not only less important, but I start seeing it as a “grievous wrong” to God. How dare I think I know better than He does! Instead, this becomes a reality:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5–8)

PRAY: Jesus, even in ordinary life, You keep surprising me with incredible goodness, especially whenever I stop leaning on my ‘good’ ideas. Daily and unexpected answers to prayer. Unusual energy when I wait on You. Words to say when my mind goes blank. The list is long. Your will is not only good, but that goodness cannot be exhausted, yet it is always unpredictable. For all of this and all that You are, I praise You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Self-Denial

 

The word for today is YIELD. A simple search in the English Bible gives only nine references using almost as many different Greek words. Most of them mean to produce something, or give off something which is what the word used here means:

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. (Matthew 27:50)

The only one that speaks of consecration to God in the sense of giving all of me into His care is expressed in a negative sense in relation to false teachers:

… to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. (Galatians 2:5)

A better term is SELF-DENIAL It means to deny myself by repudiating any gratification of self-centered desires and values that are outside of God's will and will not glorify Him. One writer describes it as getting out of the driver’s seat so that God is in that place, denying self any right to master my life. 

Jesus said it this way: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) This “cross” is not about hardships as many use the term, but about dying to our old way of life.

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (Romans 6:6)

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)

These verses make it clear that this is about considering “self’ being separated from God in a state called spiritual death, the state of anyone who is not “alive” through faith in Christ. However…

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Because this is true, I can live accordingly. Being able to deny sin and selfishness affirms that I believe the above verse. It is a faith issue. If I think I have rights and my way is okay, then I am not believing God, at least not for everyday life. Yet God’s Word affirms that those who believe in Christ for eternal life only will learn otherwise:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11–14)

As God teaches me to deny self, He also teaches me to identify self. I want good things, but good may not be best. It is His will to which I must yield, not my own, no matter how good my desires might seem. Jesus did say, “Not my will but thine be done.” For that reason, the goal is to… “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14) and to “present my body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is my spiritual worship, and to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of my mind, that by testing I may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1–2, personalized)

PRAY: Lord, in the busyness and duties of this day, remind me often that Your will means abundant life and the very best for me. Help me think that way when the challenges come. They always do, and You are always here to guide me into self-denial and being wholly yielded to Your will. Amen.

Put off the old way…

People who immigrate to another country face several challenges. Food differences is one of them. One family still serves what they ate in their former home, but their children like the food in their new country. Another person who has been here several years and applying for citizenship goes to markets for food from her former culture and she will not even try many foods from this new culture.

This illustrates the challenge to change that faces new Christians. We are told to worship God and that we are ambassadors of heaven (our new home) living in this world. While we are here, we are to live according to our new identity, even in how we think, and abandon our former way of life.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

Mind renewal means learning to think with the mind of Christ, a wonderful gift from God to enable adjustment to living in this world. The Bible says we must consider it a ‘foreign’ culture compared to our new life in Christ. This is not just about Sundays or meal times but all the time. This is a challenge, even a battle.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:3–6)

Complete obedience is a clue to how long this might take. Living in the flesh means governing my own life without considering the will of God. I was nearly thirty when God gave me new life so had many years of living in that ‘culture’ before He changed my citizenship. Learning His ways is one challenge; living them and thinking as He thinks increases the challenge. He says “take every thought captive” and “being ready to punish every disobedience” — which translates into learning and doing to the point that His will becomes as natural and my old way of thinking had been.

This is not about a new snack every now and then to adjust to being a new person. This is a full-meal deal of learning to think how Christ would think if He was in my circumstances. In other words, I’m to feed on Him and be nourished by the true Bread of Life that comes from heaven, not by the old ways of thinking.

When David sinned, he prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) This is part of it; rejecting that old way and confessing each time I choose it, then asking God to forgive and cleanse me. He tells me to reject all that is sinful:

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:8–10)

PRAY: Lord, the battle for my mind is also a battle for my habits, even my thoughts. I realize the power of the old self with its subtle yet deceitful desires, and also the need to be continually renewed in the spirit of my mind. I’m so thankful that You tell me to put on the new self, created after Your  likeness but also that You also enable it. With You, every day is a new day for increasing righteousness and holiness.

How to be discerning

Discernment is often the topic of discussion in the small group that I pray with and we agree how easily it eludes us. We sing on Sunday, “I am no longer a slave to fear; I am a child of God” and get fearfully worried about something on Monday. What happened to make that confident faith run off somewhere and leave us in bondage to fear?

One of my readings today offers a likely suggestion — somewhere between the song and the door opening to anxiety was a command that we knew we should obey but did not.

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:17)

This short remark made by Jesus suggests that knowing and doing are more than connected. If said in the negative, if I know something and do not do it, I lose a blessing. While Jesus does not describe what that blessing is, the devotional writer offers this: When you know you should do a thing, and do it, immediately you know more. That is, obedience produces discernment. If my spiritual life takes a dive and my ability to discern what God is saying to me, it could be that it goes back to a point where there was something I knew I should do, but I did not do it. At the time, it may have seemed not very important but as soon as the opportunity passed, so also did my perception and discernment.

When that happens, at the next time of crisis, I could be spiritually distracted instead of spiritually aware and therefore miss another opportunity to know and do what God wants.

This writer goes on to say that many Christians in that place make another mistake. Instead of confessing their disobedience, they work up occasions of self-sacrifice that God has not called for. This is easier than doing what God says…

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

As the OT says, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Obedience leads me forward. Sacrifice hinders progress, even halts spiritual growth. As that writer says, do not go back to what I once was when God wants me to be something I have never been. “If you will do …, you shall know.…”  Obedience is key to discernment.

The song and my heart knows that I am a child of God. Satan knows that if he can get me to act as if I am not, then my ability to know and grow is halted. Knowing who I am is based on what Christ has done. Acting as who I am is a huge part of that. I am not called to forgive others in order to induce Christ to forgive me; I am to forgive others because i know that He has already forgiven me. I am not commanded to be a follower of Jesus in order to become God’s child because I know I am already His child.

Every day brings challenges to rob me of the victory that comes from doing what I know. Satan never retires from trying to delude me and mess up my discernment and growth. Even disobeying what seems like a small request will do it. I need to put my faith in God in all situations to keep from being caught in my enemy’s lies. God can turn defeat into victory whenever I really trust Him and do what He asks.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. (1 John 5:4)

PRAY: Jesus, You are the Savior and my faith AND obedience depend on Your grace and power, yet when both are given a big YES from my heart, You chase off the devil and You bless me — always with wonderful surprises and certainly with an abundant life. Again, You are so amazing!

What holiness looks like…

 
Since ‘holy’ is about purity and about being set apart and unlike or ‘other than’ this means the people of God are not like what we were once like. Our life “hid with Christ in God” is a hidden life as to its source, at least to those who do not focus on Jesus, but that life with Jesus must not be hidden as to its outward results. People ought to see that I walk as Christ walked. Even in challenges, my life will be different. It should prove that I possess what I profess. This means turning my back on everything that is contrary to the perfect will of God and being what some translations call “peculiar people” in the eyes of the people around me.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11–14)

Wherever I go, this “other than” ought to be seen in my habits, state of mind, values, interests, conversations, and activities. For instance, because I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, I must  no longer look on my money as mine, but as belonging to the Lord to be used in His service. I must not use my energies in the pursuit of worldly means, but “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” knowing that God will take care of my needs. (Matthew 6:33)

God does not ask me to seek prominence or worldly advantages. I’m not to make myself the center of my thoughts and goals. My days are not to be spent serving me or my I-wants but in serving the Lord. He calls me to bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. All my daily duties are to have His attitude, “not as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord” (Ephesians 6:5–8) The will of God is not only different but perfect, yet it does require something from me:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

First, I must yield to Him, not with eye-service as to impress others by looking good, but from the heart. This is “spiritual worship” and therefore from the spirit, the deepest part that is made alive in redemption and is my connection with the Spirit of God. My worship cannot be outward actions, or merely intellectual or emotional in nature. I can choose to worship but true worship is from the heart and all of my being, yielded totally to the Lord.

Also, I’m to say no to the world and its values, motivations, and the ways of expressing them:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

All this means being different, ‘other than’ and often mocked by those who cannot fathom why anyone would live this way. It makes no sense to them. In our culture, our Christian ways are ignored, sometimes ridiculed or even opposed. In many parts of the world, this way is persecuted and many Christians die at the hands of those who see this ‘other than’ way of life as a threat to their own.

PRAY: Jesus, thank You for new life with its great challenge to be holy because You are holy. Keep my focus on You during these days of confusion and so many needs in others who ask for prayer and in those who deny that You even exist. Grant me the strength to persevere, not only in prayer but in being what You want me to be — holy and set apart for You.

Dead to old, alive to new…

Today’s devotional offers a good illustration of what it means to be dead to my old life and living in the new. When I was a child, I loved to make little rooms in the forest beside our house, ride horses, play with our dogs, and play all day. I did not like housework, especially dusting and was not interested in cooking. But when I became an adult woman, my feelings were reversed and I enjoyed the things I once avoided and could not be bothered with the things I once loved.

In other words, I “took up the cross” to my childish play and no longer wanted to do those things. I became delighted in the pursuits of maturity and left behind the pleasures of childhood. While this is not a perfect illustration (I still love horses and hate dusting), it does illustrate what it means to take up the cross and die to my old life and live the new life.

Some Christians look at the Christian life as a child might view the adult life — thinking it means giving up the things they love and to do the things they hate. They call this “taking up the cross” and actually think God enjoys their grudging service. However, this idea totally misses what Jesus meant when He said:

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

When God saved me, I entered His family as a babe in Christ. As the Bible says, I needed to grow up through realizing the goodness of God. He is not a mean taskmaster:

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:2–3)

Perhaps the problem with those who think that doing the will of God is “grudging service” that gives up everything they enjoy is that they have not spent enough time in the Word of God (pure spiritual milk) to taste His incredible goodness. Or it could be that they are clinging to the ‘playtime’ of their former life, preferring to stay in control of what they want to do instead of submitting to the good will of God. This submission is a choice — to turn from that worldly way of thinking and allowing God to transform my mind. In that process, I learn that His will is good, more than acceptable, even perfect.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

As the devotional says, and as He is teaching me, if my affections are set on the will of God, I will love it. If I love it, then how can it seem a great burden? This means saying what David said and what Jesus repeated:

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (John 4:34)

God wants me set on His will and delighting in it. This is possible as my new life in Christ changed my heart. I now recognize that I am dead to anything that is contrary to Jesus. This is my cross — that recognition that I am dead to the world and alive only in Christ. How heavy that cross can be is determined by how mature I am in Christ.

PRAY: Today’s ‘cross’ is being dead to my plans that I can do God’s will in taking care of my husband. His pain is severe and he cannot do small things, like pick up a dropped pencil or reach something at the other end of the sofa. I’m dead to my I-wants on my to-do list and alive to the will of God that urges me to pick up or reach or do whatever is needed for my hubby. Because of You, loving Your will (and loving my husband) makes that cross a great deal lighter!

No Filters

 

One character trait that I value is transparency. My parents didn’t hide behind pretense so when I began to encounter it as I grew to adulthood, I didn’t know what to do with it. From the NT bits about Nathanael, one of Jesus’ disciples, I know that God blesses those whose hearts are transparent.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47)

Because this man was open of heart, God was open to him. Jesus said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:51)

Transparency pleases God because being His child involves the state of our hearts, not the names we call ourselves, the building we worship in, or even our creeds and statements of faith. Just as Jesus knew the heart of Nathanael, He know my heart.

In the OT, He used the wilderness wanderings to reveal hearts:

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. (Deuteronomy 8:2)

He also says many times that He reveal truth to our hearts, such as His goodness and the sinfulness of our own lives . . .

And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. (Joshua 23:14)

 . . . whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers. (1 Kings 8:38–40)

Yet at times, my sin blocks discernment. When that happens, I need to pray as the psalmist did: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24) And this invites the saving power of God: “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 24:7)

I needed a new heart because what Jesus said is true: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15) Sin is so deceitful that without God, we will call evil good and good evil. Blind to the selfishness of our hearts, we run our own lives and ignore God.

This is why transparency blesses me in others. It indicates they have begun to see the truth about themselves and further, are willing to acknowledge it. No pretense. No filters. No excuses. Their hearts are enlightened, and while this is only part of that spiritual journey to the Cross, it indicates readiness to see what is true.

Even then, even as a Christian, my heart is not the final say. As said before, sin is deceptive. Not only that, Satan is a deceiver who knows that a sensitive heart can be subject to suggestion so he accuses God’s people of evil doing, either bringing up sin that has been confessed and forgiven, or making vague accusations to give the feeling of ‘being in the wrong’ when nothing is wrong. False guilt ruins transparency because it makes me feel wrong but without clarity about what I did wrong, so how can I be open about what is going on in my heart when I don’t know what it is? This is why reading God’s Word is vital:

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. (1 John 3:19–20)

PRAY: Thank You Jesus for the power of the Holy Spirit to reveal my heart issues to me even when Satan has me in a fog. Thank You for teaching me to not fear ‘what will people think’ that can keep me from being a transparent person. Keep my heart right. Then the right words and actions will follow — because from the heart all things flow, and because I do not want to ever be a hypocrite who pretends things that are not true. Most of all, thank You for Your great heart that loves me and guides me through this maze called life.

KNOW: and memorize Romans 12:1–2 as a defense against hypocrisy and to keep my heart filled with the right stuff!