A Jealous God?

Our God.  A jealous God.

Something wrong with that.  When I think of a jealous husband, I think of one who is controlling and possessive of his wife.  I think of one who expects more love than he gives.  I think of a jerk.

So, maybe our translation of Exodus 20:5 needs a little help.  I do not think this is what was intended by our God being "jealous."

The original sense of qahnah' is "zeal."  The jealous part come from being "zealous for one's own possessions."  God is zealous for the love of his beloved, his people, each one of them.

Certainly, unfaithfulness brings about anger and pain in him.  Such is the form of jealousy we are most familiar with.  But there is something else.  For this jealous anger to make sense, something must be understood about "cheating" on God.

God is not zealous for us because we belong to him, but because he wants us to belong to him.  This is not a controlling, possessive God, but a wooing God who calls out to us.  The anger and punishment are not the focus here, but the great desire he has for each person.

Although idolatry is serious, it is not as serious as God's zealous love.  Exodus 20:5-6 explains that his love is expressed 250-333 times more than his anger and pain.  That is the point.

Just think, if we could even show our loved ones love 2-3 times more love, kindness, and respect than our anger, worry, and disappointment the world would be an entirely different place.

Maybe before we spend too much time on God's wrath, significant and important as it is, perhaps we should focus on his zealous love a little more.  Otherwise, God's wrath will be misunderstood.

What if we re-translated, well, paraphrased Exodus 20:4-6:

"Don't be mastered by your desires for things around you.  Don't kneel, wallow, or crawl merely trying to get what you want.  You have me, the God you know by name, who deeply loves you and wants you to love me.  For their own good and the good of those around them, I briefly punish those who abandon me for such empty desires and even their grandchildren will feel it.  Those who return to me and joyfully obey me out of love will find such love deeply affects and encourages as many as 25 generations of their family and friends by my loving grace."

What a legacy that would be!  But even more, what a merciful and kind God whose rewards so far outweigh his punishments.

I think I might exchange the jealous God for the God who desperately wants me to be his.  Such a commandment would not be burdensome at all.

Eternal Life: One Vine

One Vine.
One garden.
One Gardner.

Jesus tells us how it is
more than what we should do.

One True Vine.
The universe is just the garden
made by the Gardner
to house the Vine.

Reality unfolds.
We are branches
connected to the True Vine
or not.

Jesus's words go out
pruning some branches
for fruition,
cutting others off.

How so?

For some, his teaching draws them
into friendship,
into familial intimacy,
into joyful obedience,
bringing the sap of life.

For others, just hearing about him
makes them harder,
withered,
dry,
bringing resentment
against him
and those who follow him.

The Gardner
prunes back the branches
to produce the fruit
of joyful obedience.

Without joy
obedience is mean
hypocrisy.
Without obedience
joy is empty
sentiment.

We are the branches,
connected to Christ
in friendship
more than servitude.
Without such friendship
there can be no fruit,
no joyful obedience.

The Father's words
ring true in him,
showing us what
he has meant to say
all along:
"I love my Son.
He loves me.
Join our family."

This family,
these intimate friends,
gather around the vine,
connected
through their connection,
loving
as they are loved.
All life
and resources
and growth
coming from the Vine
planted by the Gardner.

One True Vine.
One Gardner.
One garden.

(Mediation on John 15)

Eternal Life: Becoming a Part of Christ's Life

When you fail or fear,
do not be alarmed that the foundations of your life are shaken.
Instead, trust in God
and also trust in who he sent - me.
Even when you fail,
especially when you fail,
remember God has a place for you.
His house is open wide to you.
I am not just saying that.
Actually, I am going to prepare your room for you.
So now you know when I go,
it is not in order to leave you,
but to go ahead of you
and make a place for you.
I am coming back for you so you can be where I am.
You know the place I am going to,
the one I'm always talking about.

You cry out, "Lord, I don't know where you are going
so how can I know the way?"

The way is in front of you, right before you.

Make my ways your ways,
Hold the same truth I hold,
Live as I have lived.
Do all this with me and you are on the way.
There is no other way to that place I am going to
- my Father's side.
When you really come to know me
you will find my Father near and know him too.
So, as you know me even now,
you know and see our Father God
and find your place with him.

You say, "Just show me the Father.  Show me my place.  I will get there."

What do you think I've been trying to do?
I want you to see the Father.
I want you to see the Father in me.
Now you want to get to him on your own.
Trust me.  I live and work in his presence
and he lives and works through my presence.
Look, these words I am speaking even now are not merely my own.
They also are his work, his very being expressed through me.
Trust me when I tell you that
you will find our Father God where I am living and working
and where he is at work you will find me.
If my word is not enough to inspire your trust,
then at least trust the miracles he does through me.
Here's the truth:
If anyone really believes what I am telling you,,
that person will start doing the miracles I have done.
Actually, that person will do even greater things,
because I will be with our Father,
leading and cheering him on to the very end,
a place I have prepared for him.
I will do anything that person asks
because of his complete confidence in me.
Such trust in me shows our Father's goodness and shining beauty.
So you may always ask me for anything
and such utter confidence in who I am and all I've done
will not disappoint you.
You'll get what you ask for.
This kind of request comes from loving me.
And such love always obeys me.
You will want what I want.

Now, I will be sending someone else to be with you from our Father God:
the Spirit who is always true.
The world caught up in doing its own thing in its own way find this One unacceptable,
because they can't see him or know him enough to manipulate him.
For you it's different.
You've already been introduced to the Spirit who is with you.
He lives with and even inside those who are with me.
Now, although I am leaving, I will not leave you alone
like a child who has no parents.
By this Spirit I will come to you.
Soon after I go, the world obsessed with what it wants will not be able to see me.
You, however, will still see me.
The life I live will continue.
You will be included in that life with me.
On the day, even though the self-centered world can't see me anymore,
you will find me where my Father is living and working.
I am in his life, a part of his life.
Then you will see you are a part of my life,
and finally you will discover how I am in your life.
Such a life as this comes to those who love me.
Those who love me hold my instructions as dear and follow them closely.
Yes, such love for me brings my Father's adoration
and my deep affection.  I will show myself to that person.

(Meditation on John 14:1-21)

Funny how failure and fear can bring me to trust in God or to cling even more tightly to my idols.  When I sense that abandonment, I can think Christ has left me or has gone on ahead to prepare for me.  The sense of being left can either make me look for him or make me distrust him.

The way is as it has always been: discipleship.  It is to take his life as my life, hoping that I will gain what he has and go where he goes.  Jesus leaves no room for worry.  By his grace, my efforts will indeed make his way my way, his truth my truth, and his life my life.

Unfortunately, after receiving instructions, I am prone to say, "Just let me see the map to God.  Let me see what it's like and I'll take from here, Jesus."  Then I end up in the same boat with his disciples that night - betraying and denying.  I am saying my efforts are enough.  They aren't.  However, they are necessary.  So Jesus goes on carefully explaining how he intends to get me to where he is going.  I am going to need to take his word on that.  I will need to be immersed in his helping, strengthening Spirit.  I will need to actually do what he did.  The effort is mine.  He will take care of the results and the completion of those efforts.

When I say, "I'll take it from here" to Jesus, I am saying my life is my own.  It isn't.  Jesus carefully describes how I become a part of his life instead of merely having him as part of my life.  How would I become part of my wife's or my kid's lives?  I hang around and do what they do.  Being a loving part of their lives is what makes my involvement a blessing rather than a curse.  With Jesus, only after I see how I am part of his life and learn to love him for including me, will I be able to deal with how he is in my life.  My life will truly become my own because I will receive it as a gift from him.

Perhaps this will be how I see Jesus most clearly.  My hope will not be disappointed as I see Jesus in my very own limbs and words and grow to understand his truth in love and sense his presence through his pleasure in the life we share.  Perhaps Jesus will show himself mostly by being in me.

Lord, teach me how to be a part of your life instead of trying to make you a part of my life.  Amen.

Sorrow and Suffering Job Style

For my sighing comes instead of my bread, and my groanings are poured out like water.  For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.  I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes. (Job 3:24-26, ESV)

 In a very short time they were over the bridge, and had come to the foot of the mountains, where the path began the ascent of the lower slopes. Here great boulders were scattered all around, and suddenly Much-Afraid saw the figures of two veiled women seated on one of the rocks at the side of the path. As the Shepherd and she came up to that place, the two rose and bowed silently to him. 

“Here are the two guides which I promised,” said the Shepherd quietly. “From now on until you are over the steep and difficult places, they will be your companions and helpers.”

Much-Afraid looked at them fearfully. Certainly they were tall and appeared to be very strong, but why were they veiled? For what reason did they hide their faces? The longer and closer she looked at them, the more she began to dread them. They were so silent, so strong, and so mysterious. Why did they not speak? Why give her no friendly word of greeting? 

“Who are they?” she whispered to the Shepherd. “Will you tell me their names, and why don’t they speak to me? Are they dumb?” 

“No, they are not dumb,” said the Shepherd very quietly, “but they speak a new language, Much-Afraid, a dialect of the mountains which you have not yet learned. But as you travel with them, little by little, you will learn to understand their words. “They are good teachers; indeed, I have few better. As for their names, I will tell you them in your own language, and later you will learn what they are called in their own tongue. This,” said he, motioning toward the first of the silent figures, “is named Sorrow. And the other is her twin sister, Suffering.” (Hurnard, Hannah. Hinds Feet on High Places)

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27, ESV)

I see that Job had found that sighing and groaning were his bread and water in the days of his suffering.  He spoke these words in distress, wishing he'd never been born.  And yet, what other sustenance can one hope for in the darkest valley of suffering?  Perhaps sorrow becomes the only one who can feed you in these times.

Such times are brought on by fear.  Job admits his suffering consists of the very things he fears and dreads.  Perhaps suffering serves as a mirror to show us our fears.  In such times we face fear as more than an idea or feeling.  It becomes the very reflection of ourselves.  Who am I?  Am I made of fears?

Such times are full of turmoil.  No ease, quiet, or rest.  Most often sleep suffers.  I wake up in the early morning with my heart beating fast and I don't know why.  Trouble comes.  Yet I know that not all sleep is good and not all peace rests on hope.  Sometimes I need to wake up, especially if the house is on fire.

These early morning conversations with God take two forms.  "Curse God and die!"  or "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."  Curse or bless.  Pour out my poison and vindictiveness against him and his servants or cling thankfully to him and whatever help he sends.  He remains the same.  He is the unmovable, un-climbable mountain.  I can pound on it and scream, or hide in it and cry.

I see people falling around me.  "Curse God and die" has become the only voice they can hear.  The anger burns.  It points outward in rage or inward in depression.  Either way they are consumed and consume other people, too.  I am afraid of this.  More than any suffering I am afraid of this.  This fear reigns above all others: I fear losing my One True Friend.

"Blessed be the name of the Lord."  It seems impossible.  It must be insincere.  Can I really bless the One who let this happen?  Can I really kiss the scourge that tears at me?  For my own sake, no.  I cannot be happy with suffering in the middle of it.  Instead I think of my Lord.  I think of his Way out of suffering.  He did not turn around.  He did not go around.  He went through.  Sometimes it's the only way.  Where he goes, I follow.  With his company, I am safe.  That is the blessing.  It is well with him so it is well for me.  He's that good.

Suffering has no handbook.  No instructions.  No magic words that make it easy.  This house, this life will face the storm.  It's not an "if," but a "when."  In the end what will save me is not what I know, but Who I know.

Both the wise and the foolish build.  Will I build for life or will I build for desire?  Life-building digs down deep and clings to the Rock.  Desire-building spreads itself out thin, replacing digging with distraction.  Jesus's words are for building a life on Life.

I do not write as one who has suffered much, but as one who knows he may suffer much.  I see that the best preparation is not presuming that I won't suffer or pretending that I will somehow be above sorrow.  Trials are dangerous.  I stand before them with fear.  With Job as a companion and the Lord as my Rock and my Guide, such fear will become fuel for my joy, a bed for my peace, and a light for my hope.

The Nature of Abundant, Eternal Life

Looking upon Evangelist very carefully, [Christian] said, "Whither must I fly?"  

Then said Evangelist, pointing with his finger over a very wide field, "Do you see yonder wicket-gate?" 

The man said, "No." 

Then said the other, "Do you see yonder shining light?"  

He said, "I think I do." 

Then said Evangelist, "Keep that light in your eye, and go up directly thereto: so shalt thou see the gate; at which, when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shalt do." 

So I saw in my dream that the man began to run. . . .  The man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying, "Life! life! eternal life!"  So he looked not behind him, but fled towards the middle of the plain.  

Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim's Progress

As we journey into the light (or run as Christian did), we will find the gate to life before us.  We may not fully or even partly understand at first, but the light of God's revelation leads us to that life.  The gate is Christ himself.

Christian meets Interpreter later, who communicates some of the nature of eternal, abundant life.  On Monday, I realized a few things about the nature of that life as I went through some readings the The Path to Life prayer book from Renovare.

First, I remembered the substance of that life.  Jesus Christ is the path to life.  John reports this from Jesus' prayer: "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."  (John 17:3)  This is what this additional life given to us is made of.

Now some of the attributes of that life are explained in the book.  Where abundant, eternal life is, these attributes will be found:

• a prayer-filled life, in which we enjoy the intimacy of our Father's presence;
• a virtuous life, in which our every act and word becomes more expressive of God's love;
• a Spirit-empowered life, in which we offer our spiritual gifts for the common good;
• a compassionate life, in which we seek the peace and love of God in community;
• a Word-centered life, in which we are immersed in the fathomless depths of Scripture; and
• a sacramental life, in which we discover the everyday world around us to be infused with God.

The substance of the "fleshly," carnal, earthly, or merely natural life would be in opposition to the abundant life Jesus promised.  So the substance of it is that self-gratification is the path to life.  "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things."  (Philippians 3:19)  The attributes of such a life might be as follows:

• a prayer-less life, in which God is distant and only fear of his wrath is experienced;
• a life of self-indulgence, in which our every act and word becomes more expressive of how much we value ourselves and our pleasures;
• a flesh-empowered life, in which we count on our own abilities and ingenuity to get us through life;
• a life in the rat race, in which we seek to come out on top whatever the cost;
• a mind-darkened life, in which our minds are ruled by our desires and we cannot fathom what the truth might be; and
• a  meaningless life, in which we discover the everyday world around us to be merely an accident going nowhere.

Of course, you can fill in the blanks yourself.  I think it may be a good exercise in counting the cost.  We need to count the cost of following Christ, but we also need to count the cost of not following Christ.

Also, meditating on aspects of the abundant, eternal life can lead to the question, "Is this really what I want?"  If not, we need not panic, but we do have to come to a place where we want to want it.  Then Jesus can step in and help us, as he must.

We cannot have both.  Being still before God and waiting on him requires that we in some sense turn ourselves over to him as our King and Master.  We cannot have two masters.

So we gather to honor King Jesus.  We honor him most by seeking his kingdom, his rule, his oversight in our lives and minding him, setting him always before us.  We begin with fits and starts, but he leads us onward by his power and kindness.  What we cannot do is stay where we are now.  The life is a pilgrimage, not a tour.  But that can be a relief because don't we actually want to get somewhere?

May the Lord lead you kindly this week from life into life and out of darkness.

(A letter to our Spiritual Formation group)

A New Life with Jesus: Jesus Moves In

Mortifying earthly things certainly sounds unpleasant.  We were given new life, and yet some of our old life remains.  New life does not mean that the "sin in our members," most noticed as habits, suddenly disappears.  No, we are given the task of working out our deliverance with God.  Kind of like "Hogan's Heroes" plotting our escape from sin and its accomplices.

The tide has turned.  Victory is at hand.  A new value system has entered us by the light and revelation of God in the life and company of Jesus.  God is not just a word.  Our own pleasures are not the most important thing.  Someone else has moved in and he's not planning on leaving.

Suddenly the presence of Someone so important, so delightful, and so interesting has turned our lives upside down.  What seemed so important shrinks before our eyes.  Deep longings and hopes surface that are greater than even our own lives.  Something big is happening and now we are in the middle of it, since we have new roommates.  So it is with new life.

Since you were lifted up into life

  in the company of Christ,

seek all the things of that higher life,

  living before Christ,

    who is seated at God's right hand

    as Lord of the whole world.

Mind each detail of that life,

  not all the desires, worries, and threats 

    that continue on earth.

You can seek and be mindful this life

  because your life on earth is over and done.

Your new life is more than it seems

  hidden even as Jesus is hidden

  in his Father's company.

Your life will not always be hidden,

  but will appear before everyone,

    even as Christ will,

  for approval before the Father

  and full of all that is truly good and beautiful.

(Colossians 3:1-4)

Let Jesus and the Father move in.  Take up their life as your own.  Give up on what used to work.  It won't anymore.  You will find that this new life is hidden, not because it is somehow unreal, but because the world and your old life are based on lies and illusions.  Real life is hidden from the world like reality is hidden from a psychopath.

May you find your new roomies a great comfort and of great interest this week.

(A letter written to my group of spiritual companions.)

The Deliverance of the Cross

These are the shadows of things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.  (Colossians 2:17)

Holy Week may be the greatest "reality check" that we all have.  In the midst of dreams and disappointments, Jesus's road to and beyond the cross stands as a stark contrast.  It shows us that we typically greatly overestimate our own ability and goodness and greatly underestimate God's ability and goodness.  So we find reality.

The cross is not a requirement of mere suffering or sacrifice for followers of Jesus.  We serve a God who says, "I desire to show you mercy, not demand your sacrifice."  The part of us that suffers is the part that needs to die: our merely self-gratifying desires.  The cross stands as the ultimate sign of the frustration of such desires.

We need someone to deliver us from the black hole of self-gratification.  It takes more than putting such desires to death.  It takes a new way of life and a completely new foundation:

In just the same way as you took the Christ, even Jesus, the Lord, to your side at one point, 

  keep walking with Him, 

  since you have been planted in Him 

    and are rooted in Him, 

    and are building your lives upon Him,

  and are developing inner strength by your trust.

Do all this just as you were taught, 

  while being excessive in your gratefulness to God. (2:6-7)

Just as the cross points to the resurrection, so the putting to death of our earthly desires points to something greater for our desires to focus on.  As we plot the destruction of such things that enslave us, we can begin to see something new sprouting from our soul: new thoughts, new feelings, a new sense of purpose, new relationships.  Take note of these things or you may find yourself slipping into a grudging and grinding spirituality rather than the freedom that Christ gives.

Paul gives a few warnings about going in the wrong direction (2:23).  Do not "worship" the will or rely too heavily upon it.  If you do you will find yourself exhausted before the day is done and falling back into the habits you are trying to fight.  

Do not humiliate yourself.  Talking down to yourself will actually lead you back to your "coping mechanisms."  Speak to your heart like you would a little child, kindly and carefully.  

Do not focus on practices that are hard on the body.  Habits are not destroyed in a day.  Just like working yeast through dough kneed good practices into your live and bad practices out.  A little bit can go a long way.  This is more of a marathon than a sprint.

I want to encourage you.  Use what is helpful.  Share how God is dealing with you so that other people can benefit.

May you find the joy of increasing freedom from sin and of service to Christ and his kingdom this week!

(A letter to my fellow pilgrims I meet with)

Don't Worry, Relax in God

petvetcity.com

Relax.

Relax and worry will leave you.

The value of your life is so much greater than the food you eat or the happiness you get.  The beauty of your body is so much more than the clothes you wear or whatever you accomplish.

Soar like an eagle on the breeze.  With ease and confidence.  God will carry you like the wind carries that bird.  God will feed you like he feeds each bird.

When you work, do not work for mere food.  God will take care of that.

Remember, worry cannot add anything to your life.  It only takes away.

Turn your face to the sun like the flowers.  They do not need to work for its warmth and energy.  God will shine on you like the sun.  His light will reveal the beauty and accomplishments of what you do.

When you work, do not work for mere outward appearances.  God will take care of that.

Remember, worry does not show your care, but your faithlessness.

First things first.  Worry gets it all mixed up.

First, make it your business to know God's business.  Nothing escapes his notice.  He cares for birds and flowers.  He cares even more for your life and your body.  His business is to watch over you.  Let yourself be watched and known to him.  We do not owe him.  This is just what he does.

Align yourself with his watch-care.  Let your life be his to care for.  Know that his care extends to everyone.  Everyone needs to let themselves be known and cared for by this God.

care2.com

When we are cared for, we can relax.  Relax with God.  Relax with each other.

When we are cared for, our life and our bodies are provided for.  We all can find sustenance and happiness.  We all can find protection and significance.

Relax and tomorrow will not be scary.  Be cared for and today's challenges will not be overwhelming.

Relax and worry will leave you.

Relax in God's care.

(Meditation on Matthew 6:25-34)

Ears, Eyes, and Heart

As a discipline, silence is great for teaching me about the nature of what I say and ultimately, the nature of my heart. It can open my ears.

beautyheaven

Really listening helps me to see and understand. Really seeing helps me to begin to care for others and what God is doing for them. Opened ears, opened eyes, opened heart.

I spend too much time calculating what to say instead of learning how to really listen to God and other people during conversations.

I guess I need healing, Jesus.

A New Kind of Forgetting

"My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead."  (Philippians 3:13, CEV)

What is Paul forgetting, neglecting, overlooking?  “What I once thought was valuable is worthless.”  (v.7)  Forgetting God gives birth to sin and pride.  Paul has reversed the equation.  Instead of neglecting God and valuing sins and his previous accomplishments (vv.3-6), he has now begun to seek God and neglect what he once valued.

How would I apply such forgetfulness to my life?  One thing I have found helpful is procrastination.  Instead of putting off what is good, I have been learning how to put off what I should not do.  Instead of a bold “No!”, I find a lazy “Maybe later” a good way to overcome some sins.

Nothing is quite as dangerous as hope placed on the wrong object.  Nothing is quite as strengthening as hope well-placed.   So I find Paul’s hope so powerful and encouraging: “Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus, my Master.” (v. 8)  Hope is not only found in what I look forward to, but also what I leave behind.

Christ First: Paul's Colossian Letter

Distraction rules the day.  People can hardly drive in a straight line or complete a simple conversation without being interrupted by distractions.  This lack of focus ultimately comes from a divided and confused soul fueled by minds obsessed with desire.  Such minds are easily filled with "hollow and deceptive" ideas, just like those which endagered the Colossian believers in the first century.  In his letter to that group of believers, Paul gives the best and only remedy: Christ first.

rc.net

Paul grounds the Colossians in hope.  Faith "springs up" (1:5) from this hope almost automatically.  This faith takes the disciple to love.  The hope of the follower of Jesus is that "in everything he might have supremacy."  (1:18)  Christ first in everything, not just "in my heart," but in everything that has been made and is being remade.  (1:15-20)  This is the heart of the gospel which brings about faith.  (1:3-6)  Such faith brings about a "life worthy of the Lord" (1:10) which ends in "the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light", that is, "love in the Spirit."  (1:12,7)  Any hope or faith not ending in this love is not full and true.

The Colossians have not always known the truth that Christ is first in all things.  They were told through Paul's associates.  They were enemies alienated from God, but brought around to trust Him by the message of Christ's sacrificial work for them (1:21-22)  Now they are among those who know God's mystery: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."  (1:27)  Above all else, Paul says, "We proclaim him," so that the Colossians would come to know God, who they did not know at all, and "be encouraged in heart and united in love" with all believers.  (2:2)

Even as they are escaping an unrighteous ignorance of God shown by their "evil behavior," now the Colossians face a new challenge.  Self-righteousness based on "human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ" has found its way among them.  (2:8)  These teachings have "the appearance of wisdom, . . .  but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."  (2:23)  Paul gives them a better way.

The instruction in the way of Christ begins with the heart and mind being set on "things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."  (3:1)  With Christ first in the heart, a new life grows and old ways are put aside.  This is evidenced in their gatherings "as God's chosen people," as well as in their homes as wives, husbands, children, servants, and masters relate to each other.  Such  gatherings and homes are characterized by prayer and in careful conversations "full of grace" (4:5) with those outside the gatherings of Christ.  What begins in the heart ends with "whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus."  (3:17)

Such instruction is not abstract, but plays out in the details and drama of each person's life.  For Paul, his fellow workers and those who minister to these churches were his life.  He names them and expresses deep love for them as "dear brothers" and a "comfort to him."  (4:7,11)  "Christ in you" is not intangible, but plays out in each life in relationships and situations lived with love or without it.  This makes the gospel into a history rather than a mere myth.

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Christ is still our foremost hope, our certain faith, and our deepest love.  This gospel shown through Christ's sacrifice for us has brought us to trust Jesus.  Self-righteousness remains a constant distraction from him into making it on our own.  As Christ becomes first in our mind and hearts, we find our way to a life full of words and deeds like our Master.  This new life is lived in our day-to-day situations with the people we know and meet and nowhere else.  And so, just as Paul signs this letter at the end "in his own hand," each of us will sign our lives with or without Christ first "in our own hands."