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.

serc.carleton.edu

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."