Sufficiency

The core of Christianity is: God dies to demonstrate his love for rebels, and sinners, and prepare a way for the selfish, the hateful, and the arrogant to become a part of his family.

God’s purposes were not just to provide a “get out of jail free” card. God has invited each person to share life with him. He has invited each person into restoration, living life as designed, and partnership, representing him with proclamation, and demonstration, of his message.

God’s mission is the increase, and restoration, of his family, and his kingdom. And Jesus demonstrated the means to accomplishing his mission:

• Proclaim truth.
• Practicing love.
• Inviting God to act in every circumstance.
• Giving thanks for all of God’s gifts.
• A life of obedience. 

What would be an impossible task, if it were not for God’s active involvement. But we also need to remember God’s invitation. If he did not think we were sufficient for the work, he would have chosen a different way. Yes, he works to complete us, but we are enough, just as we are.

The fact that he died for us, and told us to go, shows that we are enough. The fact that he chose twelve ordinary men to start his revolution, shows that we are enough.

Hope

Paul reminds us of a passage from the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah proclaims that God will reign over  the gentiles, and they will put their hope in God. Scripture says that there are only three things that will last forever: faith, hope, and love. Of these, the least talked about is hope. Most people regard hope as wishful thinking.

Love is taking small bits of ourselves, our time, our energy, and resources, and giving them away. Faith is holding Father’s words, and treating them as true truth. And hope, in the Scriptures, is more than wishful thinking. Hope is holding Father’s words about the future, and treating them as true truth.

Human beings live in the present, but they yearn for the future. They seems to live better, if there is something positive to work towards.

Scripture says that God created people with eternity in their hearts. People were designed with this space in their cores, and a motivation to fill that space. It is a soul hunger for meaning, significance, fulfillment, and rest. It is a signal that something is missing.

There could be a number of things missing. In some parts of the world, it is rest provided by security, safety, and enough to eat. For others, it is coming to that unique place that only they can fill. Ultimately, it is relationship with Father. The hole in our hearts cannot really be filled, unless we find a way back to the Father.

So, Paul prays: as we choose allegiance, because we trust Father, and Jesus, becoming a son, part of his family, accepted, forgiven, redeemed, then joy, and peace, will fill the emptiness. The Holy spirit makes his home in our core, teaching, encouraging, and connecting us to the Father’s love, and grace, and enabling us to move into the future with confidence.

Paul's Prayer (5b)

Again, Paul is reviewing his life, and his violent stance against Christ, God’s family, and the revelation of God’s grace. He, mistakenly, believed that God approved of his Pharisaic system. And he remembers God’s acceptance of him, even after his opposition. Even putting him into fruitful work, proclaiming God’s message, and demonstrating his character. And he stands amazed, and thankful.

We have looked some at thankfulness, and the effect it has in someone’s life. We all have a story of brokenness., and rebellion.

Some, like Paul, believe their lives work for God. He believed he was righteous according to the Law. But the Law does not give righteousness. So, when Christ broke through, his eyes were opened to what God wanted, and what Jesus did.

Some are like my friend, who knew right from wrong, but lived a lifestyle of breaking all the rules. And he didn’t care. But when Christ broke through, he eyes were opened to what God wanted, and what Jesus did.

Or like me, who chose to follow Jesus at a young age. I had no understanding of sin, or my own condemnation. I did not see myself as a sinner. But I did know that the Triune God was the Creator, and Lord, of the universe. I did know that all people should enter his Kingdom, and his reign. And entering was volitional. So I chose. And God opened my eyes to what he wanted, and what Jesus did.

I learned about my sin, and my brokenness, afterward. And the layers of my sin continue to be uncovered. And the reasons for gratitude continue to be uncovered.

God, ultimately, wants to transform our cores of being, our hearts. And thanksgiving is a large part of that transformation. We align ourselves, and move toward, those things that we are grateful.

Religion vs. Relationship

One of the things that someone will hear Christians say is that Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship.

What does that mean?

What people usually mean is:

• Religion is a system of rules that people need to follow, in order to be OK with God.
• Christianity frees people from following those rules, because Jesus died for us. In effect, Jesus has fulfilled the rules for us.

Does this mean God is no longer concerned about our behavior? We don’t need to go to church? Pay tithes? Read the Bible?

I have written fairly frequently about my conception of God designing his creation, so people naturally live lovingly, joyfully, and peacefully. And when mankind chose independence from God, the world broke. Now, we need to choose to move back into dependence on God, into relationship, and living out God’s design. So, in a very real way, we need to re-learn how to live.

The religion\relationship question flows along two paths. On one path, we observe from the passage of Scripture, that says, since God’s Spirit makes his home in your heart, there are certain fruits, or results, that grow out of a person’s life. If these fruits are the results of God’s Spirit, then they are characteristics of God. And one of those fruits is discipline. So, God is not against making choices that produce things consistently, to build good habits, and life patterns.

It is good to meet with others in God’s family for mutual encouragement. It is good to be regularly renewed, and reminded, by God’s values, intentions, and priorities. It is good to give. Love is giving. It is good to release things that can controls, other than God’s Spirit.

The other path happens when we see that discipline is good, so everybody needs to be disciplined … in the same way. Many have written, and taught, about disciples that helped them. And there is a natural tendency to think, it works for me, it should work for everybody else. Well, it probably would work for lots of people, but probably not everybody. One size does not fit all.

So, we need to choose our disciplines wisely. Including when to abandon one for another. Including an alert, and receptive, heart. Including a practice of listening to God.

Scripture show God as a communicator. And Scripture shows God as immutable. Meaning he does not change. Meaning, if he was a communicator, he still is a communicator. So, we need to listen.

Scripture uses the analogy of family to give a picture of what the relationships with God, and other believers, should be like. Not that we don’t know dysfunctional families, that no one should belong to. Not that we don’t know dysfunctional churches, that no one should belong to.

We need to re-create our picture of what this relationship looks like. Father intends that this relationship should look like the ideal parent-child relationship. There are formal occasions: weddings, Christmas dinner. There are informal occasions: playing catch, getting ice cream, helping with homework.

Maybe the difference between religion, and relationship, is the realization that Father gives, moment by moment, attention, involvement, and communication. And we need to learn to be moment by moment with him.

Paul's Prayer (5a)

Paul begins by reviewing who he was before giving his allegiance to Jesus. He opposed the followers of Jesus, and tried to stop them by persecution, arrest, and harassment. He marvels at God’s grace, and patience. And he winds up praying — giving thanks for God’s nature. God’s nature motivates, and activates, God giving attention to, and involvement in, the world.

We may not have opposed God’s word, and God’s people., like Paul did., but God has revealed himself to each one of us, and has involved himself in our lives, acting for us every day.

And, since God is active in us, with us, and through us, every day, combatting the world, the flesh, and the devil, by demonstrating, and proclaiming, his nature, his message, and his mission, then every day, there is something to be grateful for.

And giving thanks is one way of aligning our hearts with God. We are agreeing with God in his battle against the misery the enemy wishes to create. We agree with faith, hope, and love.

Giving thanks sees, and acknowledges, God’s active involvement in life, and events, big or small.

Paul's Prayer (4)

Paul prays for genuine transformation, and a perfect life-style. Not that we would ever reach perfection. But it is God’s heart for his image, and nature, to be indelibly stamped on his children.

We have described how God created his children to follow his design. Life works best when we keep to his pattern. Paul is recognizing that greater peace, harmony, unity, and connection with God is possible, if we walk according to God’s design. God’s love, and grace, flow more freely to our hearts, if we do not block him by our acts, words, thoughts, and attitudes.

Resumption of the flow comes from turning away from the wrong. Repentance is a turning away from whatever is contrary to, or denies God, and turning back to connection, fellowship, and obedience.

Genuine transformation means that the connection with God will, at least, be broken less. And love, and joy, will increase. God’s kingdom, and glory, will increase.