God's Family Designed to complete God's Purposes

Names in the Bible, in Jewish culture, had a meaning. Names indicated a person’s nature, and character. Names indicated a person’s place in God’s purposes, in God’s family. There are places in the Bible where God gives someone a new name, because they had changed. The Bible also says when he establishes his forever kingdom, he will give his children a new name, their true name.

God designed people. God designed them to take a place in his family, in his purpose. He makes his family fit together perfectly.

His family is his vehicle to complete his purposes. Each part, each member, has a role. Each part builds each other part; they build, and add to the body. New parts included.

The health of a church is directly proportional to the number who have found their place. Not people being busy, doing chores. Not greeter, teachers, ushers, nursery workers, ushers, etc. Not that doing chores is bad. All organizations have chores to do to maintain smooth functioning. All parts of the body need to have servant hearts to do the chores. And teaching children is certainly not bad. God loves children. And there are people who place and anointing is in teaching two year olds. But, so much of church activity is filling empty slots. And God’s plan involves a priesthood of every member of his body. How many of God’s family have taken up their priesthood?

More about all of Christ's body being priests here.

Unity, Not an Option

I have been thinking about someone I know with (what looks like) a relational issue with a friend and a sibling in God’s family. The two are not talking. They seem to be avoiding each other, and situations where they are likely to meet the other person. (And, of course, it might not be “them”. It might just be one of them.)

It seems like a natural solution. Suppose someone has an argument with a friend. Perhaps even a quite heated argument. It is easy to want to crete space, to avoid the other person. One does not have to deal with painful circumstances, the mess, or the possibility that one is wrong. Either in one’s position in the disagreement, or in one’s understanding of the other person’s position.

However, among the followers of Jesus, relationships are the building blocks of the kingdom. We need to take very seriously our relationship with God. We need to take very seriously our relationship with our family, with God’s family, with friends. And we need to take very seriously our relationship with those not in God’s family.

I will mention three things that I hope show how serious and vital relationships in God’s view of things.

First, Jesus prayed that the father would his family as united as he and the Father are united. Unity doesn’t just make life easier. Jesus says unity demonstrates that God sent Jesus into the world. Unity demonstrates that God loves the disciples. Personal arguments that affect interaction among God’s children, bad-mouthing other groups of Christians or other local families of God, all communicate a lack of unity. And disunity says God did not send Jesus. Disunity says the father does not love his children. Unity is vital, pivotal, and strategic.

Second, scripture says to make every effort to remain a connected, whole family. Without a real, demonstrated connection, God’s family demonstrates a pack of lies. The is only one body. “Body” being a metaphor for God’s family. Many different parts joined together, functioning harmoniously as a whole. It is the person by person distinctions that enable the whole to complete its purpose, God’s purpose. It is the distinctions we need to celebrate. And it the distinctions we usually use to bring separation.

[If we consider God’s universal family, all the different groups, we should be able to recognize that groups organize and derive their identity from their distinctive traits. Many assume that embracing unity means they have to suppress, or not prioritize, the things that distinguish them, which then robs or demeans their identity. We need to learn to affirm the common areas that define the whole family, and celebrate those differences. It is the differences which allow each body, and the universal body, to bring glory to God.]

There is not just one “singularity.” Each member of God’s family is:

• In the same body
• Gets life by the same spirit
• Expects the same future
• Follows the same Lord
• Has the same type of relationship
• Declares the same allegiance
• Are created and empowered by the same Father.

Third, God does not call us to promote our distinctions. God calls us to promote Christ. God calls us to live in love. If our distinctions hinder the gospel, or the growth of any of God’s children anywhere, anytime, we are not walking in love. God speaks to us all the time. God’s strategy in each of our lives is unique, because  we are unique. We all wind up at the same destination. We may not necessarily be at the same place on the journey. So, sharing where you are on your journey, may be helpful and encourage others. Insisting others abandon their place, their walk, and their path, may not. It may even short-circuit God’s work in them. Love demands we build into others. Maturity gives wisdom, and discernment in how best to build.

Love Leads to the New Life - 4

To review: The writer prays that on the basis of our allegiance to Jesus:

• God re-structures our hearts with the same power that created the world, that raised Jesus, that calmed seas, that multiplied fish and bread, and that healed the blind and the lame.
• Christ dwells/abides/resides/makes his home with us.
• Our lives are formed around his love. As we are connected to God by that love, as we draw nourishment with that love, we learn to understand the nature and extent of that love. (Even though it is beyond us.

The result is: We have all that God intends to give us. We are full. We are complete. The original says "fills to fullness." God tops of the tank, all the way up to the gas cap.

Power + Presence + Understanding Love = Fullness

So, why does life come up short? God promises his power and his presence when we give Jesus our allegiance. Can anything short-circuit either of these? What about "understanding love"? Is knowing "God loves you" enough? And what is fullness? Total Christ-likeness? Moral perfection?

It is certainly true that sin can break the connection between people and God. That's why personal honesty, and keeping "shorts lists" with God is important. In other words, deal with failures as soon and as completely as possible, so connection can be re-established.

But it seems the most dynamic "factor" in the "equation" is "understanding love." That understanding will affect a person's willingness to approach God after failure. It will color expectations of God's attitudes and actions in light of our failures. Will God reject us? Will God ever run out of patience? Out of kindness?

Many people equate God's love with their love, instead of the Bible's description of love. Many people assign Jesus one kind of love, the Father another kind of love, and the Holy Spirit another kind. Jesus is the perfect representation of God. They have the same heart. Within the God-head, there is perfect agreement. There is not three loves; there is one love. (Or, if you prefer, there are three loves, but they perfectly agree.) The Father does not look at us, or regard us differently, than Jesus does. The Holy Spirit does not look at us, or regard us differently, than the Father does, than Jesus does. There is perfect agreement.

All Things for Good - 4

People are fond of saying “God is in control.” If, by this we mean: “God speaks and stuff happens … and it only happens when God speaks,” then, I have to ask, did God speak my sin?

We know God hates sin. We know if God had his way, there would be know sin at all. But there is sin. So, stuff happens that God does not want. So, is God in control?

If think God has control, but he does not exercise that control. There is a big difference between having a gun, and choosing pulling the trigger.

If God exercises his control, people lose the freedom to choose. And God loses the purpose for which he created the world and people. The world was created, so people, created with the power to choose, would choose allegiance to him, relationship with him, to be his people, to belong to his family, and to follow his way and lifestyle, voluntarily, by their own choice, and for their own reasons.

This freedom should lead to a demonstration that relationship with God is the best, that following his way is the best. More than anything though, it leads to messy situations. Every person who gives his allegiance is a hypocrite. “Hypocrite” meaning “believes one things, but does another.” Followers of Jesus believe they should love everyone, but contrary to acting in love, they are impatient, unkind, boastful, and, even, arrogant. They believe they should display the qualities of the Holy Spirit, but they worry, indulge in sin, and let circumstances rule them. A mess!!

However, just because God chooses not to exercise control, it does not mean he chooses not to act. God blesses his children. He continually gives them good. He continually speaks to them. God takes the mess, and brings good out of it. Flowers from the manure pile. Three-course, gourmet meals from the trash pile. Joy from the worst situations. That takes a considerable amount of authority, skill, finesse, wisdom, and bold confidence.

Love Leads to the New Life - 3

The writer continues his discussion about the primary role of God's love in the transformation process with a "tree" metaphor. Tree health is directly proportional to the development of the root system. So, a human being's spiritual health is directly proportional to the development of his "root" system into the love of God.

If we are convinced that God loves us:

• We can proceed without fear into new areas.

Growth always necessitates change. Change always means new ... new hearts, new thoughts patterns, new speech patterns, and new practices. Some people adapt to change better than others, but no one is comfortable. There is uncertainty about success, about the outcome. Positive? Negative?

Because God loves us, we can be certain any change leads to positive, life enhancing ways. It may go through difficulty. It may go through pain. But it will always lead back to our original design, and will yield joy, peace, and good for us, and those around us.

• We can proceed without fear of fail

How many times does a child fall before he finally succeeds in walking? And how often do they fall after they begin the practice of walking?

No one will begin a new pattern of life smoothly. It will need to be repeated successfully many times before it "sticks." There will be numerous stumbles, lapses of memory, and partially successful attempts.

There are positive practices, like a consistent time of prayer, reading the Bible, and meditation. There are also changes from sin to righteousness. Those also involve a change of life patterns. Perhaps involving carefully crafted defense mechanisms, and obscure motivations that have been built up for years. God wants his children to abandon all such practices. It prevents the intimacy he desires in their relationship. It pollutes their design, hindering real joy and peace.

In situations like these, the person needs to change a practice. He also needs to change motivations, to break agreements he may not even be aware that he has made, and to develop spiritual discernment. Basically, he needs to renew his heart, which is neither a simple nor easy process.

People need God to direct this process. People needs God's patience in the painstakingly slow process. People need God's kindness with the process of revelation, correction, and the establishment of new practices. If God shined a dozen search lights on our lives, we would be able to see every pattern of sin and failure. We would also be so overwhelmed, we would crawl under a rock and never come out. So, God uses a laser pointer instead. And spends more time affirming our few faltering steps, encouraging us, and reminding us of his presence, regard, and support.

• We will never be mystified, or confused, about what God wishes us to be.

He has declared his wishes and intentions for us. He has given us an identity. This identity is who we are in Christ, according to our design. God's heart is to actualize that identity in us. (Please refer to the Identity in Christ series for a hint of what this might look like.)

• We will never lack in resources.

God's love means he is committed to us. He gives each of us 100% focused attention. He tailors each person's "curriculum" according to their personal, unique needs. He speaks into every circumstance -- good, bad, or indifferent -- providing revelation, appropriate resources, and his presence and support, so all circumstances promote the transformation of his children, and the expansion of his kingdom.

It is God's love that motivated Jesus to come and die. It is God's love that guarantees God's continued acceptance of us, and his continued pursuit of our relationship, and transformation. We may not pursue him. But he will pursue us.

Love Leads to the New Life - 2

When we choose allegiance to Jesus, we begin a process of transformation. We can look at it as back to what we were created to be, or toward a re-creation of Christ’s image in us. Either way, the foundation of this transformation is God’s love.

God’s love is the ground we sink into and draw nourishment, and strength from. God’s love provides the raw materials to build from.

God’s love is his motivation, and our motivation, for perseverance in view of our continuing mistakes, failures, re-taking the same class over and over, and general clueless-ness.

If God’s love was not expressed in perfect patience, would we ever dare to pursue Christ’s image? Humanly speaking, there is no hope. There is only hope, because we are covered by unending love.

It could almost be said that we are complete in direct proportion to our understanding of God’s love.

Love Leads to the New Life

We have been discussing the new creation for the last little bit. Part fo the discussion has come from my personal thinking over the last year. Part comes the place in Scripture where I have been reading and meditating.

We saw how new life begins. We saw how there are fundamental changes in life. We saw how God is creating a new people, a new family. We saw how God’s children live and work in, and within, God’s purposes and plans. We saw how God crafts a new identity for each new child.

The writer of the passage says, “I get here and I have to stop.” He amazed, and overwhelmed at God’s outpouring. And he realizes the position that someone, who has just chosen to give his allegiance to Jesus is in. Everything is new. Everything is different.

Many may be tempted to grit their teeth, grab determination with both hands, and strive to live perfectly … and be doomed to failure, frustration and discouragement.

So, the writer is also moved to prayer. He prays for God’s children.

When we chose to follow Jesus, God sent his Spirit to live in our hearts. So, he prays for strength from that Spirit. Strength to choose correctly. The machinery of our lives has us running full-throttle, full-speed, down the tracks of the world. We need God’s strength to slow, stop, and move to a new path in life.

As we move to new paths, Christ fills those areas of change. Christ lays claim to habits, though patterns, and emotional responses. He acts to alter motives and perspectives.

As we continue to make corrections in our life paths, God’s design takes hold, and we prove God correct. God, re-building his design into each person, demonstrates his love … and we learn to cling to that love.

It is God’s love that motivates him to bring us into his family, to inject new spiritual DNA into our hearts, to jump start the rebuilding of our design, to demonstrate his character through us, and to partner with his family in expanding his kingdom. It is his love that is the foundation and the fulcrum. It is his love that is the lever.

Having a complete, detailed, extensive understanding of his love is vital. The goal of human development is Jesus Christ. The Father wants everyone to look like Jesus. And it is how completely, and thoroughly, you grasp his love, that determines how far each human progresses.

So, the writer prayer for people to grow in knowing, understanding, and recognizing God’s love. As that light shines bright in our inner being, we move closer to completeness.

New Life, New Identity

When we were born, we lived away from God, against him, and against our design. The internal combustion engine is designed to have optimal functionality, if it operates with certain parameters, and given certain fuels. The human body is designed to have optimal functionality, if it operates with certain parameters, and fed  certain fuels. The human spirit is designed to have optimal functionality, if it operates with certain parameters, and fed certain fuels.

The main fuel our spirits need is a connection, a link, or a relationship with the Father of All. The parameters are described in Scripture.

Because of sin (life outside of the parameters) we began our lives with no connection, or relationship with the Father. But God works in our world, and on our behalf, to draw us to him, and into this relationship.

When we chose to come to him, when we begin this relationship, he begins to teach us how to return to living as designed, within the parameters. However, the main thrust of many people’s approach to God is: do this, don’t do this. People compile lists of “this’s.” They develop a law mentality. They develop a religious mentality.

Religion is man acting in ways that attempt to achieve God’s approval of man. Christianity is God acting in ways that achieve God’s approval of man.

God told Israel, after leaving Egypt, where it was saturated with laws and religion, that if they obeyed his Law, they would receive his approval. Israel demonstrated, over and over, that it is impossible for people to keep God’s law. Scripture says, over and over, it is impossible for people to keep God’s Law. Scripture also says, over and over, that Jesus came into the world to achieve God’s approval of us, for us.

We cannot achieve God’s approval, so we gave our allegiance to Jesus, and he gained God’s approval for us. Then, people create a new and different set of laws to continue in God’s approval, and to re-create God’s design in us. If we cannot keep the Law God gave us, what makes us think we can keep the law we give ourselves?

God is vitally concerned with how we live our lives. God is vitally concerned with re-creating his design in us. But if we can’t keep the Law, or any law, maybe God does not expect us to base our lives on a list of do’s and don’ts.

When we gave Jesus our allegiance, he gave a new identity. He declared who we are. Scripture says we are dead to the Law, but alive to Christ. Maybe, we should base our lives, not on lists of expected behavior, but on living in agreement with our new identity? Maybe, we should focus our hearts, not on something that God has declared to be dead, but on something God has declared to be new, and true?

New Life and God's Purpose

After Jesus' death and resurrection, God revealed his purpose to specifically chosen messengers. And the messengers began to reveal his purpose to people. Thus began the process of gathering people into God's family.

The messengers:

    ♦ persuaded people to give their allegiance to Jesus, and enter God's family.

    ♦ explained how to live in relationship with God.

    ♦ explained god's design for people.

    ♦ explained how to cooperate with God, and to return to living as designed.

All people are invited to become part of his family. All people are invited to share in this relationship, to share in God's goodness and generosity, and to participate in God's promises, because they belong to Christ, because they are united to Jesus.

God's family is a demonstration of God's nature, God's character, and God's wisdom to all in the heavenly realms, and all those on earth.

We have been given complete and total access to the Father, because we are united with Jesus. And he has complete, and total access. We have all this, because we accepted god's word with trust and faith.

The New Life and God's Family

God chose Abraham to create a nation, Israel. This nation had two purposes. First, Israel was the physical, familial context for Jesus. The Promised One, as God become man, needed a physical, family to become part of. A small, ordinary family in Israel became that family. The writers of the Bible gave the Promised One an “address” so people would know where to find him.

Second, Israel was God’s representatives to the world. Since the Fall, God has worked to demonstrate his nature, his character, and his plan for people through a group of people who would belong to him. Other people would look at his family, see not only an excellent group of people, but see who God was, and what it meant to live with/for him.

Israel only succeeded as a negative example. They said they would follow the Lord, but only succeeded temporarily. Individuals, who chose from their hearts, worked out better.

A person could always choose to become a part of God’s family. Israel ony understood it from their perspective. They never quite made room for the rest of the world.

But Jesus went out of his way to bring the world into his family. Both Jews and Gentiles make up his family, receive his covenant, and his promises. Gentiles have the same access, the same promises, and the same identity as Jews, who follow him. They are God’s family, God’s people, because they are united to Jesus. There is no longer Jew and Gentile. There is only God’s family.

He broke down what separated the two groups. He ended the system of the Law. He made peace with God’s people. He formed one family from all peoples.

He gave to all who came to him, to follow him, the Holy spirit to live with them. Unity with Christ is the only requirement to peace with God, and unity with God’s family.

Starting the New Life

In every person's life, there was a time they gave their allegiance to anyone, or anything, but Jesus and the Father. We surrendered our hearts to other things. And we reaped death.

We were in rebellion, and we reaped the penalty of rebellion. The penalty is separation and alienation from the Father. The Father is the giver, and definer, of life. Alienation from him is death.

Moreover, we also lived contrary to how he designed us. We sought meaning, significance, distraction, and entertainment in things that move against God's life, and word. People were designed to be fueled by walking in agreement with God. Walking outside of God's way is death.

We obeyed the enemy, who seeks to distract from God's glory, and contrary to what he promises people, he seeks to multiply misery. He urges people to live contrary to their design. People starve themselves of proper spiritual fuel.

But, God has abundant love and mercy. His heart, plans, and purposes are to create a family, who will live in relationship with him. So, he built a bridge, so we can go back to him. If we return, we will not suffer the penalty of sin. We will grow in living out our design.

Christ is the core of his love and mercy. One the cross, he received the penalty of sin for all mankind. He died, and the power of Law (the power of condemnation) is broken. Because death cancels the Law.

And the Law is cancelled in our lives, when we are covered by Christ. We cross the bridge, when we give our allegiance to Christ. He covers us. He represents us. He substitutes for us.

We are united with Christ. Our lives are joined to his. He is in us. We are in him. We are a demonstration, a picture, of God's heart and purpose.

This new life is not something we can earn, purchase, or command. We can only unite ourselves to Christ. Trust, and surrender ourselves. Then, he will renew us. He will transform us by rebuilding our spiritual DNA, and rebuilding our hearts. The world will see us as we designed to be. We will live as we were designed to live. We will flourish in life, as he intended. The world will be better as we act.

Love is Foundational

Scripture reveals God’s nature and character to people. He reveals various attributes of his character to us. As people are complex, God is complex. But there are a few attributes which are central. They are the primary, or controlling, aspects of God’s character. One of these is love.

Love is so central, that Scripture says love demonstrates that someone is in God’s family. We don’t have to hear them say anything about Jesus, if we see love, we will know.

“Love” as a word, and a concept, gets tossed about quite a bit. Everyone seems to know what love is, or at least, they say they do; but does what people say agree with God’s definition?

Scripture describes love in a number of places, and in a number of ways. We have discussed several of those here. Primarily, Jesus’ life defines love for us. If people live in love, the way he did, then we know they have a relationship with the Father.

If they live a life that dos not love (or does not agree with God’s definition) they do not necessarily have a relationship with him.

Their relationship with God does not define what our relationship with them should be like. Our relationship with Jesus defines our relationship with them. It is love. Jesus loved no matter what. We love no matter what … relationship with Jesus or no relationship with Jesus.

All Things for Good - 3

When we give our allegiance to Jesus, we become citizens of his Kingdom. As far as God is concerned, we are already there. We are already living in the Kingdom of Heaven.

If we get totally realistic, we live in two kingdoms, with two truths. (Two sets of motivations. Two sets of rules. Two sets of expectations.)

One set of expectations says life is full of pain and misery. The other says there is no pain, no misery. There is only joy and peace. The trick is: we have given ourselves to live according to one set of motivations, rules, and expectations, while surrounded and immersed in the other set of motivations, rules, and expectations.

In God’s Kingdom, there are no negatives. That’s what he says. That’s what we should expect.

In the enemy’s kingdom, he seeks to multiply misery. That’s who he is. That’s what we should expect.

Each day, we can choose which kingdom to live. If we choose to live in the Father’s kingdom, when we encounter something negative, we need to remind ourselves: “There is nothing negative in God’s kingdom.” Then, we need to pay attention for what God says about this situation. Because he speaks good in every situation. We need to be alert for his promise and his provision, because he gives both in every situation: to bring good, to advance his mission and kingdom, and to demonstrate his glory.

Because God speaks and acts to bring his kingdom into reality, we should look at life in its entirety, at each event, and at each situation differently. We tend to grieve, and worry. We ought to wait in anticipation, because God will act.

Signs of New Life

When a person receives and agrees with the gospel, when a person gives his\her allegiance to Jesus, new life flows into the person. New spiritual DNA is injected into the person’s inner being. And changes on the inside result in changes on the outside.

The two primary changes are faith in Christ, and the love of people. These are obviously two large general areas, that have lots of specific practices possible. Results can be giving food, cleaning, comforting, rebuking, becoming a missionary, TV/movie choices, books we read, places we go, and friends we spend intimate, extensive time with. Each area could be the subject of many, many posts.

Other areas grow also. I am going to focus on some secondary areas, which grow from the first two.

Prayer is the first. A natural communication should develop between Father and child. The child should express his honest feelings about his life, his situation … fears, joys, sadness, frustrations, successes, failures. And god will express his expectations, reinforce the identity he has given his child, and give additional revelation. (Clarifying revelation, rather than new revelation.) There is speaking. There is listening. There is open, honest communication.

Experiential knowledge is the second. As we walk in relationship with God, we gain in understanding of who he is, he nature, his character. We learn to see the world as he sees the world. Which changes our thinking. Which changes how we act. Which changes how we experience the world. Which changes how we experience God. And we begin another cycle. In reality, we are all probably in the midst of several cycles.

Understanding leads directly to experience. Many people understand experiential knowledge to pertain to an emotional flood. God did design people to have emotions, and emotional experiences. Joy is in such short supply that people seek it in any way they can. I will not speak against “special events” that people use to fill the empty spaces in their lives. But I do think God wants to fill us with joy. I also think God wants joy to be more regular, more consistent and every day. And I think God wants to give it within the context of our daily walks.

But our knowledge of God goes further. As we act on a promise, we understand God’s faithfulness. As we move to a word whispered in our hearts, we understand God’s intimacy, and his care.

Confident expectations is the third. We learn our identity from our Father. We learn his intentions. From that position, we can stand assured of what the future looks like, what our lives will be like. Because our Father cannot lie. Because we are his family, we are his inheritance.

The last, that I am writing about here, is the power that he has put at our disposal. The passage I am referring to sometimes confuses me. Sometimes, it seems like he has handed us a magic wand. Sometimes, it seems like he is saying, “Look what I have done for you! Image what I can do for you!”

The writer reminds us that God has already exerted tremendous power in executing his plan. That power was demonstrated in the life of Jesus.

- He was with Jesus.

- He raised Jesus from the dead.

- He honored Jesus by putting him at the Father’s right hand.

- Jesus has more authority than anyone else.

The Father has given Jesus all authority. Jesus has the authority to benefit God’s family, and to complete God’s mission. And we are part of both.

Moreover, we are not only part of Christ’s family, we are part of Christ’s body. Jesus completes and fills his body. It represents him. It fills every place with him.

And he goes wherever his family goes. Wherever his family goes, he should be obvious, his effects felt, and people should bow to the King.

God Works His Plan.

Before creation, God established his plan for mankind. He was going to create a family of all mankind. He was going to have an intimate, daily relationship with each of them. He would build into them, and they would reveal who and what he was. They would demonstrate his nature before one another. Their identity would be founded on their relationship with him, and his image that he imprints and builds into them.

Then, he realized that his plan of a perfect world, with perfect people, would fail, because people are not big enough. But the plan did not change.

  • He will build a family.

  • He will have relationship with them.

   • He will build each one through that relationship.

He knew that he could not have relationship with people, because of the failure, because of sin. So, he chose to have Jesus be a substitute and a representative. He chose before creation to have relationship with any and all who chose allegiance to Jesus. For those, Jesus would re-connect people to the Father, because he would solve the problem of sin. Because he was our representative, the Father chose to view us, and treat us, as holy and without fault.

The Father chose pain and sacrifice, because his love, and his vision of close relationship with each one, gave him so much enjoyment. God was, and is, pleased to connect with us. We cannot fathom how much pleasure the Father receives to have complete access to us … and we to him.

So, he provided freedom from the penalty of sin, and from the power of sin. He instructs us, so we grow in wisdom, and understanding. And he reveals his heart and plans to us.

   • He will give all authority on earth to Jesus.

   • Those who gave him allegiance will become his special possession.

   • God marks his people as his, by putting his Spirit, his presence, in their inner beings. His Spirit is God’s guarantee that we are his, and that he will keep his promises.

Identity in Christ - 67 (No Zenith)

Obviously, worded to get a "Z". (Also, this is the last trait. There may be others, that I haven't found. But this is the last for the time being.) Zenith means the highest. At the zenith, it is impossible to go any higher.

The passage reminds that God has so much love, and so much mercy, for us that he gave us life. We had none. The passage says that we were dead. We had physical, biological life. But we were cut off from relationship with God. We could not live as we were designed. We were without significance, without meaning. Christ on the cross enables us to have all of that.

We have it, because we are in Christ. Because we are in Christ, we share in everything Christ did.

  - We were crucified with Christ.

  - We died with Christ.

  - We were buried with Christ.

  - We were raised with Christ.

  - We were glorified with Christ.

  - We were seated in heaven with Christ.

Another passage says that Christ is seated at the Father's right hand. God's throne is the Zenith of all reality. And Christ is there, seated with him. And we are there, seated with Christ, because we are in Christ.

◆ God's Perspective

We are seated there as a picture, a demonstration, of God's immeasurable grace, and God's immeasurable kindness. We were rebels. We were enemies. Our intentions, motives, and desires all led us away from God. They all led us to act in ways contrary to God's design.

Western Christ-followers tend to focus on the judicial aspects of the God-man relationship. Man sinned. Man was guilty. Man was condemned. Man accepts Christ. Man is pardoned. Man goes to heaven.

God Is vitally concerned about the actions of people. In part, because actions produce alienation and condemnation. In part, because actions can pull us away from our design. Scripture defines how to live out God's design.

  - Obedience to Scripture is a obedience to God. 

  - Obedience to God is living as designed. 

  - Living as designed yields joy, peace, meaning, and significance.

God intends to show, not only how he has pardoned his enemy, but he has put him into his family, and he works to lead this former-enemy to significance.

◆ Living My Life

As I said, western Christ-followers tend to focus on the judicial aspects of the God-man relationship. If we are in Christ, we have died with Christ. And Scripture says those who have died, have died to the Law. If they have died to the Law, they are removed from God's judicial system.

God is vitally concerned with how his children live. Not because it breaks his Law, because they are not under the Law anymore.  Not because it will condemn them, because it is the power of the Law that condemns, and they are not under the Law anymore.

People live in two sets of spiritual conditions. In God's family; not in God's family. God's judicial system applies to people under the Law, therefore, out of God's family. They are not in Christ. They have not died to the Law. They are still under the power of the Law.

People in God's family are in Christ, dead to the Law, and no longer affected by God's judicial system. But God is vitally concerned about their actions, because sin blocks their relationship with him, and pollutes the design of God.  Sin is living diametrically opposed to God's design. It breaks, joy, peace, meaning, and significance.

Living in obedience facilities relationship,  the flow of grace, the transformation of spiritual DNA, and the increase of joy, peace, meaning, and significance. Obedience adds new brushstrokes, new color, to God's masterpiece ... the portrait of his family.

God's plan has always been to create a family that lives in close relationship with him, that demonstrates his character and nature, and (since the Fall) partners with him in advancing and growing that family. Obedience facilitates all of this. Obedience is agreement with God's definition of best, and a continued embrace of God's life and purpose.

Identity in Christ - 67 (Yoked with Christ)

In this passage, Jesus invokes the image of a yoke of oxen. The yoke is a wooden "collar" that a team of oxen wear while working.

A team of oxen can accomplish an extraordinary amount of work, when joined to together. Much more than two oxen separately. The trick is: they need to move and work together. A yoke is constructed so if one ox moves on its own, it twists the yoke, choking both oxen, and they both stop. To make any sort of progress, the oxen have to move together.

Jesus invites us to take his yoke. We are on one side; he is on the other. We are partners with Jesus. We move together with him. But he is the lead. He moves, and we need to move with him. As the lead, he teaches us how to work within the yoke. He a gentle and kind teacher.

He promises us rest as we work with him. The yoke is easy to wear, and all burdens easy to pull, because he pulls with us.

♦ God's Perspective

God's plan is to create a family, and the family will demonstrate his character, and proclaim his glory. He has a lot riding on that family. He has bound his reputation, his mission and the destiny of the world tightly to that family.

He wants their success. He wants fruit and growth. He has designed the destiny of his children, and he want each one to walk in it. He is willing to go to extreme lengths to assure that success. He is willing to walk with each one, sharing their loads, to ensure that success. He encourages each willing heart.

What he gets is: fear, sin, failure, and hard hearts. What he wants is a nation of priests and ambassadors. What he gets are televangelists.

NOTE: I am not against churches using television. I am against God's children living out their relationship with God through Christian celebrities. I am against God's children believing that sitting in front of their tV is sufficient to reveal God to them, and not prayer, his word, and meditation.

♦ Living My Life

We are yoked with Christ. We are a team. We are connected. We are directed, empowered and provisioned to complete God's mission, demonstrate God's glory. All while walking with him.

And it is really much more complicated. He is yoked with each individual. He is yoked with each local family of God. He is yoked to the entire family of God. It is like the way each cell of the human body is synchronized to the brain. Each cell is coordinated to achieving the overall purposes of the person directing the body. But it reduces down to each cell, each part, obeying its directives.

How do we walk in step with him> How do we walk "yoked" … knowing that getting out of step robs us of our strength, and cuts us off from life? Looking at modern day Christianity, with its many different directions, emphases, interpretations, bright lights and clamoring voices, is God's family not following him? Is he directing them in an almost insane manner? Or is it simply to complicated for us to see?

Scripture plainly promises that if we live in relationship with God, we will experience abundance: abundant life, abundant love, abundant joy, and abundant peace.

It is walking in this yoked arrangement that is the main step toward personal success in living, as well as growth for churches, for movements, and for God's kingdom.

So, the first step toward abundance is learning to detect and understand God's voice. And once it is detected and understood, to act on this information. Since, there are scores of books, lectures and YouTube videos about this subject, I will refrain from further comment. Except to underline, that this is the first step to bring God's life into the world. And it is the first step in establishing his kingdom.

All Things for Good - 2

It is in God’s heart, God’s intention and desire, that people experience good. Because of sin, that’s not always possible. Because of sin, and its fall-out, it sometimes seems like there is never any good.

Yet, Scripture says that no matter what happens, God moves in it, so good results. If something bad happens in a person’s life, God speaks into that area. God gives revelation concerning anything negative in our lives, and attaches that revelation onto the negative.

God intends the revelation to shift our thinking, our expectations, and our perspectives about the negative.

Part of this is God’s method of training us in spiritual discernment. As we grow in the Lord, we grow in seeing life the way he sees life. God is the ultimate definer of reality. He says what is true, and what is false. And part of growing in the Lord is agreeing with him.

If we agree with him, we speak the way he would speak, and we act the way he would act.

The first step in this upward spiral of positive effects is learning to listen to God first about any situation.

Even, when he speaks in correction, faith, hope, and encouragement should grow. If we are under the pile of condemnation, and discouragement, it is not God speaking. I am not suggesting that we will always like what God says. But God desire is that we move back toward him, not that we feel like an idiot. If we feel like an idiot, it is not God talking. Feeling like an idiot does not motivate me to get back on the horse. Our Father has designed us to ride. If we have fallen, our Father knows we need to climb back in the saddle.

Identity in Christ - 66 (Ambassadors for Christ)

After leaving the A's far behind, I discovered recently that we missed one.

An ambassador is an agent of one government, chosen to represent the government to another government.

An ambassador is a trusted, respected person, fully capable of communicating the heart and position of the government he/she serves. Fully capable of acting in a way that brings honor and favor to the government he/she serves.

♦ God's Perspective

We choose allegiance with god. We become a part of this family. We become a citizen in his kingdom. And he names us an "Ambassador at Large to the World."

We do not have a particular country or culture that we represent the kingdom to. We are representative wherever we are.

There are some who represent God to particular people groups. Usually, it is the people group around them.

We are trusted by God to represent him truthfully and accurately. We are trusted by God to demonstrate his motives, his desires, his habits, his practices, and his ways.

People know what God is like, by looking at Jesus. People should also be able to the same thing by looking at his ambassadors.

Yes, Jesus is going to do a much better job that we are. Yes, we are going to fail. There are children of God who keep sinning. There are some who keep sinning in the same area … for 30 years!

Do you suppose the Father does not realize that we are a bunch of air-heads? Has he ever revoked the office of ambassador from anyone?

He does not expect perfection. He expects truth, and reality. He expects growth. He expect the pursuit of his image, and maturity.

We expect these things too. But we tend to see them in terms of "following the rules" with less failure. Is the Father merely concerned with following the rules. Scripture says love automatically follows the rules. Maybe we need to focus less on the rules, and more on love. Scripture says God wants relationship with us. Maybe we need to focus more on being connected to him, listening to him, and being reliant on him.

♦ Living My Life

We are God's representative. We need to demonstrate who he is. We need to listen and carry out his instructions.

I do not mean to imply that obedience to the King is not necessary or important. However, some people assume that maintaining a particular standard of morality, or a particular set of Christian practices is enough. We can see through the life of Jesus that he went beyond the status quo. It was this following the heart of God, beyond what the religious authorities preached, that got him into trouble with them. But his Father was very pleased.

I do mean to suggest that our focus and emphasis might be slight skewed. Perhaps we do not emphasize love enough. Perhaps we are not alert for persons of peace enough.

"Person of peace" is a term Jesus coined for people who are open to learning the things of God. They were open to the point of extending hospitality. They wanted to include friends and family in the learning process. Jesus instructed his disciples to be watching for these people. Not only could their lives be affected by the gospel, but there could be a door into a family, or a community.

Ultimately, being God's ambassador in the world is living like Jesus in the world.

- Loving the world's rejects.

- Seeking to connect everyone to God.

- Creating a community of ambassadors.

- Creating a community of servants.

Identity in Christ - 65 (Called by His eXcellence)

Obviously worded so the original compiler of the list got an "X."

The passage says that, because we have given our allegiance to Jesus, because we have chosen to enter into relationship with the Father, the Father, in turn, has provided all we need to live, and all we need to live in a way that agrees with and honors him. He pumps the necessary fuels into our spirits to feed them. But more than merely survive, he gives them in abundance.

And he invites us to have relationship by showing us his glory and his excellence. His glory would indicate his transcendent qualities: power, knowledge, presence. His excellence indicates his moral qualities: purity, goodness, but also love, kindness, faithfulness.

It is hard for people to relate to God as transcendent. We cannot imagine omnipresence, omnipotence, or omniscience. We recognize them and understand them to a point. It is the moral qualities that we identify with. It is that part of God's image that he imprints human beings with. So, it is that part we understand best.

♦ God's Perspective

Scripture says that it is God's kindness that moves us to turn from following our path, and choose to follow his.

Fear does motivate a desire to follow the rules. People seek to avoid punishment. But fear does not motivate relationship. And God seeks relationship, not just keeping the rules.

God communicates honestly with us. We know the consequences of breaking his law. He also communicates that it is impossible for us to keep his law. So, he invites us to take the way of escape that he has provided.

But it is more than a way of escape. It is the way into relationship. It is opening the door into God's family room. We can enter, sit by the fire, eat popcorn and play "Settlers" with our Father. We can pursue meaning, purpose and the heart of God.

♦ Living My Life

Rather than areas to practice, I think this trait reveal more concerning God's heart toward us. God's purpose is to create a family. He created the first people in his family. And they said that knowing God and being in his family was not enough. Since, then, no person is born belonging to God's family.

God pursues people. He attempt to convince them to choose relationship with him, and, then, adopts them into his family.

There is a lot of discussion about God's methods of revealing himself and convincing people to follow him. Many people think they know a better way than God does.

First consideration: Jesus told a story where the punchline is – even if someone were to rise from the dead, and warn people about God's judgment, some people would listen, but many people would not.

Second consideration: The Bible says that god's method is God's people. People walk with him, live with him, and he reveals himself to them. They are transformed. They live in greater wisdom, emotional health, and balance, because they know the One who provides, feeding their hearts. People who have had relationship with Jesus for 50 years still do not have it together. There are some people who know Jesus for 1-2 years, who have it together more than the 50-year person, because the 2-year person depends on the Father who gives, and the 50-year person on the system of religion.

The family of God has gotten into the habit of trusting in the system, and the professional experts, rather than the Father.

Please don't misunderstand. God wants us to live in relationship with him … and his family. God uses our brothers and sisters to speak to us, to our hearts and lives. A community of open-hearted, living, obedient children of God facilitates and strengthens God moving in our hearts, as well as being a powerful weapon of drawing people into relationship with him.

But he is the expert and the source of heart renewal and transformation. He is the only One who can touch a person's spiritual DNA. Ultimately, reliance on a person, system, or tool leads us away from reliance on the Giver of life.

Again, please don't misunderstand. A few posts back, I mentioned that I practice a form of divina lectio. Divina lection was developed by Benedict in the 6^th century. It is a very old tool. Tools and systems can be very valuable in our spiritual growth. Other people can be very valuable as guides. At times, we cannot hear God clearly, because our circumstances, or the enemy, are screaming too loudly in our ears. Others can help clear away the confusion and distractions.

If a tool or system continues to help someone walk with God, by all means, he should continue to use it. But we cannot ultimately depend on a system, tool, or person, except the persons of the Father, Son, and Spirit. The trick is discerning when something is no longer profitable, and we need to move onto some other practice. And what that is.