Dying to live!

There is a popular saying among American Christians: Not perfect, just forgiven. I have never found this message to be very inspiring or helpful. I think it cheapens the Gospel. It also allows for some very egregious behavior that Christians want to excuse because “I am not perfect, just forgiven.” When St. Paul talked about followers of Jesus being imperfect this is what he had in mind:

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:7-10).

To be imperfect is to recognize that if we are at all able to withstand the struggles of every day at all it is because of God’s power in us. Imperfection is not an occasion for sinful behavior; imperfection is an opportunity for God’s power to explode through us. One of the ways we ensure that we do not let our imperfection reign over us is to understand where the imperfection comes from: our ego. One way to look at ego is think of it as Edging God Out. The only way to deal with your ego is to kill it. This why St. Paul said we had to bear in ourselves the death of Jesus. With the death of our ego comes the opportunity for the beauty of Spirit of Jesus to live through us.

Instead of “Not perfect, just forgiven,” followers of Jesus need to live and proclaim this message: Dying to live!

Ronald Friesen © 2015

The look that changes us...

I am on a new part of my spiritual journey. I have joined myself to a wonderful man who is teaching me the beauty and power of meditation through various forms of prayer and reflection. St. Paul encouraged meditation in this text:

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

It has been said that we become what we look at. The object of our visual attention captures us and begins to change us. The follower of Jesus is encouraged to look and meditate on the the beauty of the Lord. Some theologians call this gazing at the beatific vision. The power of this vision is its ability to change us, to transform us. We cannot gaze at the beauty of God’s love, mercy and grace without being changed.

If its true that we become what we eat; it is also true that we become what we look at. What are you and I looking at?

Ronald Friesen © 2015

A sweetness...

The Bible is filled with interesting metaphors. This text from St. Paul contains two metaphors:

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere” (I Corinthians 2:14).

The first metaphor is of a victorious general leading his troops in a triumphal procession with the spoils of war following behind. Followers of Jesus are the captives who are making up the spoils of the battle Jesus won on the Cross over evil. Philip E. Hughes describes the truth this way: “We who were God’s former enemies (Romans 5:11) have been overcome and taken captive by Him and are led and displayed by Him to the world, not just on one passing occasion, but everywhere and everyday” (p. 78). Anyone who has experienced the power of the the transformation of the Gospel is a trophy of God’s grace. God loves to parade his trophies to the world. Walk proudly as one of Christ’s captive!

The second metaphor is also from the triumphal entry of the general to the city. While the procession of soldiers and captives went through the streets sweet perfumes were released through the burning of spices. The aroma of victory enhanced the celebration. St. Paul argues that followers of Jesus are bearers of the sweetness of knowledge of Christ. This knowledge is not merely facts of the Good News but the reality of the spiritual unity of Christ and his followers. What kind of sweet aroma do you and I live in our world?

Ronald Friesen © 2015