Sanctification - Jeremiah's Vow

Lent 2020 | Day 10: “Saved”

I think many times in the church, we spend a lot of time telling people that they need to be saved. But we always frame it in the context of being saved from something.

I think there is something not completely consistent underlying this approach. It tends to be easier to cause people to fear, to get them to behave in ways that we may believe are more consistent with what God desires. However, I think this is wrongheaded, and maybe even upside down.

The reality is that we have been saved for something. We have been saved for relationship with God. We have been saved for relationship with one another. We have been saved so that we might do the good works that God has prepared for us (Eph. 2:10). This is why we have been saved.

We are the beneficiaries of a past reality so that we can enjoy a present comfort, and so that we can look forward to a future hope This is the wonder of living in Christ. That we have been saved, while we are being saved, which we properly call sanctification; until we are saved, which is glorification.

We are on a journey. There is no one on this journey who has arrived at their final destination yet. If they still breathe and walk on this earth we are called to continue in faithfulness. So I want to encourage you in this season of Lent, to remember that what we are moving towards is something that has already happened and that the reality of this final act can give us confidence in our daily lives. For who we are supposed to be in Christ is still being worked out by God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s ministry. You have been saved. I have been saved. Let us rejoice in that today!

Lent 2019 | Day 3: The Challenge of Grace

For the last couple of days, we have looked at a couple facets of God’s grace in our lives. Today, I want to look at grace, not from God’s perspective, but from ours. What I mean is that after we have become aware of the breadth of God’s grace we are confronted with a significant challenge. That challenge is to become ambassadors of God’s grace to the world.

The world is a hard place to live in sometimes, but we have been enabled and empowered to live in it. There are many ways for us to be distracted but God has given us everything we will need to live for him in this crazy world.

I find that the great challenge is to take what we have received to those God will bring into our lives. We don’t have to be afraid to talk to people of what God has done. We are works in progress. We are in the path of sanctification. We are not what we are supposed to be, but if we stay faithful to the truth of the Gospel, the truth of God’s grace we will find the challenge is still present. Just not a burden that causes us to be hindered.

I pray that we will see the call of God to be ambassadors of Christ to be a challenge worth taking and not a challenge needing to be avoided.

Lent 2018 | Day #33: Spiritual Health

Most people will readily understand the idea of growing spiritually, but far fewer understand how this growth is cultivated and sustained.

I will be borrowing heavily from the countless conversations, books, and teachings of my father, Pastor Luis R. Scott. He serves as the Senior and Founding Pastor of Ambassadors of Christ Ministries. If you would like a more in-depth discussion of Spiritual Health I commend his book, Healing the Broken Spirit, on the subject of Spiritual Health and Spiritual Injuries.

Spiritual Health is a concept that describes a holistic view of Christian growth and sanctification. Most people will readily understand the idea of growing spiritually, but far fewer understand how this growth is cultivated and sustained. In this post, I will not try to fully explain what spiritual health is. That is a subject that would require far more space than this post will allow. My goal is to paint a silhouette of the possibilities that God is calling us to.

There are two distinct features of Spiritual Health. The first is understand how transformation takes place. The second is learning how to engage in the process of transformation.

How Does Transformation Happen?

To understand how transformation takes place, we can look to one of the apostle Paul’s more interesting ideas. It is found in his letter to the Roman church.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

The part I want to focus on is this relationship between transformation and the renewal of the mind. Paul appears to make the argument that in order for there to be transformation something has to take place in the mind of the person. But the question is what exactly has to happen?

What I find interesting is that in verse 3 of the same passage Paul talks about making sober judgments. In the context, Paul is talking about understanding our own individual gifts, as given by the Holy Spirit. But, more generally, this verse provides a framework for transformation.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3)

What does it mean to have “sober judgment”? At our church we describe this idea in this way: Transformation can take place when we replace a lie with the truth. The goal is that for every lie that is replaced we become freer, and by extension healthier. The greater our health, the more opportunities we will have and see to engage in kingdom work.

Where does transformation happen?

The second feature of Spiritual Health has to do with how do we engage in the process of transformation. For my church, we teach our members—and anyone who will listen—that a disconnected Christian is an unhealthy one. What this means is that God has designed and appointed the Church to be the instrumental means of communicating the truth that transforms. Can it be found in other places? Yes, of course, it can. But every soul is guaranteed to find it in the Church.

Now, I fully understand that all churches are not as healthy as they should be. Some are downright sick. However, the failure of some to embody God’s purpose and design does not eliminate the goal and function of the Church in an individuals life.

We like to say at our church that there are three essential reasons for gathering with the church:

To hear a truth that replaces a lie.
To tune our ear to hear the voice of God.
To build lasting friendships with other believers.

These three reasons are how we engage in the process of transformation. If transformation happens when lies are replaced with truth and if the church is the place designed to disseminate God’s truth then we should connect with a local body to give ourselves the best chance at becoming spiritually healthy.

As we enter into Holy Week, I would encourage you to seek God’s truth and to engage in the process of transformation. Find a church that carefully and unashamedly communicates the full counsel of God. There really is no better time to begin to seek lasting Spiritual Health.

Lent Day #35 | Sanctification

For the past eight years I served as a youth pastor in two United Methodist Churches. In that time I was introduced to John Wesley, the Methodist Movement and the particularly Wesleyan understanding of sanctification. I am not a Wesleyan theologian by any stretch, so please correct with kindness and grace.

John Wesley

As I studied the origins of Methodism, I discovered that the moniker was actually given as a ridicule, and not so much as a superlative. The members of the first Methodist group, a small band of college students, gathered together for accountability and bible study. What made this small band stand out was how methodical they were in their approach to living the Christian faith. It was this “methodism” that gave rise to the derision of their peers.

This short history lesson is important because it shows how, from the beginning, the people called Methodist chose to “work out [their] salvation in fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). The reality of the Christian life is found in the transformation that takes place in the heart and mind of the believer. We all are being changed. We all are growing (or at least should be growing) into greater Christ-likeness. This is what sanctification is. It is the process the Holy Spirit takes us through to become as much like Christ as we can be!

It can be tempting to think of sanctification as something we have to do on our own. As if it is something we can accomplish in our own power. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are not supposed to become like Jesus through our own efforts. I do not believe this was Paul’s intent in admonishing believers to “work out their salvation.”

One of my favorite foods is pizza. The reason I bring this up is that pizza dough has to be kneaded for two reasons. First, as it is needed the glutton in the flour is stretched making the pizza dough and delicious. (I am not a baker, but this is what I’ve heard!) The second reason, for kneading the dough is to make sure that all of the seasoning that has been added to flavor the dough is spread throughout the entire dough. If you do not do this you will have pockets that have been filled with flavor and others that are bland and tasteless.

When we are working out our salvation, we are engaging in the process of sanctification. We have to ask ourselves if we are striving to surrender more and more areas of our life to the work of the Spirit, so he can “knead Jesus” into us. Are there areas of your life where Jesus is present and prominent? What about those areas where He is not? What is keeping you from opening up that area of your life to the Spirit’s influence?

A Wesleyan Moment | What is Sanctifying Grace?

The third movement of God’s grace in our lives is called Sanctifying Grace. God has been at work in our lives with Prevenient Grace. When we heard the Gospel and believed we were born again as God applied Justifying Grace. Now the question becomes what will God do next? God has an amazing plan and desire for our lives.

Peter answers a question that many of us have asked: What is God’s will for my life? Now, the response that we make to the answer Peter gives should not be, “Is that all?” That would not be correct. The fact that God, in his wisdom and purpose, has decided to tell us what He will do should create in us joy and peace; patience and passion. So what is God’s will? Listen to what Peter says is 1 Peter 4:3:

For this is the will of God, your sanctification (ESV)

The New International Version says it this way: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.” Do you see that. The implication here is not that this is an option we can opt into or out of. God’s will, what he has determined will happen is that you become like Jesus. That is what it means to be sanctified. To look so much like Jesus that the world sees Jesus and not us.

Could that be why we don’t want to be sanctified? We don’t want to have our identity replaced with Christ’s? I cannot think of anything I want more than to have my weaknesses replaced by his strengths; my sorrows by his joy; my pain by his healing; my sin by his grace. That is what God has offered. That is what Jesus has purchased through his death and resurrection. That is what the Holy Spirit has applied to our lives. Be sanctified. God desires that for you.

Why Not Me?: Rethinking How and Why We Suffer | Part 1

As I read the bible I find that there is a given assumption that suffering will be, and to a greater extent than is understood, should be an expected part of what I encounter as a Christian.

Reading Time: This post will take about 20-25 minutes to read.

This post is directed toward anyone that claims the Christian faith. If you are not a Christian or do not have religious leanings I hope that you might still be able to find the content helpful.

Learning How to Suffer: An Under-Attended Class

In the last several months I have had several reasons to do some thinking on the topic (and reality) of suffering. The reason for my writing began with the opportunities that these events have provided for me to do some thinking and rethinking of what I believe regarding this subject. What I am not trying to do in this and future posts is to make too much of the personal questions like, “Why is this happening to me?” or other questions that look at suffering as a force acting on me. I think that this kind of effort can be and is beneficial, but I wanted to take this a step further.

What I have been wondering about is what the bible has to say to me about my response to suffering. Does the bible have anything to teach me, in a practical way, about how I am supposed to respond when a tragedy hits my life directly (i.e., the death of a loved one)! And if there is something in the bible that helps me to better live in and live through suffering, what can I do to begin to do that so that I might better reflect the bible’s example and direction. And, also related, to experience some of what I read in the life of the apostles and the early church.

As I read the bible I find that there is a given assumption that suffering will be, and to a greater extent than is understood, should be an expected part of what I encounter as a Christian. Suffering should be expected as the rule and not the exception of the Christian experience (I will explain further in the next section). Just because society has “advanced” according to some standards and measures, the offense of the Gospel to the self-righteousness found in the world (and still many times in my own heart) has not changed. I think that we make a grave mistake in thinking that the world has grown in its desire for the things of God. I know that this may sound crazy to some. I am okay with that.

What I am thinking as I write these thoughts down is to try and investigate what the bible has to say about how I should experience and perceive suffering within my own heart and mind. Another thought, and possibly more importantly, what impression are those who do not hold my faith in Jesus left with, about my faith, when they see me dealing with tragedy and suffering?

Essentially there are two short questions here. They are:

How should a Christian suffer?
What will the world learn about Jesus when we suffer as Christians?

Suffering’s Two Tributaries Into My Life

I believe that suffering will come in two general ways to a believer. The first is that suffering will come because we are living in a world that as been contaminated and polluted by Sin. This means that there are events and circumstances that we cannot avoid just because we are now redeemed by Jesus’ work on the cross. I am not just saying that “stuff happens.” I am saying that we should not be surprised when it does. The blood of Christ is not a magic potion that makes us immune to the suffering of this world. The blood of Christ provides us a way through that suffering that will, or should, reveal the full measure of the Gospel in us to those who see us. (Here are a sampling of Paul’s own words as he discussed the issue of suffering in his own life: Romans 5:3, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 1:5-7, Colossians 1:24, Philippians 1:29, Philippians 3:7-10, 2 Timothy 1:8, 12, 2 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Timothy 2:8-10).

Connected to the presence of Sin in the world, I have in mind that even the Christian will have to deal with the consequences of their personal sins. Christ has taken away the penalty of sin, but in the same way that every action has a reaction, every sin has a consequence. These cannot be avoided and so we should not be surprised when we suffer for them. Peter tells us as much in his letter (1 Peter 2:20a). This suffering is justified and while God can use it God does want us to make a practice of sinning (1 John 3:7ff). This it is not what I am referring to when I talk about suffering. (Just want to clarify.)

The second way that we will suffer is due to our profession and demonstration of faith. [Aside: I am growing in my curiosity about whether or not an increase of suffering in our lives of this second variety is an indicator of our devotion to Christ. I will have to look at this further, but I am going to go on a limb and say, “Yes,” in response.] As we become convinced that Christ is who He said He was and that the life that he purchased for us is not speculation or wishful thinking, it will become natural for us to grow in our desire to conform our life to His. It is in this process of maturity that we will have our eyes opened to the inconsistencies that exist between our life in Christ and what this world has to offer. John does not pull any punches when he says the following:

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17, emphasis added, ESV)

It is the love of the world that creates in us the double-mindedness that James warns about (James 1:8). We have been born again, born from above, recreated, given a new nature, a new purpose, a new will, a new citizenship in a new city. We have a new king, a new family, a new language, new gifts and new clothes. Why are we so infatuated with things that will fail, places that will fade and people that will falter? Why do we find ourselves so willing to pawn the treasures of God for the cheap souvenirs of a place that we will forget faster than our last breath? I just do not understand this anymore.

Growing Restless With The Way Things Are

I find myself growing more and more restless. Not so much with the people outside of the church. They are doing what they are supposed to do. I grow frustrated with the people who claim Christ as their treasure. But even more than frustration, I grow increasingly fearful. Fearful of the lack of devotion to Christ. Not just commitment. There are a lot of folks committed to Jesus (as long as the dividend is high enough). But then “it” hits the fan and the fade begins. Look again at the attitude that Peter demonstrates in John 6 when Jesus starts talking about cannibalism (Jesus’ teaching about drinking His blood and eating His body).

⁶⁶ After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹ and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (emphasis added, ESV)

Oh God, that my resolve to follow you be converted into an unquenchable devotion to Your Son! “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!” This is not just poetic language. This is not brown-nosing. This is not an attempt at piety. This is the confession of a man that has truly “believed, and [has] come to know, that [Jesus is] the Holy One of God.” I am convicted of this almost everyday.

The Bottom Line: I Lost My Passport

So what is the bottom line? I think that we have not been assimilated to our new home in way that makes us long for it more than what we see around us. If it is true what Paul said that what is spiritual is more real than what we can see with our eyes, we have a long way to go when we long to keep what we have here over what God has for us (2 Corinthians 4:18)! Here is a question that I have been asking myself lately: Would I rather live life here on this earth? Or, do I want to be where Jesus is?

Anybody, especially any Christian, who thinks that this sounds morbid, to overly dramatic or even like a death wish has not, I believe, fully considered what God has given to us. I am a professional Christian, and I am only now coming to appreciate what the Gospel is offering to me, a lost and wretched sinner. I am sure that we can argue back and forth on this point, but I think that this question is at the very heart of why God has not completely eradicated suffering and evil. He does not want us to grow so accustomed to this world that we lose sight of what Jesus went to prepare for us in heaven. Remember, we should not love the things of this world (1 John 2:15-17).

A Sinful Silence on Sin

So where does this leave us? Why have we not kept our passports current? I think that is has something to do with a failure to feel the weight of Sin’s effect in our lives and in the lives of those around us. This world does not like for sin to be talked about and exposed. While this may appear obvious, the church has become remarkably silent on the subject. How many sermons in a given year directly and pointedly tackle THE GREATEST hindrance to having a relationship with God? We want to help people rather than heal them. We want to furnish our buildings rather than finish Christ’s work. We want to share our opinions rather than the Word of God. We want to placate the religious rather than to please the Father. Our priorities are so messed up we have grown doubtful that it will ever change. So what do we do? We start new churches that will get it right.

Please understand, I think we need more churches! As many as we can start as soon as we can start them. The concern that I have is that we may start churches that will duplicate and repeat the very thing that is not working – majoring on the minors of what it means to be a church. The church must return to the only mission for which she was created, to make disciples. (I will pick up this subject on another day!) Let’s back to the subject at hand.

Implications Precede Applications

It is now my conviction that the root of complacency in the early years of my faith was my failure to dig deeper and deeper into the implications of the bible. This led to laziness in my faith expression. The implications of the Bible must necessarily precede any applications that I might attempt to make. One example is God’s admonition for us to be holy as He is holy. While it might be easy to look at the first part of that phrase and make it the primary focus because it is about what I have to do, I would be wrong. That first part may be what I want to find out, but if I start there before I know the second I have put the proverbial cart before the horse.

But why is this a mistake? It is a mistake because the more important aspect of that statement is that God is HOLY. What exactly am I trying to be or become if I am supposed to imitate God in holiness? If I don’t have the clearest understanding of what God’s holiness is and demands I will be satisfied with whatever makes me feel better or just makes sense to me. The implication of God’s holiness will have a direct and radical effect on how I try to do what the command implies.

Let me press into this a little more. Follow me here.

God is Holy
God’s holiness requires holiness in everything else
Any failure for holiness requires punishment
Adam sinned and put the whole of creation under the curse of Sin
Any effort to “make it up to God” fails and I am left without escape
Only a holy person can stand in the place of the accused (but that person does not exist)
So, God comes in the person of Jesus Christ
Jesus fulfills the law I could not
Jesus receives the judgment of God for Sin
Faith in 1 – 9 gives God the right to count me righteous
Anybody that does not believe is still under judgment
And that judgment is eternal separation from God

Now this is just the implication!

The application of this is that we must live in a way that accords to this implication. Behavior will follow belief. I can not behave my way to a new belief. I have believe my way to a new behavior. This is not an act of the will, but a change in our affections. In other words, when I dig deep, what is the motivation that is driving me? Until I am able to articulate that motivation I will make decisions based in something that I am not as aware of as I need to be, or at least could be.

This is why the Gospel ought to become the most loved and cherished information and message that we have ever heard, and ever share! It is the Gospel that provides the greatest motivation for living because if we can apply what the Gospel implies we will keep our focus on what God is focused on.

Next time: We will look at the issue of suffering within the context of God’s will and God’s word.

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 12) – “Submit Yourself Unto The Lord”

This is part of the series”What is the Gospel?”

Several months ago I had a thought about how God desires for us to relate to Him when we are confronted with the Gospel. The line of thought that I followed revolved around two words—Submission and Surrender. While I believe that both are aspects of the Christian journey, the more I thought about it the more I leaned toward submission as the appropriate response to God. God desires for His children to grow in faith and relationship with Him. This process is called Sanctification (which I understand to mean “becoming like Jesus”). Why is sanctification important? It is important because it serves as an indicator of the progress we have made in our walk with God. Are we striving for God’s will? Do we see the world through His eyes?

Submission and Surrender are a part of this unfolding drama in that it reveals to God the inclination of our Heart. What is the difference you may be asking? I would have to say that it is choice. When I submit I am voluntarily ceasing from pursuing my own program. I have decided to defer, to consent to the will of God. Surrender is different in that it implies the end of a valiant, yet fruitless attempt to win against the opponent. Surrender is the need to back down under compulsion. Many may hear the gospel and it goads them into rejecting its message. For this person the option chosen is that of surrender. They have to be made to give in. The Gospel will feel like a battle to be won, and yet they will never overcome. The bible says that every knee will bow. Then there are those that hear the gospel and rejoice because it is Good News to their heart. Submit yourself unto the Lord and allow God to order your steps.

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 8) – “Commit to Repentance”

This is part of the series “What is the Gospel?”

One of the key aspects of the Gospel is that repentance is not a one-time thing. We must commit ourselves to repentance. I mentioned previously that repentance is the turning away from sin. But many times we mistakenly believe that our lives will only require one course correction. Sin is always around us, tempting and tricking us into believing that we have arrived. There is no arriving while we walk this earth. We are on a journey. We are constantly moving towards God’s presence. It is because of this striving that we must commit to turning away from sin. Paul said, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” [Romans 7:15].

Paul was familiar with the Olympic games of his day and used an athletics illustration to help the Corinthians understand that the life of faith should be run as if to win the prize—eternal fellowship with God. Repentance, I believe, is the means by which God adjusts our course in life to run the race of faith well. Look at what Paul says,

²⁵Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. ²⁶So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. ²⁷But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” [1 Corinthians 9:25-27]

Paul desires to remain qualified; therefore, he must be constantly evaluating what he does in light of Scripture and God’s character to finish the race well. We should emulate Paul’s example as we live the Gospel out in our lives.