Born again

Are you a child of God. Have you been born again? Have you died to yourself.? Be honest, if you have, how come so many are so easily offended? The preacher didn’t shake my hand. No one said hello to me.

Let me ask you a profoundly serious question. How did you die to yourself and have so many rights to be everything you’re not to be? If what she said he said, sets you off, makes you quit attending services, to walk away from your church family, your earthly family, a brother, a sister, a co-worker, have you really died to self?

Too many Christians think they have been saved to merely go to heaven. And they are right, but the story doesn’t end there. You were saved to be reunited with the Father. Jesus said all who come to the Father must come through me. Jesus came to show you the way back to the Father. Jesus also said, if you’ve seen me, you have seen the Father.  He went on to say, “This is eternal life that you might know him.” Jesus died so that you could be united with God. Christianity is not a church attendance.

2 Corinthians 3:18 – “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.” You are saved, to be transformed back into the image you were created to be in the garden of Eden before sin entered the world.

In Colossians 3:10 we read, “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”   You were saved, in order that the new you, armed with renewed knowledge, is once again to reflect the image of your creator. You die to self, in order that God’s Spirit can live in you. Not when you get to heaven, but now and every day, every minute and every second of your life here on earth.

Do you know what the problem is for many Christians? They are waiting to go to haven before they change. They attend services. They show up to bible class, while holding onto their rights. I don’t like this, and I don’t like that. They said this, and they said that. Dead people have only one right. And that is to surrender their life in order that they may live. Anyone who finds his life will lose it. Anyone who loses his life for the sake of Jesus, will find their life.

You were saved, so that in Christ you have all you need to shine forth the glory of God. To walk in his image. The image you were created to be from the beginning.  You were saved so you could communion again with the Father. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be open to see the immeasurable power of God’s Spirit, dwelling in you, to make you into the image of your heavenly Father.

What about the change?

There’s a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that describes some of the ways he shows his faith — he’s got a T-shirt, a bracelet with letters on it, a necklace & key chain, Bible magnets on his refrigerator, a “bless you” welcome mat, a Jesus bumper sticker, and the outline of a fish on his car. He’s got almost everything a “good Christian needs”, but he’s wondering something we should all wonder — what about the change? What about the difference? What about a life that shows I’m undergoing a change?

Indeed. What about the change? You know — the change the apostle Paul said we should all undergo?

What about the difference? What about a life that shows I’m undergoing a change?

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:1-2

That word transformed in verse 2 is translated either “transformed” or “changed” in every English-language translation I checked. It is this Greek word that is the root for our English word metamorphosis. It’s the same word translated “transfigured” in Matthew 17:2. Think about the change a caterpillar undergoes in order to become a butterfly. Think about the change Jesus underwent on the mount of transfiguration. That should give you some idea of the visual quality of the change we are to undergo when we become Christians.

No, our face won’t shine like the sun, but the change should be just as visible! We are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16), so we should shine brightly enough for those around us to notice.

One more thing about this word. In the Greek, it’s a present tense, imperative, passive verb. It’s you must let yourselves be transformed; it’s not you should think about transforming yourselves if you want to. That means it’s not us effecting the change; someone (rather, Someone) else is the source of the change. It’s not a change that happens in the future — it happens now! And it’s not a suggestion!

So, what about the change? Can you see the change in your life? More importantly, can others see the change (and the reason for the change)?

Humility is seeing ourselves as God sees us

I saw that quote on a church sign recently. You know the ones — these are the signs that have quippy sayings that are intended to make you think, and sometimes make you groan, kind of like ours. Like most quotes, some are better than others. This one got my attention though, because I wasn’t sure if I agreed with it or not.

How do you think God sees you?

…all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Let me ask you this — if I had a huge, ugly brown spot on my back, would you ever know about this blemish if every time you saw me I was wearing a shirt? Scripture tells me at the time I was baptized, I was clothed with Christ.

26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:26-27

Therefore, since I am clothed with Christ, whenever God looks at me He sees Jesus. He doesn’t see the blemishes that abound — the blemishes Jesus’ blood washed clean (1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7). He sees me as pure and spotless as the day I was born.

And this brings up another question — if God sees us as being clothed with Christ, and doesn’t see our blemishes, shouldn’t we see His children in the same state? How easy it is to focus on each others’ dirty laundry and blemishes, when we should see our fellow life-strugglers as washed clean with the same blood as we have been.

So, back to the original quote and the question it provoked — is humility seeing ourselves as God sees us? I think not. “Humility is seeing ourselves as we would be without Jesus.” How’s that for a re-write?

Jesus and the super blood moon

The writer of Hebrews admonishes disenchanted and/or distracted believers of his day with these words: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” – 12:2.  “Looking unto” means “to look away, as from one thing to see another; then, to concentrate the gaze upon.”  That sums up his entire message: do not give your best look to Moses or the Law or anything less than Jesus.  He is superior to all and in a class of his own.  Regardless of where you are looking, look from that to Him so you may see the glorious Christ for all He is and means.

You may remember the “super blood moon” that took place around January 20 of 2019.  It was an exceptional celestial event. Lunar eclipses are not rare but, with this one, the moon was closer to us than normal, making the effect more spectacular. I always try to get Ethan and Cassi in on things of that nature. (Living so close to Lake Greeson is a blessing in such times. No light distortion allows a very clear view at night.)

If/when we can really zero in on Jesus and see Him for all He is, it can be a game-changer.

 But in order to see the blood moon, we had to deliberately turn away from typical school and home obligations. We looked away from the usual to concentrate upon the unusual. We took our eyes off the commonplace in order to focus upon the spectacular. And concentration was the key, because the blood moon was a fleeting event. A remarkable and memorable experience, enjoyed only because we chose to look from the routine to the rare.

That is the intention of the Hebrews’ author: to redirect focus in life from the less worthy to the One most worthy. If/when we can really zero in on Jesus and see Him for all He is, it can be a game-changer. If/when I really “look unto” (concentrate upon) Jesus, it will affect how I deal with situations, choices, relationships, myself, values, ups and downs, God, and everything else about life. Along with that, I will more genuinely appreciate all that is good and lovely about a human created in God’s image, who is also being remade into the image of Christ. And, the deeper, richer aspects of life — peace, joy, happiness, love, hope, courage, purity, forgiveness, compassion – will find more room to bear fruit.

When I truly see Him, I will see all else in a different light. That is, if/when I find myself intentionally and consistently “looking unto Jesus.” The super blood moon was a special thing for Ethan and Cassi to witness. I am so glad they did not miss seeing it. I hope you did not miss seeing it. But I really hope you do not miss seeing Jesus.

robert