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The Bible and The Soul
In the Bible are found the keys to life and living. Corresponding to a 40 Day discipline of listening through the New Testament on MP3 players, 4 sermons were preached by Pastor Swanson on the ministry of the Word of God: The Renewed Soul, The Strengthened Soul, The Repaired Soul and The Completed Soul. The Outlines are followed by sermon notes.
The Renewed Soul - Denying Self; Engaging Jesus Matthew. 16:24-27 ; 11:28-30
1. A mind groomed by God’s Word results in a renewed life and soul. The presence of God in the Word of God, in the mind of a Christian, delivers.
Matthew. 16:24-27 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me... whoever loses his life for me will find it.
2. Four parts in you that live and grow effortlessly but must be denied. Human nature is…
S superficiality P passivity I individualism N narcisism
3. After “cleaning out” comes “building up.” “Happiness is_________________________…” …inside out, not outside in.
Matthew. 11:28-30 “Come to me…., my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
4. Jesus lives to be received. We live by grace. Jesus changes old tendencies with …new habits. Abundant life is in the Jesus centered soul.
The Strengthened Soul Luke 4:1-14
4.14: Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.
Jesus shows by example the way to spiritual strength. Strength happens before our performance. Outward appearance evidently is not a good measure of spiritual power. God speaks in the desert…but not on day 1 or 2! Find strength in the desert. The devil does his best to divert Jesus:
1. The devil wants Jesus to do something good: eat.
The first purpose of life is not meeting personal needs.
2 .The devil wants Jesus to rule the world
Who would make a better ruler of the world than Jesus? The devil wants Jesus to rule the world with one little condition: The nature of the kingdom of God is willing submission.
3. The devil wants Jesus to dazzle the crowds.
Jesus is not going to be reaching people through entertainment.” Those who do come will come the old fashion way: Creature to Creator; Offender to Forgiver; Servant to King; Child to Father.
The Repaired Soul Romans
God works to repair people who accept…
1. Conviction of sin.
Because we have a need for recognition, respect and dignity, any teaching that says we are damaged is dismissed. Belief in my goodness is like armor to protect me from the designs of the Holy Spirit. Not a good thing. Antidote:
1:22-26,32 3:9-12,18-20
Conviction of sin is the source of freedom and strength.
2. Incarnation
Christianity is what God does to reach us.
1:3,4 5:19 8:3 10:9
3. Righteous by Faith
The world has always said, “Let’s just skip the cross.” It offends. To the blind and deaf its always been unnecessary. God is looking for the blood.
3:22 4:24 5:1
God looks for relationship and affection through faith.
The Completed Soul Hebrews
God gave the Bible to revolutionize & transform our entire being: toward a life somewhat like the life of Jesus.
1:1,2 The disclosures of God and the creation of God. At the core of God’s being is relationship. God’s uses the written Word for communication.
4:11,12 God’s uses the written Word for soul penetration. The Word of God is designed to penetrate. It does not always. It penetrates with exposure. Psalm 1
Problems: Disinterest Dullness 5:11-14
10:16 God’s mind in ours through the Holy Spirit. .
2:1; 13:9 . God’s uses the written Word for protection.
Problems: Drift away? Carried away?
We need God and the Word is His tool.
The Renewed Soul - Denying Self; Engaging Jesus Matthew. 16:24-27 ; 11:28-30
More than information about eternal truth, more than wise counsel and direction toward happiness and success, more than comfort and aesthetic appreciation, The Bibile contains the basic program for turning each one of us FROM a person of nature and of the world, TO a person of God. From the way you are to the ideal via commands, examples, promises and revelation.
We are alive in part to retool our minds, our expectations and even our sense of want, not just with great insight but with the living and powerful presence of God who is imbedded in His Word. Mankind has always had a better idea: How to be well off; how to enlist God’s help… Those matters are in the appendix of God’s Book.
The main text: “Learn who I am and what I do and why and who you are and what I think about that. Know lots and lots about my Son. Learn about Him in the prophets, in the biographies, in the theology of the apostles, and last but not least (or is) in personal , intuitive experience.”
This week: The renewed soul. A mind groomed by God’s Word results in a renewed life and soul. What does the renewed soul look like??? It looks good. People have gotten the impression that it looks bad. The country club people are looking good. The vocationally successful are looking good, whatever that means, but we Christians get up on Sunday mornings…talk about things you cannot see, are more sensitive about problems,… He who controls the vocabulary wins the argument and we need to think clearly about success and doing well.
The presence of God in the Word of God, in the mind of a Christian, delivers. Not with an absence of setbacks and problems. But, Just as Jesus was and is the WAY, we are shown the way to live our lives and invest our lives to the fullest! Today we receive our answer to the question: “How to live life to the fullest” from 2 sections in Matthew. On living life to the fullest:
Matthew. 16:24-27 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Observation #1: done… deny. Good works is not the large gifts, prominent service, volunteerism – all good. Jesus was talking about “denying self.” Intrigued… or turned off because you anticipate something that will go against the grain of your desires???
Observation #2: God wants you to save your life. He will save your life but you have to want it. Your life is your soul. True life is soul life. The big surprise is that most everyone deep down believes true life, abundant life is in “gaining the world!” Again, nothing against pleasure – an important ingredient in life– but in proportion, or the special treats are no longer special…or treats. Jesus states the peril: gaining the world (or wanting to) and paying the price for that: “forfeiting the soul.”
What was Jesus getting at when he said deny yourself? This has a lot to do with experiencing life! Jesus did it… but living as a homeless transient for 3 ½ years does not sound very attractive.
Human nature in particular and the world in general think pure devotion is a painful, unnecessary, regrettable sacrifice. …which is just a smoke screen to keep one from the main issue: your self and your sin came into this world like conjoined twins. And they do not want separation. Jesus calls for separation and he will help the ambitious who want to save their life. This is the challenge to the world’s understanding of life. Follow the SPIN acronym: SPIN represents four parts in you that live and grow effortlessly but must be denied. Human nature is…
S - Superficial. Great interest in the outside and good appearance with a corresponding great neglect on the inside which is hidden under the cloak of privacy. Sin and self in their unchecked natural state is preoccupied with body image, amusement, quick pleasures. Sin and self, if they had their way, would like to string together short term satisfactions in the form of food, sex, clothing, experiences like pearls on a string for 70-100 years and call it a good life. But it won’t be good. The surface life can’t hold it together. The tree without roots is not nourished and will never be well. The Christmas tree is decorated but it is not well. Superficiality works for a short time but its negatives catch up with everyone.
P – Passive. Overdoses on watching and rest. You say, “I wish!” I say, “But you’d like to!” Sin tends not to put out much energy – just the minimum. Self would rather sit back and be amused and be served than participate and provide. Self attends spectator events and chooses more than the daily need for rest. Self volunteers…but does not want to. Those who fall into the passivity trap are minimally experiencing life. They are more apt to become grumpy! Active people do not have the luxury of focusing on problems and offenses. I must spot and deny my superficiality and passivity.
I – Individualistic. As if God placed us on this planet to be little gods living in worlds according to us. Educators today are bold on this point. “Do it for yourself.” The DARE program: “Say no to drugs – Do it for yourself.” The telethon: “Give generously – you will feel good about it.” Like points 1&2, appearance, and rest, there is nothing wrong with focusing on your individual goals and values but today’s individualism puts down the role of community (getting along with others can be a bother) and virtue – things that are right, not because of what I get out of it, but because they are right. I will always be a unique individual; I deny individualism. N - Narcissistic. Fixated / infatuated with personal fulfillment. Self absorbed. (Several myths about a young man Narcissus who realized his beauty looking at his image in a pool of water.) Self thinks itself deserving… of power, promotion. Self is worthy of admiration! Self overlooks shortcomings. Self looks at people as helpers. Its all about “me”. God is appreciated - but not as center. In fact Self has some expectations of God for Him to live up to!
We have God given DNA which is good. We are made in His image. To get at that I must get through the “denial”of self in the SPIN: Back off the elevation of surface and appearance; back off the pursuit of easy, the primacy of my plans and the deservedness of a person as grand as me. If that hurts, if it is personally offensive, so be it. This is the essential meaning of “take up your cross.” Realizing when we are in violation and then confessing it.
“Taking up a cross” at times leads to some hardship and fatigue but the root understanding of the pounding Christianity calls us to expect is wrestling with the monkey on our backs – the self and nature of sin that has no interest in being denied; rather seeks protection in a natural world of superficiality, passivity, individualism and narcissism. !
If you know how to apply this for someone else forget it – its for you. We all know somebody…Jesus never taught us to help our neighbor deny him/herself! This is not a social critique. It is the base of Christian Psychology.
Now its time to build up. Once you clean out the attic, now you are ready to make it a nice room! Denial does not get you anything, like raking the garden does not result in flowers and tomatoes.
The renewed soul is a happy soul. Complete: “Happiness is…” Not looks, brains, bucks, friends, athletic ability – the adolescent formula for self esteem. Not getting my way, getting served, taking it easy…
Happiness is a life well lived, a life of virtue and character, a life that manifests wisdom, kindness and goodness.
This is the classical definition of – not goodness- but happiness. Happiness / abundant life is a result. Therefore, happiness is inside out, not outside in. So far, my Hindu and Buddhist friends would agree. The key to the renewed soul; the key to inner happiness…
Matthew. 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Denying self; then engaging Jesus. Seven times Jesus refers to the first person. Himself. My Hindu and Buddhist friends have no problem denying themselves many things. In the end they believe that inside they are sure to find something good, specifically, a “god” to exalt, which is why they presume no outside God offended …and no forgiveness needed. We say deep inside there is a cancer to kill and an implant to receive. From the outside I receive.
Jesus lives to be received. John 1.12. Eph. 2.8. Grace. That is salvation. Part 2: Work out your salvation! SPIN does not disappear or change on its own or through force of will power. Neither does anger, anxiety, despair. Jesus changes it / replaces it. Old tendencies are changed with …new habits. “I thought it was with the new heart? faith? prayer?” New heart. New habits. New life.
Jesus, like a good coach, says come to me and learn from me. Show me an athlete who coaches himself, and I will show you an ordinary performance. How many messes do we make for failing to seek out Jesus habits and Jesus solutions to the situations of life?
Seek. You have got to do it: Deny self and engage Jesus – through study !!!, prayer, worship, service, fellowship, confession and submission. The student of Jesus must not cut class. Me and God habits; Me and people habits; the ongoing maintenance of confession and submission. Seek it. Always. Def. of Seeker is not the pre Christian.
Result Abundant Life; a renewed soul, inside and out. Deny self. Engage Jesus. Soul renewal promised!
The Strengthened Soul Luke 4:1-14
Things you can do alone: academics, physical fitness, chores. The things you cannot do alone: super bowl ring, dance, church. Spiritual fitness? Alone or with other? Divided responses: a. my soul is my primary stewardship…good point! b. can’t isolate spiritual fitness from social connection: love, forgiveness, patience and endurance, kindness…spiritual and social. Good point!
This morning I am not going to deal with b. Just A. To the extent you want to strengthen your soul – your life… from the inside out – at the center will be Jesus and the Bible. Its up to you to make sure that happens. Last week we learned from the Gospel of Matthew that the renewed soul “cleans house” – denies self: superficiality, passivity, individualism, narcisisim; and engages Jesus: come unto me – all the time…
This week from this past week’s listening: the gospel of Luke (and Mark) Strengthening the Soul. Last 2 weeks: renewing the minds and souls. Today: Strengthening the Soul. Like last week: cannot be done… without the ministry of the Word of God and engaging Jesus.
Luke 4.1-14 I am coming back to the text of 7.1 The simple point then was if Jesus was reliant upon the direct words of God to resist temptation and combat the devil (“it is written”), so am I. The point today is in the nature of the temptations: how each of them make us stronger. 20 push ups, sit ups, squats and you are stronger than you were! Take away the exercise and grunts and groans and you lose an opportunity to strengthen. This IS more interesting than repeats, vitamins and minerals!
The Temptations of Jesus: Read the ending first: Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. …what I hope everyone is interested in (like the gym): living life not from the 6mph breakdown lane but from the passing lane. Doing tangibly better…and glorifying Jesus for the success; for the spiritual power.
Like Coach Belechik who is so interested in good practice sessions (without which there is no expectation of good games) Jesus shows by example the way to spiritual strength is not on game day (giving sermons, performing miracles). Strengthening happens before.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone.’“ [Deut. 8:3] The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: `Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’“ [Deut. 6:13] The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “`He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’“ [Psalm 91:11,12] Jesus answered, “It says: `Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’“ [Deut. 6:16] When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
If you passed Jesus on the road as he returned back to civilization, you would see a tired, malnourished and weakened man. The spiritually strong are suppose to have charisma and energy and they are smiling. Outward appearance evidently is not a good measure because he was loaded with spiritual power – and not just because he was from heaven! What He did as a man was also essential. He chose “the way” of soul strength!
He chose a desert. Like Abraham, Paul. There is no “action” in the desert. The action in a desert is mostly internal. Times of loneliness, status quo, stagnation do not have to be bad times. Ride it out. Know He who began a good work is using the desert. God speaks in the desert…and not on day 1 or 2!
In the desert Jesus showed the wrong way to go about life and the right way. Football, again: every team has the same goal: win the super bowl. Every Christian: victory, fruit, vessel. Some teams are hopelessly unprepared for all kinds of reasons that go back to last year and beyond. Jesus shows us how to prepare: use the desert. Find strength in the desert.“To do better I need more…” Denials!?
1. The devil want Jesus to do something good: eat. Jesus could feed the whole world. Jesus can meet every physical need. The opponent says, “He either has not the power or the care…not much of a Savior!” Or, Jesus is teaching by example: The first purpose of life is not meeting personal needs. If I do not meet needs, I die! God does not want you to die, unless it is your time and almost all the time, it is not your time.
And, Jesus was meeting needs all through his ministry. But the first purpose of life is not meeting personal needs. Our media is saturated with messages telling us what new things we need and we respond by getting them met.
What’s so wrong with that? Sounds normal and reasonable. Any other teaching will be going against the grain. God does not want people to be reduced to beings who put their energies into what they think they need. Rather he wants us to believe: “I am not here for me. I am not here to be a consumer. I will be a consumer – Jesus was – but that is overshadowed the other big teachings: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and accomplish His work…Seek first the kingdom… Love the Lord…your neighbor, etc.” Jesus would eat. Not yet. Consuming will wait. Passing this test is soul building.
1. The devil wants Jesus to rule the world. And who would make a better ruler of the world than Jesus? Jesus would deliver on peace, justice and prosperity! You can bet his subordinants would be much less corrupt - because they know they would never get away with it! The devil wants Jesus to rule the world with one little condition: partnership. “You acknowledge me and I will acknowledge your rule.” You will be happy. I will be happy. Why fight? Compromise! Would you rather have Jesus, with this condition, or the US government? Who would do better by you? I would pick Jesus...but that option, like getting all my needs met, is not available to us - not in this age.
Jesus does not rule over anyone who does not welcome that. This is why getting my way, even when it is the right way, does not trump your way. This does not mean we roll over and play dead on gambling legislation and social vices we happen not to choose. This does not mean we back off our sense of wisdom. We are part of the process. The nature of the kingdom of God is willing submission. We do not pressure people to serve or give or….
There are effective ways to persuade people to get behind a good cause: name recognition, reputation, assuaging of guilt. Those who are best at this we call leaders. The sermon on the mount teached the opposite: pray in private, give without expecting return – THAT is the kingdom of God. In the kingdom of this world good works are done with incentives. The extra effort expects extra personal reward.
Jesus says this is not how you run the world or any part of it. The hierarchal, authoritative church governments have missed the boat here. Leaders confuse their honor and position with Christ’s honor and rule. If you want to lead in God’s kingdom it should not be any secret that you have first chosen to be a servant. But that does not work. I’ve studied mgt. in school…
The authority rests with He who sits at the right hand of God and who has sent the Holy Spirit, whom I give special attention to. He is alive and He may impose. Not me. I cannot be that kind of leader/ruler.
3. The devil wants Jesus to dazzle the crowds. “Help our unbelief. Give faith a little help with a lasting memory. Prove the existence of angels. Demonstrate you are Messiah. Jump from the pinnacle of the temple toward the bottom of the Kidron Valley. Elijah would! Even Moses might! Jesus, people crave some excitement. Give them some God centered excitement. If you give them a charge, they won’t need to go get drunk. Just dazzle them!”
Jesus says, “I am not going to be reaching people through entertainment. Nothing against entertainment unless you desire a lot of it – it is just not my area. Entertainment cannot does not deliver life!!!
Jesus says, “I am sure people will be entertained with my miracles, which is why I really will not do that many. Something about an evil and adulterous generation… Not everyone is going to come to me, in fact most won’t. Something about a narrow gate. But those who do come will come the old fashion way. Not because of how I satisfy all the needs, not because I am the authority they look for, and not because I am exciting.
They will come because we belong together: They will come for relationship. Creator and creature; Forgiver and offender; King
and servant; Father and child. Jesus does not take care of himself first, impose his will or provide a spectacular. He just strengthens his spirit and He teaches by example.
What do we make of this? For everyone who follows doing things God’s way, with the emphasis on getting it right, not expedient, will be strengthened. Strength begins with the inner life – denials strengthen the soul. It puts you on God’s frequency gives you excellent reception.
*God does care. When I serve Him over me, I follow Jesus’ example and become stronger. *God respects free will even though it is corrupt! With a servant’s heart, I will not try not to impose. That restraint strengthens the soul. *God is not my entertainer. The void in the heart really is not excitement. It is for relationship and completeness and forgiveness. That will strengthen your soul.
The Repaired Soul Romans
My message is the coming together of 3 strands: 1. My desire to preach on the effect of the Bible – not the great information about the nature of God; not the impressive prophesies or the comforting inspiration but how the Bible impacts and transforms the life of any human being. I was thinking like this when listening to Matthew >renewal=deny 16, come, 11); Luke >strengthening – trials in the desert); now into the letters.
2. R.T. Kendall featured in Christianity Today … a published debate with a proud, professing Pharisee. D. Rosen, like every rabbi I have known: cerebral, tough, learned, personable, but aggressive and unwavering and very sure of himself. Rosen and Kendall are friends and very frank. There were 3 Christian teachings where Rosen had no understanding, comprehension or appreciation.
3. Listening to Romans I heard those specific teachings denied by the rabbi! These teachings happen to be central in God’s desire to transform your soul. “Soul” includes every part of you from deep inside to how you think and what you want to do. You do not want natural. You want the unique image of God in you to mesh with the transforming, interactive Spirit of God who comes to you through invitation.
The message of Romans, core misunderstandings of a Pharissee, and reparation of the human soul through the Word of God. They all go together. Let us begin.
1. the editor asks: “What have you learned from one another?” “I have seen that David has no conviction of sin. He sees himself as basically righteous. The thought of being sinful before God is alien to him.” “Óf course I am a sinner, but I am not inherently a sinner….every day I do something wrong….Evil inclinations do not mean inherently evil.” “David is…the living embodiment…of establishing his own righteousness.”
Because I have a human need for recognition and respect; because I must live with a sense of dignity, any teaching that says I am damaged to the point of being “a reject” is dismissed. And you do not have to be a Pharisee to conclude this. According to me, I am good. And if I am really committed to this and want to be consistent, you are good too! We all make mistakes. We all stumble along the way. We all fall short of the glory of God. But do not call me wicked, evil, guilty and less than good!
My belief in sufficient goodness, because of the reasons of respect and recognition and worth and dignity does not go away easily or on its own. Problem: If it does not go away, I shut the transforming God out. Belief in my goodness is like armor to protect me from the designs of the Holy Spirit. Not a good thing. Antidote: 1:22,23 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images… 1:24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts 1:25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator 1:26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. 1:32 they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
3:9-12 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? [Or worse] Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: “There is no-one righteous, not even one; there is no-one who understands, no-one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no-one who does good, not even one.
3:18-20 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” ...every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no-one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law;
Ouch, if you are a rabbi or a stereotypical Boston socialite. Chapter 2 also joins the chorus. Christians do not often hear expositions on Romans 1-3; about human nature and sin because it is all bad news. You receive it in small chunks, like today, otherwise it is just too much of a clobbering. The Bible does not present sinful human nature in small chunks but in lengthy, heavy narratives so that we might get the point that each one of us is saddled with a devastating problem>> A desperate situation requiring desperate measures. Review underlines.
Few of us came to accept the doctrine of sin without the
teaching of the Bible, in the hands of the convicting Holy Spirit. No Bible, no conviction.
The Bible alone can be dismissed as any writing. Not until we accept the Bible doctrine of
sin can we sing, Have
Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! “I am not that bad a sinner; it can be, “have my own way Lord and I thank you for keeping me from trouble.” = no repair of the soul; off the workbench…
It is like the parable of the talents. We do not give to God what He has created us to be, nor our good works. (Time and time again, its not the point.) We give back to God what he re-creates what we allow him to & invite him to re-create. It does not make me weaker. It makes me freer. It is the essence of strength and trust.
2. “Incarnation completely defies my understanding …there does not seem to be any logical reason to think that is the case.” You have heard it said, “Religion is what people do to reach God. Christianity is what God does to reach us.” God sent His Son. God provided the Lamb to take away the sins of the world. The sacrifice on the cross was without human help and with human guilt. God raised Jesus from the dead. God sent the Holy Spirit and Pentecost and for us today. (Regarding the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation Rosen said, “I just do not understand what you are talking about.”) To Rosen, Jesus was a good Pharisee and even a kind of Messiah (wise, worthy of rule, message of peace.)
Romans does not get into God becoming flesh and the significance of Bethlehem but it does teach that God sent His Son and was more than human - God Himself. 1:3,4 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God,
8:3 For what the law was powerless to do… God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.
Second Adam. 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” [Joel 2:32]
All human achievement is pale compared to the great and grand work of God. The glory and the worthiness is with God. We make way for the work of God. My service and giving is a result and God is equally concerned with the means as with the ends.
3. “Pharisees…stumble at this idea of justification by faith alone. And that is the offense of the cross, that my trust in the blood of Jesus shed on the cross is what gets me righteousness in God’s sight.” Rosen: “That I cannot comprehend.”
Comprehend it. This teaching springs from the 2 that came before. The world is fond of Jesus the good worker and good teacher (=teaching minus offenses). Like the devil, the world has always said, “Let’s just skip the cross. Just skip it.” To the proud it offends. To the blind and deaf its always been unnecessary. If anything is necessary (and I hope it is not) its good works and I will fill my little basket with them and try to convince myself it will bring a smile to God. We will all learn, as did Cain, God is looking for the blood - a mind that believes God – believes this:
3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
4:24 God will credit righteousness — for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Since Adam, God has been looking for relationship and affection and if that does not begin with a faith connection, it does not begin. The Holy Spirit remains dormant. Spiritual regeneration happens simply… through faith. Pride makes it complicated. God’s economy has no room for pride.
Becoming born again through the living word of God: You made me. I am here by your mercy. Jesus is a worthy master. He rose from the dead. By faith: my master. I back off. I receive salvation. I make room for God to intervene and work. !!!!!!!!!!! Eternal life received. Repair work begins.
Because of inborn sin, souls are damaged; spirits (the parts of us designed for communion with God), dead. The repair happens when I confess I fall far short of God’s glory - by nature, My help comes from God alone who has shared with me his mind in His Word.
The Completed Soul Hebrews
From the renewed soul we have looked at the strengthened soul, repaired and today finish up this series with completed soul. Common thread: the ministry of the Word of God. The Bible is not for just for our minds or emotions (information and feelings); it is to revolutionize & transform your entire being: mind, emotion, will, desires, goals… toward the end of a life somewhat like the life of Jesus.
You know you need sleep, good foods, income, friends… On that same level, at least, is our need to connect with God.
We have a great starting point: created in God’s image with capacities to think, do and relate In ways the rest of the rest of the animal kingdom cannot. Animals are not guilty before a righteous God. We are. Fortunately we have a way of escape! Described in the book of Hebrews:
1:1,2 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The author of Hebrews mentions in the same breathe the disclosures of God and the creation of God. I have appreciated more in the last year or two the frequency the Bible refers to God the Creator. You might say, “So! What’s the big deal about that? The weatherman does not convince us the sky is blue. Prophets don’t have to talk about creation.”
Ah, but they do! Show me a person truly in touch with God and I will show you someone who revels in sunset, insects, plants, leaves, the moon and evening sky, on and on. Amazing! Equaling amazing is what I am doing now: making sounds with my vocal chords so that your mind can know what is in mind, through sound waves! Communication is a gift of God and express the image of God. Why did He do it? Because at the core of His being is relationship: F, S, HS. To others: to angels, to us. And then he allowed us a way to communicate and relate without soundwaves: through writing. Through writing in the form of poetry, stories, historical record, witness to dreams, angels…we have a record of what God has revealed. Our ability to send and receive communication was created by God.
Ob 1. God’s uses the written Word for communication. Take away the revelation / the communication missing is the relationship! Link God the Creator with God the Communicator. Link God’s communication with His Son.
Scripture is not a self help book, resource for living, collection of inspiring writings. It is a description of God’s plan to send; an account of God’s having sent the One to restore mankind’s relationship with their Maker, for time and eternity. I do not think this is the first impression any of us receive from the Bible. All of the NT writers are clear about it. Nothing wrong with “my best life now, becoming a better me, living up to my potential.” … God is looking for people who can appreciate the simple fact that Jesus Christ is the glory of God. Not a felt need. It is a great starting place.
4:11,12 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no-one will fall by following their example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. PENETRATES
2. God’s uses the written Word for soul penetration. God the Communicator uses not just his spoken word but his written word to (as I said earlier) revolutionize and transform your entire being: mind, emotion, will, desires, goals…toward the end of a life somewhat like the life of Jesus. It is urgent – worth every effort.
At first the Word of God is like change in our pockets: nice to have, used often. Keep going. It is designed to penetrate. It does not always. For some, Jesus said, “Its like seed on the pathe eaten by birds.” The more it penetrates, the better off you’ll be.
It penetrates with exposure. It is not a matter of academic ability. That is not how God measures intelligence. The penetrating ministry of the Word of God certainly is not the end game of being Christian because we always have to do something with what we come to know and our opportunities. Every mind needs the message of Scripture. On one side GIGO, on the other, Psalm 1:
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
So far so good. Why do people not read? Maybe 1/1000 cannot. Many more do not. Dyslexia. “I just am not a reader. Bad retention. Can’t follow. I will do my Christianity other ways…” Is it a reading problem or is it a closed mind problem? Often times it is not a learning disability. It is disinterest. The unregenerated heart is disinterested.
More than the KJV Bible the #1 book in print in the 1600s was The Compleat Angler by Isaak Walton, 1653. (Sold for $3900 in 1909!) Why? |