Category: distinctiveness

God’s Dressing Room

You must throw off who we were. And then we must put on your new self.

20 “But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.“

“Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”

Ephesians 4:20-24, NLT

Tell me, is it really that simple? A child understands this, and just maybe that’s why it’s clear and direct, “the kingdom belongs to such as these.” The ways of Christ are uncomplicated, a pre-schooler and a rocket scientist must come the same simple way.

“But that isn’t what you learned about Christ.“

Paul tells us to go back to square one–Jesus. Think about how you first started walking with Him. It isn’t so much learning about Him, but Him. We mustn’t think that just having serious feelings regarding Jesus is going to give us “holiness,” because it can’t. Rather you must draw close and become an intimate companion.

It’s the close friendship that’ll lead you to a pure and holy life, not some weird attempt at holiness that leads you to Christ.

“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature…”

We heard…we learned…Jesus is the source of truth. Truth is something that proceeds from Him alone. He can’t help it. Truth flows from Him. Our steady contact with the holy makes us holy.

That truth requires a response from those of us who follow Him. It demands that we “throw off” that which resists Him. The Greek declares the concept of apotithēmi which means “to renounce” or declare something as invalid. We dare not think we can find discipleship that includes anything except a renunciation of who we used to be.

“The night is far gone and the day is almost here. Let us then drop (fling away) the works and deeds of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light.”

Romans 13:12, Amplified

“Your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.” 

That “former” way of living life is anti-God. Think of your heart is a sponge. Squeeze it and it’ll always be evil, that’s the way it goes. It’s “corrupted.” The word is used to describe a Gentile who dared to enter the inner courts of the Temple. Their very presence defiled the Holy Temple. Their presence made the Temple unholy and impure.

“Lust and deception” describes each one of us. We bring nothing good into His kingdom. The word here means “destruction” or “corruption.” At my very best, I’m contagious. My disease is terminal and I need grace, for it’s the only antidote to my sickness.

“Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.’‘

We can’t extract the Holy Spirit’s work from who we are. He “renews” us. That word is “renovate” or completely recreated. Our attitudes are completely wrong and must undergo His crucifixion to make things right.

“Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”

We each are brought into God’s dressing room, and in it we find God’s clothing. What we wear looks just like Him, fully righteous and completely good. But this passage declares that we must first replace evil and then take up what is good. We must wear His goodness, holiness, and grace.

If we refuse, we’ll never understand the powerful work of purity and wholeness that awaits us. We will never ever be authentic believers, but we will be nothing more than liars and deceivers.

We’ve looked at Ephesians 4:20-24, now let’s get real and live it.

Esteeming His Word

Quite often, we’re intimidated by the Bible.  We all can take on a verse or two.  But that is pretty much it.

There is always more, much more.

The Bible isn’t made up of singular verses, but of whole books.  I intend to go on record, to encourage you to ingest the Word.  It’s as if we went to a Chinese restaurant buffet.  There is so many delicious choices.  But we load up exclusively on the “Kung Pao Chicken.”  We make many trips, but that is all we take.  Only the Kung Pao, and that’s it.

Have we really experienced this restaurant?  Or just the chicken?  The Word is extensively diverse.  There are recipes, and there are heaping and steaming platters of things we will never personally experience, and that is a shame.  So much is there, but we pick out just one thing.

I have been listening to the book of Luke. Repeatedly. 

It really humbles me, and I sense I’ve been sliced open and my innards have been drug out into the streets.  It has spiritually eviscerated me. It has opened me up, with a spiritual power.  (I’m sorry, but “Moby Dick” or “Great Expectations” or other works of classical literature does nothing comparable for me.)

God’s Word has a peculiar dimension to it. 

What it does is spiritually forceful.  It eagerly waits for us–this leather backed book.  At random we pick it up and start to read.  Quite quickly, it slips through our issues, and it directly ministers to us.  It has such power that it enters our thinking, and detonates, when the time is right. And we are left to pick-up the pieces. (This is good.)

You see, His presence has thoroughly saturated His Word.  He comes and infuses His books.  They have been dipped in His very personality and brought out for us to read and handle.  The things we discover there develop an awareness of truth and what is real.

If you study, you will hear the voice of God.

And yet you have not arrived.  There is still a substantial work to be done.  You desperately need God’s words.  And you don’t need to become proficient or educated.  Perhaps we should just strive to be holy and kind.  Even an unorthodox approach is better than none.  Please–put down the remote, take up your heart, and apply it to your Bible.  It won’t take long, but the work is eternal.

“The Bible is alive; it speaks to me. It has feet; it runs after me. It has hands; it lays hold of me!”

 — Martin Luther

 

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A Permanent Slave

Body piercing is now acceptable: noses, tongues, and eye brows are the most common. There is another type of piercing, first seen in Deuteronomy 15.  

In Deuteronomy we read of slaves who are set free by their master, having served six years of service, and if they loved and were loved by their master, they could choose to remain a slave to him. 

“But if your slave says to you, “I don’t want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and has a good life with you,17 stick an awl through his ear into the door; he will be your slave for life. Also do this to a female slave.” 

Deuteronomy 15:12-18 

This was a decision that required elders to act as witnesses.  It was significant as well as completely binding.  I like to think of the ceremony to be kind of a cross between a wedding and a circumcision. (Sounds fun, huh?!) 

The slave would be led to a doorpost, and the master would take an awl, and push it through his ear lobe.  This designated the slave to be forever “owned” by a specific master.  Herein lies a truth, a picture of a consecrated Christian. 

Many times, in the New Testament we are called to be servants (slaves) of Christ. Peter, Paul, James, and Jude referred to themselves as “bond servants of Jesus Christ” in their epistles. This is not forced servitude. It’s a choice made in love! 

There are many believers who have done the same; they have fallen in love with their Savior.  They do not plan on life apart from Him.  So spiritually they have gone to the doorpost, the awl is pushed through their ear, and they are marked from that point on. 

Although the ear was pierced physically in the Old Testament, a different kind of piercing takes place in the New Testament. It is “spiritual piercing.” In Romans 6:16 we read, 

“Surely you know that when you give yourselves like slaves to obey someone, then you are really slaves of that person. The person you obey is your master. You can follow sin, which brings spiritual death, or you can obey God, which makes you right with him.” 

Romans 6:16 

 When the prodigal son returned home from the far country he fell before his father and humbly ask, “make me your servant.” (Luke 15:19,21) He, in essence, was saying to the father, “pierce my ear.” The father made him a son, but the attitude of the son’s heart had changed to the heart of a servant. So, it must be with us. 

It is then that we can live a pierced ear life, revealing to all that we are servants of Jesus Christ! 

“Savior, I know Thou hast allowed me absolute liberty, to serve Thee, or to go my own way. I would serve Thee forever, for I love my Master. I will not go out free. Mark my ear, Lord, that it might respond only to Thy voice.” 

— Jim Elliot, Missionary and Martyr

Simply Mary at Jesus’ Feet

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We see Mary three times in the gospels, and each time she is in the same posture — “at Jesus’ feet.” When we have our first glimpse within the Bethany home, we find Martha in her characteristic attitude– working and serving; and Mary we see sitting at the Master’s feet, sitting eagerly and listening to His words.

Our second view of Mary is when Jesus came back to Bethany after the death of Lazarus, and the sisters went out to meet Him. Again, we see her at the feet of Christ. But this time in deep sorrow, seeking comfort. And then we observe her a third time. She has come to anoint the feet of Jesus. We find her again, at Jesus’ feet, and now she is honoring her Lord.

She has this peculiar habit, and that is to be at the feet of Jesus. 

It is her natural posture. I believe that she feels entirely comfortable in this place.  I have personally seen sparrows’ nest on a sheer cliff hundreds of feet straight up, without any apprehension at all. I have been astonished at their daring and simple confidence.  And Mary has this spunk.  She has that certain easy and confident boldness.

Martha, the oldest, obviously has the theology.  We see her taking issue with Jesus, she is questioning, and confronting.  But with Mary it seems, there is a quiet contentment and a rest.  An open readiness to receive. We don’t see that too much, but Mary was a “learner.”  She had become learned in the grace of trusting simply.

The greatness of her love enabled her to kneel. 

She was centered on her Master, He was the focus of her attention.  We dare not minimize this, or try to focus on something less “holy.” This is not something we can easily duplicate, because it proceeds out of a heart that is absorbed in love.  It may appear to be unseemly, and we scratch our head with nervous skepticism.  But it seems whenever Mary comes into the presence of Jesus, she works her way to the front– so she can sit with Jesus. (Interestingly, the Orthodox Church regard Mary to be the first real disciple.)

We have so much to learn from Mary.  Our Christian life can be very shallow and seem rather anemic.  We live in a culture that is racked in intellectualism and pride.  When we engage it we may end up with a bit of haughtiness and a lot of selfishness to deal with.  Mary can be our compass, and our example as we crash through these issues into authentic discipleship.  She really does deserve to be esteemed, and recognized for inspiring us to be with Jesus.

Lord Jesus, thank you for Mary.  May I become like her and have you very close. I want to sit at your feet.  I choose you. I choose to be with you.

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