Tag: Holy Spirit

No Half Measures

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C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)

“Give me all of you! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU! ALL OF YOU. I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self—in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.”

― ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

This quote is striking, and a bit biting. As a “halfway” believer, a decision to do this is potentially damaging to my happiness. As I count the cost I start doubting my heart. I say to myself, “who can make this decision?” Can I really renounce my life like this? Perhaps this religion thing has gone too far?!

Then, I have to reflect that the Son of God has died for me. And that changes everything. Such a price, and such an investment was made. How can I resort to half measures? To respond like seems like to diminish His sacrifice.

I demand a religion that doesn’t demand anything. I want convenience, not commitment. (At least not total.) Yet the Lewis quote continues to maul me unmercifully. (How dare Lewis say such a thing?)

And yet I roll this truth around realizing that its logic is valid. The ‘pointy parts’ hook on me as I acknowledge their truth. There is a specific ultimatum that is inherent in this. If I don’t surrender, I will not be saved. Without denying myself, I will not be free. I can’t have it any other way.

I must surrender, and do it over and over again. I believe the basic terms of discipleship are as follows:

  • we must be under Jesus’ authority,
  • we must be seeking to follow His teaching,
  • we must actively be doing what He did.

From a secular viewpoint this is brutally outrageous. It seems I’m being forced into a decision– but after all, He did die for me. (This point cannot be understated.) The Son of God gave Himself so that I could live. Jesus said it best,

26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:26. NLT

Can anything so eloquent be so brutal? Jesus consistently demands everything. Perhaps this is the only way Christianity works? We must be renouncers as well as repenters. We must say, “Yes, God” when we want to live forever. In short, God must be all we live for.

A religion of half measures is not Christian, it is merely a convenience. To follow Jesus is to be radical; and perhaps insane (the worlds evaluation). But to love Jesus demands a “first-love” approach. Anything else is hardly adequate.

The gospel is radical, or it is nothing.

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CLIVE STAPLES LEWIS (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. 

Spirit at Work

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“And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

Romans 8:2, NLT

The old farm was falling apart. It was as if a twister had passed this way, and blew everything to smithereens. The house was diapilated; windows broken, and most of the paint peeling off the siding. An old shed was looked like it was about to collapse. Weeds grew tall and wild. It was a sad, and neglected place.

As I came through the undergrowth, I saw a man some distance away. I stopped, not sure if I was welcome on his property. I quietly watched him for a few minutes, but he never looked up. I walked a bit closer, but he just kept working– he really seemed absorbed in whatever he was doing.

“Excuse me sir, I hate to interrupt,” I called out. But the man continued his work. There seems something rhythmical about what he was doing. There was a definite cadence, that only he seemed to hear. He worked without ceasing.

I drew closer and saw the pump he seemed to be using. Water gushed out, and into an animal trough. Then I looked up and saw his face. Why, he wasn’t a person after all, but a mechanical man! Someone had painted a likeness of a farmer, and bolted it to the windmill. The figure was simply attached to the pumping apparatus. I had to laugh. It sure had me fooled.

As I saw this, I slowly realized that the man was not pumping the water. But the water was pumping the man! The man was just responding to the wind in order to pump out the clear, cold water. And so I began to think…

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In many ways, this is how we work spiritually. Something other than us ourselves powers us. It only appears that we are laboring, but a man in the Spirit functions quite differently than what we expect. We dare not think we can control the Spirit, rather it is we who need to be controlled. When we are truly filled with the Holy Spirit, He will flow through us quite easily.

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Roman 15:13, NLT

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A Singular Coal

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA A young man had come to a decision. “I will not be attending Church. I need to stand on my feet, and be a Christian my own way.” He was quite adamant about this, and his young wife hadn’t the slightest about what to do. It seems he had grown somewhat hard and coarse over the last few months. He had quit attending services for the last few Sundays.

She had made a discreet call to their pastor; she also prayed for her husband. “What else can I do?” she thought. “We really need to go to church.” She went about her busy morning, washing clothes, and tending the fire. “Somethings are best left in God’s hands” she said to no one in particular.

That evening was chilly and a fire was banked up quite nicely. The little house was cozy and ready to be “buttoned-up” for the night, when there was a knock on the door. It was the pastor, smiling and holding his hat. “Good evening. dear ones– someone told me you had a nice fire to sit by.”

“Come in, Reverend; please, come and sit,” the young husband said. He was not really enthused by the pastor’s sudden and unannounced visit, but he was polite. Removing his coat, the pastor sat in big wing-backed chair by the fire. He was quiet. No one said a thing. They just watched the flames.

The silence continued for some time; no one saying a word. Suddenly, the pastor popped up and grabbed the black iron poker from its spot by the fireplace. Poking at the sizable bed of coals, he managed to drag a single coal from the fire bed to the hearth. He separated it from the rest of so it burned on its own.

Still, not a word was spoken. Everyone just sat and watched this isolated coal burning on its own. In just a short time this glowing coal had become a dying ember. No one spoke. The pastor guided the once bright coal back into the hottest part of the firebox where it blazed up immediately. “Well, it’s late and I best be going,” said the quiet guest.

“Thank you, Pastor, for everything. We’ll see you Sunday morning.” said the young man.

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25 “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

Hebrews 10:25, NLT

“The Greek work for church, ecclesia, is made up of a prefix and a root. The prefix is ek – out of. The root is the verb coleo, to call. The church in the New Testament is made up of those who are called out from the world, from darkness, from damnation, from paganism, to become members of the body of Christ.”

   ~R.C. Sproul

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A Case of Exceptional Goodness

“He wouldn’t do it. He said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master doesn’t give a second thought to anything that goes on here—he’s put me in charge of everything he owns. He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn’t turned over to me is you. You’re his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?”

 “She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her.”

Genesis 39:9-10, MSG

Joseph is a blazing star in the Old Testament.  Everything he does is remarkable. He carries this exceptionalism into all that he does, or directs.  He realizes the blessing he has been given.  He can easily describe his status– and he is quite aware of the deep presence that overshadows his life.  He will not pretend that any of this has come about as a result of his personal giftedness or goodness.

Joseph refuses to negotiate, for he knows who he is, exactly.  First, he is not Potiphar. He cannot make it seem otherwise.  The amazing things that have come upon Potiphar’s life, belong to him, and him alone.  Joseph has a sure understanding of this fact, and he does not try to blur the issues, no matter how “sweet and cute” the possibilities. He just says “no!”

When we look to Joseph, we find that he has retreated into a special place of protection.  For a man, there is a deep attraction for sexual conquest and pleasure. Joseph has processed this, way before us. And he is not enticed by this lie.  (And my friend, it is a lie.)

Joseph is a wonder.  He is full of grace and a certain goodness.  From him, we can fully understand a heart that is set apart by an exceptional sweetness. Joseph has a certain kindness and goodness.  He responds to all that is evil, with a greatness, and a complete awareness of what is right.

In our scriptural selection, we see clearly the effort that the wife of Potiphar’s wife made to seduce Joseph.  However, her lust will not direct his life.  He will not give in to his deep desires.  He simply refuses to enter into the seduction issues of an out-of-control passion.  He won’t be controlled by lust.

When we look directly at Joseph, we see a man who has chosen a deep path of faithfulness. He has separated himself from a difficult darkness.  He now is a real and definite example for us who must endure a deep testing of our own.  The darkness we face is especially crafty and exceptionally black.  We can only really trust in His promise to cover and sustain us. And to learn to say no!

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