Lifestyle of Peace | Christian Living & Discipleship: June 2018

Sunday, June 24, 2018

White Garments of Righteousness: How to Get Clean and Build a New Life

Audio Message:

So here we are, fighting for our lives. We’re fighting a deadly opponent, and that opponent is addiction. We’re on a spiritual journey to defeat addiction. And I know each of you are at different points in your journey of overcoming addiction in Christ. There is no other answer to the addictions that we face, not in the intensity that we face it now. Only Christ.

All of you are at different points in your battle. Some of you don’t even know if God is really real, or if Jesus is really a living savior. Maybe you don’t even know if you really want to stay clean. A lot of you are just saying what we want to hear, and going through the motions. Some of you are even considering getting up and leaving, because your mad, or in pain, or playing the victim, and you want to go back to what’s familiar. And we’re gonna talk today, you and I.

Then there are those of you who have realized that you need God. Your eyes are starting to open. Your starting to see that lush, beautiful path of recovery opening up before you. You can hear the birds chirping along the road, you can feel the bright sun shining down, and there is hope in your eyes. Your starting to walk down that spiritual path, your mind is starting to open up, and your realizing that God is your creator. We’re gonna talk today, if that’s you.

Thirdly, we’ve got those who have taken the dive into the love of Jesus Christ. There are those of you here who are truly reborn. You’ve received Jesus as your savior. You’ve totally committed your life to Jesus. You’ve come to believe the Bible is the word of God. You’ve realized that you need to live an entirely new lifestyle of recovery and faith every week. Your going to AA, your going to NA, your working the steps, your reading your Bible and praying every day, your hungry for spiritual food, and your ready to move forward into maturity in Christ. We’re gonna talk today too.

And you’ll see as we go on, how all this fits into our scripture reading today, of the church Jesus counsels to receive gifts from Him. Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, Revelation 3:15-18 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”

Jesus tells them that they are broken, pathetic and miserable. Sound a lot like addiction doesn’t it? But Jesus quickly offers the remedy: (Three things) Salve for your eyes, a white robe of righteousness, and refined gold. What does Jesus mean?

1. Salve for your Eyes

To the first group of men, those of you who don’t understand, you don’t get this God stuff, you don’t believe, I’m speaking to you now:

Jesus Christ will open the eyes of your heart. In and of ourselves, we can’t perceive spiritual things. We only see the physical, we only see this world. But Jesus will open your eyes. But I’d like to give you some knowledge to chew on in your mind first…

The question: “Does God exist?” is a great question. And God does not fear our questions. There is good evidence to believe that God exists.

Scientists tell us that the universe came into existence from a big bang several billion years ago. That may or may not be true. But if you do believe in a big bang, let me ask you this: Can a big bang explode into existence from nothing? Scientists tell us that before the big bang occurred there was nothing. And then suddenly there was an explosion that caused the universe. A fair question is: Who banged it? Who caused it? I would submit to you, that God is the most reasonable explanation for this universe’s existence. The Bible says that the universe was formless and void, and then God created.

Secondly, scientists admit that this world we live in appears to be finely tuned to allow for life to exist. A nobel prize winner once indicated that a single cell in your body is more complex than New York city. It’s true. Look around you at this world, there are stars in the sky at night. The Earth is just the right distance from the sun to allow for life. If you changed anything, moved the Earth a little closer, or a little further away, no life. If there was no moon, no life. If there was no Jupiter, to protect the Earth from asteroids, there would be no life. Without earthquakes, no life. Without lightning, no life. There are birds flying through the sky, animals walking along the ground. Plants and nature produce food just right for us to eat and survive. It’s insane. And they want to tell us that this is all random? It’s ridiculous. The best explanation for the complexity of life on Earth, is that God designed the Earth for us to live on.

Thirdly, we can trust the Bible is the word of God. There are about 5,686 ancient manuscripts of the New Testament, all matching one another; in historical terms, such evidence is unmatched, it's unheard of, a revelation, a divine fingerprint on history itself! Has it been changed over time? When comparing our modern Bible with the recently discovered Dead Sea Scrolls, which sat untouched for 2,000 years, they matched perfectly. Therefore, by all available accounts the New testament is accurate.

You can believe. You can come to understand who Jesus Christ is. You can be set free from drug addiction and alcoholism. Dare to step out in faith. Dare to believe. But all you have to do is make a beginning, and at least start down the road. But most importantly of all… let me just communicate this: There is hope. There is really hope. You’re going to have to walk through a lot of pain to heal. Take hope. Open your eyes.

2. White Garments of Righteousness

Next I’d like to speak to you guys who have begun the spiritual journey. You’re walking the road. You’ve come to realize your need for God. And now God is calling you to make a decision, and to turn your whole will, and life, and future, and soul over to Jesus Christ. Jesus is calling you to put on the pure white garments of His righteousness. I’ll tell you how, listen closely.

Jesus, born in Bethlehem, 2 thousand years ago was God himself, come into human history. Why Jesus matters is because he is not just a man, he is literally God come in person. Can your mind comprehend the expansiveness of that fact? The God who made this entire planet from nothing came into human history.

He was tempted in every way we are, and he successfully resisted. Jesus grew up, just like we do, then around age 30, He began his mission. And His mission was to save us. But to save us from what? The problem we face is sin. One of the fundamentals in understanding Jesus is understanding our own brokenness.

We’ve sinned against God. We’ve used drugs, drank, hurt people around us, and done evil. We’ve literally ruined our minds and bodies to being near death. Many of us never grew up. We lived as man-boys, serving ourselves and living for self. And now it’s time for us to grow up, and become men of honor.

But How? We can’t do it alone. Many of us have tried, and slipped back down into the pit. There is only one way: Jesus.

Jesus, in completing his mission, was betrayed, falsely charged, and sentenced to be crucified. But far from being a surprise to Jesus, this was the very reason He had come. He was going to do something on that cross that would save us.

While Jesus was on the cross, slowly dying, from noon until 3pm it went completely dark. What was happening spiritually during those 3 hours? Jesus Christ was being offered up, as a sacrifice for our sins. He became forsaken for our drug habit, for our binges, manipulations, lies and sexual debauchery. And after three hours of darkness, Jesus cried out saying: “Father, father why have you forsaken me?”

Then Jesus let out a brutal scream, and He died. But then something happened that changed everything. 3 days later, Jesus resurrected from the dead. He showed himself to his disciples. He came to Thomas, a disciple who refused to believe that Jesus could really come back from the dead. Jesus showed him his hands, holes still in them. And Jesus said, “Stop doubting and believe.” And for some of you out there today, he is saying the same thing: Stop doubting and believe.

We were in a court room you and I, and our sins were being read off against us, all the evil we’ve done in our lives. And we knew that the sentence would be eternity in hell. But Jesus Christ walked into that court room and said, judge, put those sins on my back instead, I’ll pay the penalty for him. And if you will believe Jesus Christ is your savior, and ask Him to set you free from your sins, and turn your whole will and life over to Him, then you’ll be born again. And if you live the rest of your life for Jesus, you’ll go to eternal life when you die.

Jesus will help you to turn away from drugs, from alcohol, from cigarettes, from pornography, from lies and manipulation. Jesus will help you become the man you were always meant to be. Become the hero of your spiritual journey. Become a mighty man of valor. Receive Jesus Christ, put on the garments of His righteousness.

But remember: This is a lifelong journey. This is not one and done. We have to follow Him all our days, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. All. And as addicts in recovery, we know how to give our all to something. We gave it all to drugs, held nothing back, now we must give it all to Jesus Christ, and serve Him with that same single-minded dedication. There is no middle ground. Only heaven and hell. Jesus, or self. Make your choice.

Revelation 3:19-20 says: “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

3. Gold Refined in the Fire

Lastly, to the third group. You know Christ. Your clean and sober. You’ve been here a while. You’re going to meetings. You’re going to Bible studies and services. Now, it’s time to go on into Christian maturity. Christ is calling you to be as gold refined in the fire.

God has called us to be holy as He is holy. Do this in the power of Christ. We must repent of every sin that we struggle with, and be holy and blameless. That is what God has called us to. God will set you free. He delights to. And how does God refine us as gold? Through the fires of suffering, struggles, and great trials.

When God removes a sin from my life, and sets me free… It’s like I’ve been through a storm. I open my hand, and God takes the sin from me. The storm ends, and the sun shines brightly. And I realize His presence with me is stronger and more real than before. I’ve taken another step into a larger world.

Every time we go through a trial, God is refining our heart, to make our hearts more pure. So this 3rd area is about inviting God to purify our hearts. God will then pour out pure love into your heart.

Revelation 3:21-22 says: “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Applications: So how do we live this out?

Surrender is the key to all three of these areas: coming to believe in God, receiving Christ as savior, and going on to maturity. Surrendering is an act of the will, it’s a choice. Either we fight it or we do it.

William Booth founder of the SA said: “The greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender.” It’s time give it all up brothers. It’s time to surrender everything to God. God must have all there is of you. Nothing less will do: Only total surrender.

Once we’ve made our surrender, at the altar, we get to work. We take dutiful, intentional action! We’ve gotta heal and grow, together. And I’d commend to you, and encourage you in 3 ways to grow in your spiritual walk:

1. Ask God for the gift of the Fear of the Lord.

2. Each Day ask the Lord to reveal anything in you that displeases Him.

3. Fast and pray once or twice a week to declare your devotion to God.

As we heal and grow, Christ then calls us to serve others. And whenever we do good for someone, we gather wealth in heaven. It’s true. In the next life, there will be mansions for each of us, and based on the good deeds you did, you’ll be rewarded with treasure. Serving others is the great calling of every Christian, and I’d commend you to the example that Braxton sets. He’s out there multiple times each week, handing out gospel tracts, visiting hospitals & jails, leading Bible studies, praying and fasting, and sharing his testimony. You can do that too!

In conclusion:

Jesus is coming back very soon. And He is coming for a Holy church, a church without blemish or defect. If we are content to toil in sinful selfishness, we shouldn’t expect to share in any inheritance with Christ. Instead we’ll inherit the lake of fire. We need a deadly seriousness when it comes to how we follow Jesus. Like the church of Laodicea, we as men in recovery, men searching for hope, and a new future, we’re in need of God’s grace. But God willing, we will have open eyes that see God’s reality, garments of the forgiveness found in Christ, and hearts of holiness refined in the fire.

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Sunday, June 17, 2018

How I Got Clean from Drugs and Alcohol

I grew up in a medium sized town named Wausau, Wisconsin. I’m 33 years old today. I started using drugs and drinking when I was 17 years old. My parents got divorced around that time. And I got expelled from high school for threatening to blow up the school while I was high. My first drugs were pills from the doctor that made me feel good. And I got into drinking, and smoking dope shortly after that.

My main drinking and drugging career took place from age 17 to 27. I really loved to get high, and drink, and smoke cigarettes. I really enjoyed getting together with friends, going to parties, getting drunk, meeting girls, and all of that. I had always been super nervous around people, and around girls, so I was really excited to find something that took that fear away.

I felt like I had found “it.” You know? I found my magic. I had a secret weapon to somehow deal with the world. Everybody seemed so put together, they didn’t have anxiety like me, they didn’t struggle to find their place. Later I found out that’s just the face people put on, they have those same struggles, they just hide it better than me.

When I was 20 I caught my first drug charges. I ended up sitting 30 days in jail for that, then I got a drunk driving, and a disorderly conduct. In the police car I was threatening to kill the family of the police officer who was driving. That’s how I get when I’m loaded. I smashed up my moms car. I got put on papers, then got revoked off papers, then I was off papers again, then I was back on papers.

When I was 23 years old, when I got my 2^nd DUI. So I went to a treatment center, for the first time, and I actually stayed sober for about a year after that.

And in that times, it’s just amazing what being sober can do for a life. Everything in my life got better. I was going to 3 meetings a week, but slowly I stopped going to the meetings. I was in college at the time, and I wanted to be able to participate in the college party life. I felt closed in and unable to talk to people again. I felt disconnected from the people around me.

This really began the low, low part of the journey. I was in treatment centers and mental hospitals 12 times. I kept trying to stay clean, and then I’d relapse a month later, a week later, a few months later, and I would just run out of steam and go back to what was familiar. It was like when I was clean, I felt awful. I felt so depressed, anxious, miserable, hollowed out, like there was a big hole in my chest.

I had gotten into stronger drugs by then and my drug of choice was destroying my body. At age 26 I overdosed, and nearly died in the ICU. Then it happened again at age 27. I was dangling from the cliff of death itself, and there was no hope. None.

The loneliest place a man can be is when he’s given up all hope that things can ever change. And you resign yourself to death.

Then came the moment. I’d read the Bible. I’d studied the word. But it never quite clicked in my mind that I should cry out to Jesus from the depths of my soul for help. But it came into my mind that night. And I fell onto my knees, a bloated, near death, complete monster of a man, body falling apart, and I cried out to Jesus Christ for help so hard that it felt like everything around me shook, and the well of darkness within me cried out for mercy to Jesus Christ the King in Heaven. And Jesus swept in, and over the next few days, I started going to AA meetings again.

Jesus told me, go back to AA. That’s the last place in the universe I wanted to be. Anything but AA. But I went. And I got sober. I stayed sober. In my first 90 days I got a sponsor who worked me through the steps and I actually did the stuff they told me to do, I actually turned my will and life over to God, I actually wrote down my inventory honestly, sharing every awful detail, page after page, it was 47 pages long, and I just poured my soul out to my sponsor in the 5^th step. I went on for 12 hours the first day and another 4 hours the next day.

I turned over my character defects to God, and He started removing them one by one. I began making amends to my mom, my dad, my sister, to old friends, and to other people in my past. I actually did it. I didn’t fight, and argue, and complain and then refuse. I kept doing it. I was dedicated, I wanted recovery very badly. Because I had hit rock bottom.

I went to about 10 meetings a week during my first 18 months in the program. I went to 7 AA meetings, and usually 3 NA meetings a week. And I started hitting Celebrate recovery meetings up at the church on the hill. So I was praying each night to Jesus, asking Him for guidance, reading the Bible constantly on my computer on biblegateway.com. And I asked Jesus what next: He sent me to a church, I asked a lot of questions, got involved with ministry, I joined the prayer team, I joined a small group, and I just kept praying and praying, and asking Jesus for another day clean.

But something had changed. Because in the past all those times I’d tried to get clean and stay clean I was trying to do it myself. I was trying to force myself to be a good person and go to my meetings. But I couldn’t do it myself. Today it’s all about God almighty. Jesus is the engine in the center in my recovery vehicle chugging me forward. Without the engine, I would always slip back after a few months. But now with Jesus powering the whole project, and God almighty being the one I constantly turn to in my own weakness, God provides all the power I need to stay clean and sober and work for Jesus.

I serve Jesus now. That’s the trade off. There’s no half-measures. I serve Jesus now with my whole life. Plain and simple. Anything else is hell, literally. That’s what you have to do, give it all to Jesus. And give control of your life to Him, like I mean you literally check every decision with Christ in prayer. It ain’t easy. But it can certainly be done and more in the power of Jesus. So all this happened by Jesus, not by me. And that’s how I got clean and stay clean each day.

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Sunday, June 3, 2018

A Heart of Love: What am I seeking in Life? Does it Line up with my Faith?

We live to follow certain core desires that exist beneath the surface of who we are. It seems like many people live for self-gratification. Many live for desires like pleasure. That's fairly common. Others live for the goal of success, and they pursue that underlying intention through the lens of that which they consider to be success. Others pursue family, the ultimate desire of getting married and having children. And they see their pursuits in life through the lenses of that desire.

Though we don't necessarily realize what we're doing, it's beneath the surface. Many pursue money. I remember one time I asked a reporter who was about to interview me for an SA food drive, "Why do you do what you do? What's your plan for life?" And he seemed surprised by the question, and he said,"Really I'm just after money; making more money." I'm paraphrasing. But it's interesting that something within us so deep, probably from a very young age, can drive our entire life.

My mind was geared toward success for many years. And then for many more years my mind was geared toward hedonism, abhorrently chasing after anything that felt good.

Now a core desire in my life was to be a writer. Why? I wanted to be immortal. I wanted my name to be remembered. In my agnostic atheistic mindset in my late teens and twenties, I felt it was my only hope. But it was also about self-aggrandizement. I wanted to show the world that I was important and valuable. I wanted to say, "Hey, I'm special, I'm unique, look at me, and see how awesome I am!" It's a self-idol in more ways than one. I wanted to be a celebrity I suppose. I bet that's true for many of us.

Many pursue various things, just as I did once. One you hear a lot is happiness. They want to be happy above all else. Others pursue fame, like myself. And I think a lot of these core desires can accidentally transfer over to the Christian life.

As a Christian now, a follower of Jesus, what should my core desires be? How can we make a transplant and switch our core desires from based on self, and what we learned in the past secular world, and receive new core desires? Well the truth is many of us already have. This is of course a work of the Holy Spirit. When we're regenerate, created anew in Christ, we have many new hungers that suddenly bristle up to the surface. And if we water them, and respond in obedience to the Spirit's leading then those new hungers grow and flourish.

Then again, if we insatiably feed the hungers of our flesh and indulge in the endless pleasures of the world, those new hungers can tend to dwindle and fade.

I've asked myself recently about my core desires, and I've been considering which are most dangerous, as a threat to my Christian mindset. And let me be clear: This whole search is a work of God, I'm certain of that much. It's always a work of Him, even if I think it's my own idea.

This is very difficult to admit, I must say, but let's delve into it: What have my core desires been as a Christian? I think it's often been self-aggrandizement. Not always, and not fully, but that is the great danger. My name, in big shiny lights, and all the world thinking Justin is such a wise and useful theologian. God forbid such a mindset! This is truly a terrible thing. And we see it a lot in the celebrity pastors of our day and age. We see a desire for acclaim in the world, and the love of the masses, as the centerpiece I think. They want to be known as great teachers of the law of God, but they fool themselves. Just like I have often fooled myself.

How many times have I written an article, or preached a message, or done a good deed, and I really did it to aggrandize my name, instead of glorify the name of God? How often has my desire been to show my own value and usefulness, instead of the incredible working of God in the world? How often has it been about me, when I touted that it was all about Him? What a terrifying question!

The human soul is so prone to feckless endeavors such as these. And as much as I wish I were above such things, I'm not. None of us are. It's so deadly. And it makes me worry that all the work I put forth will be burned up like dross, and totally destroyed.

What can I do but pray earnestly about this theme? What can I do but struggle against my own self? The "self" is the most deadly enemy of the Christian, as Spurgeon said. It's like a hall of mirrors, because the "self" is essentially me, and it's the mindset I don't notice because I'm living it daily. But if I turn my mind inward, then I can look upon it.

Remember what Clarice said to Hannibal? "You see a lot, Doctor. But are you strong enough to point that high-powered perception at yourself?" It's not easy to look upon ourselves unvarnished. It's ugly and it's scary. But what exactly are my core longings that guide and control my actions? I must know, or I'm liable to destroy myself on the way to heaven. There is far too important an affair, this journey of life, to botch it with self-will run rampant!

Let's see. I want to be a minister of the gospel. Fair enough, God has clearly called me to that. I want to be married and have a family. Alright, good enough. I want to write books, and such things. Fair enough. But what about those not so savory desires? Like to be well known? To be seen as a great man? To be seen as a man of God? Does that matter? It most certainly does.

But are all these desires inherently evil? No, not at all. Well, some of them may be. But to be respected and loved by our neighbors is not an evil desire. To desire to use skills like writing ability to create works of art and idea, that is not evil. Once again we return to the core imperative, and the proper first focus. We must consider the order of things.

What should be our correct mindset? First of all, glorify God in all we do. No matter if it be doing dishes or making a meal or preaching a sermon to 40,000 people or writing a book or talking with a friend, the mindset should be to do it to bring God praise, and to bring God honor! That is a very, very high ideal. And it's antithetical to how we live in America. This is a "me" culture. We have to recognize that and fight against it. That "me" attitude seeps into every area of my life and it can just as easily seep into my Christian life and practices. So let's fight it.

How did Jesus live? Jesus lived a very humble life. He didn't live to glorify himself, but He lived to glorify the Father. Jesus of course was deserving of infinite glory, honor, and praise being the very son of God! Yet He was setting an example for us. He was showing us how to live, in humble service to the Father.

It's not a theory, this life of Christ. We have to live it. Jesus was yielded to the Father, so much that his mission of dying on the cross was the ultimate insult. He was mocked, spit upon, whipped, beaten, and murdered for our transgressions. He yielded to all of it. He didn't stand up for himself, as so often I want to stand up for myself and defend my "rights" in the situation. I don't mean liberty in a political sense, I mean the desire to show my opinion and push for my viewpoint and selfishly defend myself. I can hardly bite my tongue in that situation, yet Christ didn't murmur a word as they patiently drove nails into his wrists and feet. How can this be? The horror! And my own gall to live in such ego! Shameful, truly. Will we never learn to blush as humans?

So what does it look like to re-orient core longings of the heart? That is the question! It is the only question. How can we change? This isn't for the faint of heart, is the first thing!

Wow, this is really digging deep. But it's good, it's great. It'll really make us so much more effective for Christ.

1. Recognize what we push for in life that isn't in line with Christianity.
For me, this looks like selfishness, self-seeking, pleasure seeking, entertaining myself, and worst of all prideful self-aggrandizement. Ancilliarily would be seeking happiness, true love with a woman, and cowardly running from conflict.

I'm not called to those things as first pursuits of my life! Those are not good things to have as the chief desires of my heart.

2. Identify the biblical opposites of the false pursuits of the heart that we struggle with.
And we're not talking a direct opposite here. We're talking about the Christian worldview opposite, as exegeted from the scriptures.

The opposite of selfishness is selflessness. But in a Christian concept, this would mean serving God first. The outworking would mean that it should apply to all things of life.

Then the real questions becomes: How far am I willing to go with this? That is the question. How wacky am I willing to be in my radical devotion to Jesus? This pushes against materialism, capitalism, selfishness, and all the precepts of American culture.

But what of it? Dare we push into this ground as well? We're getting into some serious sacred cows and brass idols of American society. We're talking inner room, holy of holies here, we've got our worship to God in the main chamber, but behind a curtain in the back there lay the true idols to self, that we really worship. No one dares to go into the inner room, the secret chamber behind the curtain of that temple to self and knock over the asherah poles and golden calves. Dare we?

We must. Yes, I must. Because Jesus has paid it all for me. That is a reality, not a slogan. Jesus is alive right now. In fact, in reality, consciously, I will look Jesus in the eyes and He will judge my life and every decision I made. It's not a theory, it's a reality. And I owe him my all, not just some. I abjectly refuse living as a cultural Christian, living toeing the line, one foot in the world and one foot in Christianity. That is nothing, and death, and hell!

There is no halfway. There is only the wide road to hell and the narrow road to eternal life. It is more narrow than I had first realized in my early Christian walk. This is indeed a very narrow road. And antinomianism is preached all over the church, presenting the gospel as a free gift, without any need to repent or live for Jesus. But that's not the message of the scriptures, not even close!

Selfishness, and self-seeking must become God-first living. What does that look like? How does that feel? What does it mean for the ways of my life? I'm not sure yet. I'm wrestling with it. But it must be a beautiful way of life...

What about pleasure seeking and entertaining myself? That seems to be how I spend 99% of my free time. I entertain myself, I enjoy the pleasures of vanity fair, the worldly cities of plenty. I go about the places of Babylon, the secular kingdom of the world and I indulge in all manner of pleasures, delicacies, rides, events, movies, music, foods, and so on. Is that how God wants me to live? I often wonder about this one. Because on the one hand, God wants us to enjoy things in life, right? God wants us to enjoy food, and nature, and artistic works, and music, and architecture, and the various good things of life, right? I suppose that's probably true.

Though I don't see a lot of that in the book of Acts, or the gospels, or the pauline epistles. I don't see a lot of verses to back up that sort of indulgent mindset. I really don't. Especially when it becomes our chief concern, and let's be real, for most of us it is our chief concern. I would say quite a bit in the church as well. We play church, we rush through our devotions and prayers and then head off to a fancy restaurant, or put on a movie, or play video-games for six hours.

What we do with our free time is quite telling I think. Is our first concern God or self-pleasuring? This is a tough one. Once again it goes to chief concerns. Is self-pleasuring at least secondary to God? Or are they co-equal? Or is God, in your heart, secondary to seeking pleasures? It's a good question to wrestle with.

What is the opposite of pleasure-seeking? Maybe that's the wrong question. Perhaps the right question is where are we seeking pleasure? Are we getting it first in God, and then in the gifts God provides in the world? That is the right order. Our pleasure-seeking should be centered on God, as John Piper calls it, Christian hedonism. We should desire to take great pleasure in God, by glorifying His name.

Lastly, self-aggrandizement. This one is the most deadly I believe, by far. It's rooted in pride, selfishness, and ego. And one of the worst and most terrible displays of this awful sin is when a pastor goes from yielded servant of God, to a self-serving self-glorifier. It's insidious I think, and it can happen over a short or very long time. And pretty soon it's not so much about the scriptures, but about how the pastor explains it so well. And over time the ministry is all about glorifying the man or woman behind the podium, instead of glorifying the God who reigns the universe. God save us from such a deadly nightmare as this! Pride always leads this way. And it's the sin that ruined Satan, who was once Lucifer, the light bringer. Pride leads to selfishness, self-aggrandizement, self-glorification, and the awful desire to place myself above God. And that happened with Satan. And Satan lost everything. Let us not fall into that deadly of deadly trap! The key to victory is humility, laying flat before a holy God and participating in my own infinite surrender to Him.

3. Prayerfully practice the Biblical Principle until it becomes the new normal.
The answer to these false longings of the heart is to fight, fight, fight. First of all, we must fight in prayer before God. God will help us. God will deliver us. Just like anything else, God will save us from these evil desires. We'll always be tempted to sin in these ways, be sure of that, but God can lead us so far from those desires, and toward Himself that we hardly entertain the thought when it arises. God will lead us to himself and so we must seek His face. We must seek God to overcome these sinful longings that we struggle with. It begins in steadfast daily prayer, crying out to the Lord!

Secondly, practice the new attitude. If we want to be set free from selfishness, we'll have to try to practice service to God first. If we want to be free from pleasure-seeking, we'll have to practice taking pleasure in God first. If we want to be free from self-aggrandizement we'll have to watch our motives closely and practice lowly, meek self-effacing surrender. And a humble attitude to bring glorification to God.

It doesn't sound easy does it? It isn't. But we can do it, because of the first step, wrestling constantly in prayer with God. God will help us. God will do more than help us, He will deliver the victory on a silver platter. Because God wants us to be conformed to the image of His son Jesus. So He will help us overcome self. That's what all of this is about, it's about overcoming self and glorifying God. And we should do that, if we really want to be authentic disciples of Jesus Christ. This isn't easy. But God is mighty to save.

Don't give up. This will be a journey of days, weeks, months and longer. Keep fighting, and keep struggling for the victory. God will provide. Trust in Him. Amen.

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Saturday, June 2, 2018

The Forgotten Teaching in the Church: Holiness

“…By the power of the Spirit we can overcome challenges and can advance towards the fulfillment of that which our conversion promises – victory over sin, the life of holiness, and mature Christian living.” -Diane Leclerc, Discovering Christian Holiness, p. 192.

Can I really be holy as He is holy? Yes. It is the calling of each follower of Jesus to reach whole sanctification, which reflects a blameless, spotless state of salvation holiness, through which the believer is preserved to the day they will stand before Jesus, and give an answer for their lives.

The blessing of whole sanctification is only possible through the inner working of the Holy Spirit. We must never forget that. Without the Holy Spirit, there is only legalistic self focus. This leads nowhere but to pride. Human effort is of no use at all (John 6:63 NIV).

So what is our part, if the work is of the Holy Spirit? We respond to the Spirit through God-guided action. The three responses to the work of the Holy Spirit, which must be engaged in by the believer are: whole repentance in every area of the believers’ life (in the Spirit) to reject and turn away from sin, full surrender by yielding completely to the leading of Jesus (God must have all there is of me), and full engagement with God to learn and receive perfect love. To reiterate: complete repentance, complete surrender, and complete love.

First we consider the concept of whole repentance, or perhaps better stated: The process of engaging in sanctification. According to the Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine (2013) “God’s sanctifying work is a life-changing experience whereby we are empowered to make radical changes of direction in our lives…” Christian sanctification engenders the concept that the believer has died to sin, and instead lives in the Spirit (Galatians 2:20 NIV).

So to be sanctified, a believer must be active in “crucifying the flesh” and living to the Spirit. The Apostle Paul often cited common sins that believers struggle with, then contrasted those sins with the true life of purity that believers must live (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Corinthians 6:10-11, Romans 6:6).

This means that believers must be zealous, and repent of all active sins in their lives. In some ways this first aspect of sanctification is similar to the reformed view of sanctification, as a gradual process (Boyd & Eddy, 2009). However, sanctification in the Arminian-Wesleyan view punctuates the process with moments like “initial sanctification” and “whole sanctification” where concrete results can be attained (SA HoD, 2013, p. 194-195). Once again it must be emphasized that this process of repentance can only be achieved through the inner working of the Holy Spirit. Our response to the work of the Spirit is to be thorough (and total) in repentance and growth (Romans 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9). The process then continues beyond "whole sanctification" which is not considered to be the same thing as "complete" or "full" sanctification which only occurs after the believer has died and gone to the next life, having been "glorified" with Christ. While whole sanctification is living in the blameless, spotless robe of righteousness of Jesus Christ, but still struggling with temptations, and the occasional stumblings of this life, glorification, complete sanctification is the removal of all temptation and the completion of faith in Christ to be made completely like Christ in holiness of character.

How do we do live this out and attain to whole sanctification and future glorification? Through a great deal of prayer, and acts of will, of going to God, in trembling and sorrow for sin, and making an act of the will to repent. In some cases, indeed many, something greater may be needed, wherein we need to talk with our pastor or an accountability partner, or look up some books on freedom from sin, because often the claws of sin go in very deep, especially if it's a lifelong sin. But let me emphasize: Jesus Christ can and will break every chain. Often though, resources are helpful, like books, 12 step groups, small groups, and meeting with a pastor/friend.

Next we consider the concept of complete surrender to God. The process of sanctification should not be regarded as a lifelong process of struggling toward an impossible ideal (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 172). Instead whole sanctification is possible in this life, and it should be viewed as possible and attainable long before glorification. And part of that whole sanctification is total surrender to the will of God. Christians are called to radical, full obedience to Jesus Christ. This means to place God and His kingdom program ahead of any other concern (Matthew 6:33 NIV).

Often the experience of a full surrender occurs after a crisis experience, though that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 173). But often in the search for holiness a believer will try to achieve holiness through struggling in the flesh, instead of yielding to the Spirit (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 173).

This can lead to a crisis experience, of being “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” where the believer comes to realize that sanctification is found not in endless struggling in the flesh, but in total yielding and surrender to God. The Holy Spirit then guides the life of the believer, causing the believer’s mind to reject sin and hate sin, and turn away from sin. The Spirit then re-orders the lifestyle of the sanctified believer to consider God first, and him or herself second.

William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army experienced a moment when he realized God needed all there was of William Booth, 95% would not do! So Booth surrendered his whole body, soul, and spirit to Jesus. And God used him in mighty ways. At the heart of total surrender, which stems from the Keswick view of holiness, sanctification becomes a resting obedient faith in God, instead of a work of man (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 174). This concept is an expression of the Keswick “Deeper Life” view of sanctification (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 172). But the concept of surrender tends to transcend such categories, and is mentioned often by Wesley is his reflections on holiness (Wesley).

I recall in my own Christian life, I felt the sting of sin on a daily basis and felt it foreign to myself. I didn't want any of it. I wanted something greater, a true freedom from sin. But all those around me, in the churches, seemed fairly content to remain in sins of various kinds. I was longing after a road to victory over sin, but I didn't know where it was. And it seemed so hard. But now I realize in the holiness tradition that there is a glorious, beautiful road that every Christian must follow, out of sin, out of the flesh, and into the fullness of sanctification. It will seem impossible. It will seem like too much. You'll be in so much sorrow, and you'll want to slide back into the mire with the rest of the modern church, caught in all manner of sins. Don't give up. Many, many others have walked this difficult road of holiness. You can do it too! It will be very hard, but without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Finally, we consider sanctification as an expression of perfect love. John Wesley wrote in A Plain Account of Christian Perfect (1854), “Will any dare to speak against loving the Lord our God with all our heart, and our neighbour as ourselves? Against a renewal of heart, not only in part, but in the whole image of God? Who is he that will open his mouth against being cleansed from all pollution both of flesh and spirit; or against having all the mind that was in Christ, and walking in all things as Christ walked? What man, who calls himself a Christian, has the hardiness to object to the devoting, not a part, but all our soul, body, and substance to God?”

John Wesley viewed sanctification as being centered on relationship with God (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 176). The work of God in the believer is to transform their heart into a life giving spring of perfect love that reflects the love of Jesus. It all stems from the heart. Wesley viewed sin as not so much actions, or wrong thoughts or deeds, but as stemming from a base attitude of the human heart (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 178). Thus God’s work in the believer, in sanctification was a circumcision of the heart (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 178). God cleansed the believer’s heart, which would set the heart ablaze, flaming powerfully with the love of God (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 178). This love expelled all sin, provided the believer with the virtues of Jesus, embodied the mind of Christ, and was attainable through faith and complete surrender to God (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 178). This is the Wesleyan “perfect love” view of sanctification (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 176).

We’ve briefly looked at the Keswick and Wesleyan view of whole sanctification, now let us consider the two other prominent views: The Lutheran view and the Reformed view (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 161). The Lutheran view is quite simple, suggesting that justification and sanctification are not separate incidences, but are sides of the same coin (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 162). Sanctification is defined as nothing more than living out the faith that one has already been declared righteous because of Jesus (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 163). This view sees the separation of justification and sanctification as a “religious scheme” to counter the danger of believers who once justified would presumably not live a holy Christian (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 163). So the Lutheran view is that the Christian has been declared righteous in Christ, and that’s the end of it, more or less. The problem with this view is of course that justification and sanctification are distinct in the scriptures, and salvation in Christ must necessarily include repentance of sin, and living a holy life, which seems to be excluded from the Lutheran view.

The Reformed view is that believers in Jesus have died with Christ and resurrected through faith, and by living in Christ, in the Spirit, holiness of life occurs over time (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 167). The reformed view suggests that Christ is the pioneering one who was and is truly sanctified, and by being sanctified Christ also may sanctify His followers (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 168). Sanctification is viewed as both definitive and progressive (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 168). So while Christ has declared forever those holy who have faith in Him, there is also a process of sanctification taking place (Hebrews 10:14). The Holy Spirit is the prime agent who guides the believer through the process of sanctification (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 169). In the Spirit believers are able to resist sin and grow in holiness. But the reformed view suggests that the believer will always remain a sinner saved by grace, and thus will always struggle with sin. Sanctification in its fullest form is thus never achievable. The danger of the reformed view is that so much is placed on the process, and it leaves danger for human pride, and for struggling in the flesh, and never being able to achieve a concrete end to the process (Boyd & Eddy, 2009, p. 170-171).

Now, we’ve exhaustively considered the basic viewpoints of sanctification in protestant Christianity. But what good would it be for every Christian on the face of the Earth to be completely sanctified, if this did not engender safety in the arms of God almighty? A whole host could plummet to the depths of hell. But that is not what we believe, which is why the Salvation Army’s tenth doctrine states that the whole spirit, soul, and body may be preserved blameless until Jesus returns to claim His church. Many in antiquity, and in biblical times considered the division of the human being to be of spirit, soul, and body. The concept of blameless preservation is the reality that when Christ returns, He will return for a holy church, for a church without blemish or defect. He will have no concern for those who have soiled their robes of righteousness (Revelation 3:4-5 NIV). Additionally, 1st Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV) states, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” For those Christians who are zealous to serve God, and who truly love Christ more than themselves, and who are determined to be fully sanctified and free from sin, God almighty is faithful and will without a doubt preserve them blameless until the very last day (2 Timothy 1:12, Philippians 1:6 NIV).

In conclusion, my calling to you today is to pursue true Christian holiness. Pursue the blessing of whole sanctification. Ache for it as in land without water, in a desert. That's how I felt. I felt lost in sin and immaturity in the Christian life. But the key is this: If we dare to believe that God can do anything, and throw out that radical faith toward God, God will respond with mighty works in our lives that will transform our lives unto holiness.

References

Anderson, N. D. (2012, March 23). Wesleyan-Holiness Theology. Retrieved from https://www.asbury.edu/about-us/cornerstone-project/holiness-initiatives/wesleyan-holiness-theology

Boyd, G. A., & Eddy, P. R. (2009). Across the Spectrum: understanding issues in evangelical theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Leclerc, D. (2014). Discovering Christian Holiness The Heart of Wesleyan-Holiness Theology. Kansas City: Nazarene Publishing House.

The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine (2nd ed.). (2013). London: Salvation Books.

Christian Perfection. (nd). Wesley Center Online. Retrieved from https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-40-christian-perfection/