Tag: redeemed

Filled with Divine Fullness (Colossians 2:6-15)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Resurrection, by Oliver Pfaff

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Watch out that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by the removal of the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 

And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. (New Revised Standard Version)

On the television gameshow “Let’s Make a Deal,” selected members of the studio audience are offered something of value, and then given a choice of whether to keep it or exchange it for a different item.

The game’s drama is that the other item is hidden from the person until that choice is made. The participant does not know if the alternative item is of equal or greater value; or an item purposely chosen to be of little or no value.

The “deal” with Christianity is that Christians already have something of significant value. But they often lose it by going after something they aren’t even sure they actually want, or not.

Followers of Jesus have been given a valuable gift. And the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to the Church at Colossae was to go ahead and keep going with the prize you already possess.

Believers in Jesus have received him. Therefore, the believer is not to trade the words and ways of Jesus, and the redemption secured in Christ, for something else.

Instead, the Christian is to do their best to live into those words and ways, right now in daily life. Christians are invited to explore the vast spiritual resources of their gifted redemption.

Having been redeemed by the Cross of Christ, believers are deeply rooted in Jesus. They are on a firm foundation of faith. Christians possess a faith full of hope and love.

So then, believers are encouraged by the Apostle Paul to take everything they have been taught, and everything they have received, and run with it.

It doesn’t matter what is behind another door, or what is on the other side of the curtain; grab ahold of what you possess in Jesus Christ. Stop considering a better way to live, and start living the life that’s been given to you.

Allow gratitude and thanksgiving to arise within you, and to come forth out of you. Quit looking how much greener the grass is on the other side of the fence. That pasture isn’t really greener; and there is not really a better way.

Many people have become disillusioned with institutional religion. They’ve had it with church. So, some of them end up throwing out the baby with the bath water, entertaining all sorts of ideas and approaches other than the grace-filled Christianity they once received.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of spiritual charlatans who seek to bedazzle people with fine sounding words. But it’s all nothing but a bunch of pseudo-intellectual philosophical babble.

Yet, because the messenger appears confident and makes grand pronouncements, they let themselves be captured, and go with it. And there are others who become enamored with endless theological talk, that has neither any real effect on one’s daily life, nor eternal life.

The Apostle was warning the Colossian believers about getting lost in the myriad traditions and superstitions that have an absence of Christ in the middle of them.

The way of Jesus has Christ directly and purposefully at the core of one’s life. Anything less is to make a deal and see what is behind another door.

The way of Jesus has very little to do with a particular theological tradition about the end times, or a certain literal interpretive stance, or a liturgical or non-liturgical approach to the Christian life.

Everything of God is right, just, and good. And according to Christianity, it comes through the person and work of Jesus, through Christ’s words and ways as expressed in the New Testament Gospels.

It seems to me that the Apostle Paul would be aghast today at how many supposed Christian believers worship him and his epistles! Instead of giving their full adoration to Christ.

The last word doesn’t come from Paul, but from Jesus. Keep in mind that Paul worshiped Christ, and did not point people to himself as the be-all-end-all of any philosophical approach.

Jesus the Dancer, by Jyoti Sahi

Everything the Christian needs is within the fullness of Jesus Christ.

All things are empty without Christ, including the vast universe. The power and authority of Christ extends over all things and all people everywhere. Paul was insistent on this in all of the churches he established.

Thus, Christians must enter into the fullness of their Lord Jesus.

You can spend a lifetime, even an eternity after death, trying to figure out how God works, but you will never get to the end of it. God’s arm has that long of a reach. The fullness of Jesus is that big and filling. The strength of the Spirit is that powerful.

The heart and center of Christianity has nothing to do with circumcision, modes of baptism, keeping long lists of laws, or maintaining multiple spiritual practices. Because the Christian is already in, and already united with Christ.

This is why Paul prayed for believers to explore and realize what they already have in Christ, so that, with the eyes of their heart enlightened, they may perceive what is the hope to which God has called them, the riches of God’s glorious inheritance among the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of divine power for those who believe. (Ephesians 1:18-19)

The Christian has been spiritually raised from the dead, just as Christ was physically raised from death to life. And believers will also be physically raised, as Jesus was, if they have the spiritual eyes to see it.

Think of all those times in the past when you were stuck, and living a dead-end existence. Remember how God made you alive in Christ. All of your guilt and shame forgiven. All the stuff that kept you down and out, all that kept you from God, was nailed to the Cross of Christ.

The malevolent forces of this world have been stripped of their power, and can be seen as the sham they actually are.

The Christian is delivered from sin, death, and hell. There is, therefore, no need for the believer to trade what they already have for whatever the heck is behind door number two.

It will not be nearly as valuable nor practical – not even close.

Being grounded in the person and work of Christ is where it’s at, my friend.

Watch out that nobody comes along and tries to sway you from Jesus. Don’t make any deals. You and I have Jesus. He is all we need.

Lord Jesus, you are worthy of our adoration, affection, and allegiance. Because of you, we don’t have to guess what God is like; there is no need to create our own image of God. Everything we need to know about God is revealed in and through you. Along with the Father and the Spirit, you have always existed in perfect relationship and unimaginable wonder.

Blessed Holy Trinity, the God whom I serve, may your divine dance of Father, Son, and Spirit pulsate within me, and flow out of me in a trust that you are enough. Then I will know that I, too, am enough as I avoid the false philosophies and promises of this world.

Almighty God, you fill the center of my being, so that I can let You be You, and so, be content and at peace, despite the alternative voices that chatter constantly around me. May your will be done, today and every day, to the glory of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Spiritual Growth (2 Peter 3:14-18)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year B1 Comment

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this [a new heaven and a new earth] make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (New International Version)

When it comes to Christianity – the Christian life and church ministry – the value and necessity of spiritual growth within individual believers and local churches is of vital importance. 

We were created by God, who made us in the divine image and likeness. That is, we were formed as spiritual people. Every one of us carries within ourselves a God-given spirit; it is a vital part of who we are.

Therefore, we must recognize that the area of our greatest value, potential, fruitfulness, and life fulfillment will be in the realm of the spiritual. 

If we deny our inherent spirituality, whether in thought or in practice, we will inevitably become confused. This then, sets us up for failure, because our basic nature is one of being spiritual persons.

Nothing is more valuable for us than spiritual growth, and the provision God has made for us to experience this growth.

There is a verse tucked away at the end of Peter’s second epistle that states for us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Grace and knowledge are important words that both point to Jesus. 

“Grace” refers to all the benefits of redemption for us through the person and work of Christ.

“Knowledge” denotes all the benefits of God’s revelation to us in Jesus Christ.

Here is a simple, yet profound, observation of the text: The word “grow” is a command; it is not optional. It’s not something to maybe think about doing when we get around to it. God insists that we spiritually grow.

God has made every provision for our spiritual growth. What’s more, we have been given the ability as a redeemed believer, and as a redeemed community, to grow spiritually. 

So then, each and every believer in Jesus Christ, as well as every local church, must face their own personal responsibility to obey this scriptural exhortation. To do otherwise is to live outside of God’s will.

Sticking with the Apostle Peter’s words, here is another verse of importance which relates to our spiritual growth: 

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. (1 Peter 2:2, NIV) 

We are to seek the Word of God with the same kind of intensity that a newly born baby will seek for food. As babies, my kids were barracudas when it came to feeding time; they took their eating seriously, and with a lot of gusto. That same desire for feeding must be present with us as Christians and churches. When the command of Peter is obeyed, and made a priority in our life, then we will grow.

Like any good thing in our lives, there are potential problems, along with the benefits. A significant downside, when pursuing spiritual growth, is that we all have a disease-like force in our lives. There exists within us a destructive tendency of lethargy and passivity toward spiritual things.

It’s rather ironic that people who confess Jesus as Lord, and are convinced about their Christianity, can be so doggone nit-picky about trivial matters which don’t really contribute much of anything to their spiritual growth.

And the trivial things only distract us from feeding upon the Word of God, and consuming the Bread of Life. We cannot – we must not – go on living like this and expect to be successful in the Christian life.

If we are going to grow spiritually, we must be about the business of speaking the truth in love – which results in us growing up into people who embody the words and ways of Jesus. (Ephesians 4:15) 

We are to have an aggressive application of the truth in our speech and our actions, which then impacts our daily faith walk with Jesus. 

The way we grow up spiritually, whether personally or corporately, is through practicing the truth of Holy Scripture – which requires reading it, learning it, and knowing it better than we know our own back door.

Our priorities, goals, and values need to reflect a solid commitment to fulfill scriptural truth in daily life. In that vein, let us ask ourselves some penetrating questions:

  • Have we humbled ourselves before God and confessed the things we have done, and the things we have left undone, when it comes to God’s revealed will?
  • Have we humbled ourselves before one another as believers, and in the church, asking for prayer?
  • Have we read the Bible on the subject of spiritual growth, and followed its teachings, so that we can know the joy and love God has for us?
  • Would we be lethargic and passive about treating a physical cancer in our lives?

God the Father and God the Son have conspired together to give believers God the Holy Spirit for our spiritual growth. The blessed Holy Trinity – the God whom Christians serve – has gifted us the Spirit, so that we might come into close fellowship with the Lord Jesus. 

Once we begin to obey the Scripture in this area of practicing biblical truth, we will experience spiritual growth and the joy of the Lord. 

However, if we allow ourselves to remain lethargic and apathetic concerning spirituality, we will not become our true selves. We must choose to make a biblical response to God, to one another, and to ourself. 

Spiritual growth is not a matter of personal willpower that can be achieved by our own efforts. Instead, we must face our spiritual condition, and seek help within the community of the redeemed, the church. Then, spiritual growth will become a reality.

Gracious heavenly Father, the God of all mercy, thank you for adding another day to my life. I dedicate both my soul and my body to serving you with a right spirit and a holy life. Strengthen me in this life, so that I may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of your Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. Amen.

A Vision of the End (Revelation 14:1-11)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
The Great Day of His Wrath, by John Martin, 1852

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as first-fruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” (New International Version)

Throughout the book of Revelation (The Apocalypse of John) the Apostle John communicates visions of the end, of God’s wrath and human suffering. Yet John also pauses throughout his vision to offer encouragement for the faithful followers of Jesus in the present time who are undergoing suffering, even persecution.

The assurance believers have is that God sees their struggle, their devotion; the Lord will protect them – not from suffering and death – but from the effects of divine judgment and punishment on the earth. The Lord will not abandon the believers. Instead, they will share in God’s new realm.

The Lamb and the Redeemed

The ultimate destiny of Christ’s faithful followers is not in judgment but in triumph – even though many of them had to face extreme circumstances and died the martyr’s death. Christ, the Lamb of God, stands in the center of God’s kingdom with the 144,000, who sing a new song to God.

It could be that these 144,000 persons are representative and symbolic of all redeemed humanity. Or, they may likely be Christian martyrs, the ones who were the victims of evil (Revelation 13). Whoever they actually are, their description is figurative in order to convey that these faithful persons are morally and spiritually pure; they did not defile themselves with the wickedness of the world’s systemic and structural evil.

These redeemed persons are the first fruits, believers who have sacrificed their lives for God and maintained their witness to King Jesus, and not to Ceasar as Lord. In the Old Testament, every firstborn (both human and animal) belonged to the Lord. The first fruits (the initial yield of crops) were set aside specifically as a sacrificial offering to God.

In the New Testament, the concept and practice of first fruits is used as a metaphor for something given to God in advance. So, in the book of Revelation, this refers to the harvest at the end of the age; the first fruits are the 144,000, the ones who are the anticipation of Christian resurrection. In other words, there are many more converts to come – people redeemed by the Lamb and set aside for resurrection and new creation. A great harvest of souls comes; because of Christ’s resurrection, his followers shall also experience resurrection.

The Message of the Three Angels

The Apostle John spoke of three angels, each of whom proclaim a coming judgment of God. The first angel has a call to repentance and a warning of imminent judgment. The second angel announces the fall of Babylon (Rome). And the third angel pronounces judgment upon those who gave themselves to the powers of this fallen world, who participated in organizational wickedness through oppression, abuse, neglect, disrespect, and dishonor of others.

It is with the third angel that the “mark of the beast” upon a person’s forehead is the mark of judgment on them. Although the language and picture of this, and what happens to them, was (and still is for some) used to scare the hell out of people so that they would embrace heaven, we must very much distance ourselves from such disgraceful rhetoric.

Again, the vision is full of symbolism and is not to be taken literally; it is John’s attempt to convey an otherworldly experience he had, in terms which his readers could grasp. The big idea is that those who have become devoted members to the machinations of evil in its various forms on this earth will experience the judgment of God.

As they sought glory in this world by any means possible – including using people to keep and hold power – so, they will face an inglorious end when God holds them accountable for their wrongdoing and for letting their own hearts become shriveled and dry.

This is neither the time to participate in evil, nor to procrastinate in making things right – while you still have time to do so.

For those holding on to bitterness, it is time to forgive.

For the ones giving in to their anger through hating others, it is now time to humble yourself, repent, and turn to right and healthy ways of dealing with that anger.

For the persons allowing themselves to be used by others for perpetuating evil in their workplace, neighborhood, or church, it is high time to find your voice, renounce the damaging practices, and speak truth to power.

We all must suffer. What it is we suffer for, is up to us.

Almighty and everlasting God, the rightful Judge of all things and all people, help us, your people, to be rightly prepared for Christ’s coming, through a right confession and right practices in this life. Enable us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling so that we might cast the bright beams which radiate from the approaching day of glory into those dark days and nights of suffering.

Sovereign God, draw us, we pray, near to Christ and in union with him. May we taste and see the goodness of the Lord; be strengthened in faith for the trials and tribulations which lie before us; bask in the love of Jesus; and hold fast to divine promises, and our confession, especially since the end of all things is at hand. Amen.

The Redeemed and Responsive Soul (Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
    from the east and from the west,
    from the north and from the south.

Some wandered in desert wastes,
    finding no way to an inhabited town;
hungry and thirsty,
    their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress;
he led them by a straight way,
    until they reached an inhabited town…

He turns rivers into a desert,
    springs of water into thirsty ground,
a fruitful land into a salty waste,
    because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
He turns a desert into pools of water,
    a parched land into springs of water.
And there he lets the hungry live,
    and they establish a town to live in;
they sow fields and plant vineyards
    and get a fruitful yield. (New Revised Standard Version)

The responsive spirit

A soul full of spiritual abundance responds freely and organically to God with offerings of gratitude for divine rescue and redemption.

The spiritually responsive person is at peace, content, and able to love with a sensitivity to God because they have had their needs for safety, satisfaction, and relational connection fulfilled. So, as a result, they are able to:

  • worship joyfully and praise God
  • speak words of thanksgiving
  • be attentive to self-care and personal well-being
  • use their resources wisely, feeling capable and confident of making good decisions that bless both the church and the world
  • know they are secure in the loving hands of God

The reactive spirit

Conversely, a soul that is empty from spiritual deprivation reacts predictably and robotically to others with frustration and fear.

The spiritually reactive person seems perpetually upset and in chronic emotional pain, feeling rattled and worried most of the time. They do not reflexively look to the Lord. Their needs for safety, satisfaction, and relational connection have not been met. So, as a result, they are:

  • hypervigilant, on the lookout for the bad, which they are convinced is coming
  • focused narrowly with tunnel vision, having lost sight of the big picture
  • prone to overgeneralizing their negative experiences as being the only experiences they ever have
  • searching for continual stimulation, just to seem alive and feel something
  • insecure, wanting constant validation from others because they cannot give themselves any encouragement

So, what do you do when always feeling between a rock and a hard place, experiencing racing thoughts, being anxious more than not, feeling like an abandoned town in the Old West with nothing but tumbleweed moving down the street?

A redeemed soul

In your desperation, call out to God. The Lord can:

  • get you out in the nick of time and deliver you soul from trouble so that you can be grateful for divine love
  • put your feet walking on a wonderful road of grace that leads to a good place of transformation
  • meet your needs for freedom, contentment, and loving relational networks, so that your spirit is full of right relationships, purity, mercy, and peace

You can once again, or maybe for the first time, feel like:

  • A flowing river, instead of sunbaked mud
  • A fruitful orchard, instead of dry dead tree
  • A farmer with much grain and many animals, instead of a homeless person sitting on a pile of dung
  • A person loved and valued by God, instead of a waste of space, breathing air that others could have
  • A sheep who knows the shepherd is watching over them, instead of an insect that everyone steps on

Keep in mind, that the experience of blessing, the encounter of abundance, and the feeling of peace, is not like a simple math equation – as if God were a divine genie that you happened to find and got three wishes.

Rather, the fulfilling spiritual life involves a persistent faith, confident hope, and constant love. These come from God, and are accessed through humility. The proud person will not realize a life of faith, hope, and love, because they believe they already know what is best.

The humble admit their ignorance, their failings, their shame, their guilt, and their desperation.

Approaching God with humility doesn’t mean to heap deprecation and curses on oneself. It just means to be honest with where you are spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. And to cry out for help, knowing you have nothing to offer in return.

In God’s economy, the currency is grace – and not some give-and-take, I’ll-scratch-your-back-if-you-scratch-mine sort of mentality. God’s steadfast love endures forever. God’s kingdom spins on the axis of grace.

The Lord is not a reactive God but a responsive God. The Lord responded to Israel’s cry for deliverance not just with food and drink, but with a city. God did not only meet the immediate needs of the ancient Israelites, for whom the psalmist is one, along with the original recipients; the Lord took care of their larger, long term needs. 

The people needed a place where they could settle down, raise their own crops and tend their own livestock, and have a dependable means of making a living. God satisfied this, and more, by giving them a city where they could settle, be safe, secure, and content.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams. God does it not by pushing us around, but by working within us, the Spirit deeply and gently providing us with our deepest and greatest needs.

Blessed heavenly Father, you have filled the world with divine beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in everything you have done, so that, rejoicing in all your creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. Amen.