I was thinking about 1 John 2:16 today: All that is in the world - lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. John says that these things are not from the Father but of this world. Peter also encourages the church by urging them as aliens and strangers in this world to abstain from sinful desires which war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11). Jesus told His disciples that they did not belong to the world because He had called them out. What's my point? You are not of this world. And as a people who are not of this world, we need to learn how to live from a different reality.
Hebrews 5:14 talks about mature believers who have trained their senses to discern good and evil. The frustrating part of preparing for this blog was the lack of material in Christian circles regarding this very thing. There is plenty of info about training the mind and discipline for the body but very little about training the senses. I have to wonder if it's due to fear - fear that we would sound "New Age" or like "Mysticism". Regardless of the reason, for those who are mature in Christ, there is a need to recognize the spiritual reality of our lives and tap into everything that is of God.
Romans 12:2 teaches us that we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The interesting part of the word translated "transformed" is that it's the same word that is translated "transfigured" as relating to Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. What do we know about Christ's transfiguration? We know that He was changed. What do we know about those who are in Christ? They have changed as well. The challenge is living as one who has been transformed.
Can you even imagine using your senses to discern good and evil? But this is what transformed people do.
Can you fathom the idea of living in such a way that all of your actions are based upon a spiritual reality rather than a physical one? But this is how transformed people live.
I don't think we fully realize ALL that is available to us because our minds are still grounded in this world rather than fixed upon the reality of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is within you. You continually have access to reality that is greater than the one you are experiencing. There are depths of communion with God that can literally change our lives. The reason we struggle in the areas that John lists is because we are stuck in a 1st Adam mindset rather than the last Adam. Adam & Eve fell to these things while Christ overcame them. That is why we must renew our minds!
I'm ready for a greater experience. I'm ready to live a life where every fiber of my being is in tune with God. I'm excited about the possibilities that await every believer as they step into the fullness of God. I honestly don't believe that we really believe John 4:17 "as He is so are we in this world." If we REALLY believed it then we would do everything possible to tap into that reality.
The world needs to experience Christ. But before they can every truly experience Him, we must experience Him for ourselves. We must move past the point of confession and into the experiential knowledge of Him. We are His image bearers in the earth. We have His Spirit dwelling inside of us. Is there anything that we cannot do in Him? Is there any experience in Him that we cannot obtain for ourselves? I realize that I may be pushing the envelope of your thinking but just realize that we are being pushed together. It's time!!!
Enjoy the journey.
3 comments:
Wow. Where to start?
I needed to read this! I’ve been sitting here most of the day, going between meeting with students, to trying to write--- trying to write because I WANT to write and there is something I want to release--- and getting totally frustrated because I am just not able to put words together right now. I hate when I find myself in this spot, trying to put words to something I have no words for, and turning that initial desire and excitement into labor. When I find myself in those spots and I try to just force myself to write anyhow, to put something on the page, the finished product is never to my liking. It always screams “trying too hard,” and I think it’s apparent to the reader whenever something is written from that place.
That’s what was so cool about your blog. You started off saying you couldn’t find material to support your point, and asked people to sort through your rambling. But your “rambling” was totally, spot-on, what I needed to hear and came from a place of revelation, not research. And it clicked. It wasn’t the “trying too hard” mess I have been spilling over on Microsoft Word all morning, trying to make work. You said:
“You continually have access to reality that is greater than the one you are experiencing. There are depths of communion with God that can literally change our lives. The reason we struggle in the areas that John lists is because we are stuck in a 1st Adam mindset rather than the last Adam.”
This morning, I’ve met with students with exactly 8 students. I asked those 8 students to fill out a “rate the service I have provided you” card after each meeting. I reviewed my calendar and scheduled a meeting. I looked at my bank statement, and tossed numbers. I checked and continually refreshed emails. I calculated tax percentages. I filed paperwork and created schedules. And in between, I have tried to write a blog expressing what is fighting to come out of me, and wondered why I’ve struggled with it? Why my words look fake and calculated and forced?
Now… I’m rambling :) but this just really hit! I’m trying to apply that same scripted approach to the search for truth, for revelation, for expression. I’ve kind of been in a stand-still of “I-want-to-move-forward-but-I-feel-like-I’m-going-nowhere” lately. And it’s been weighing on me these last couple weeks, tiring me. It’s felt like a lot of work, honestly. The desire is there, but the ability to tap into it has been hindered by my approach. And I’ve been totally unaware of what I’ve been doing—why I’ve felt so stifled. I don’t know if this is making any sense whatsoever, but I just saw through this that God is so much greater than our hang-ups and our self-limitations. He places that passion in us, and it’s a GOOD thing. The frustration comes, not from Him limiting us in our pursuit of more of Him, but from our own inability to see past the natural—the commonplace that we are all so adapted to—and to let go of our accepted methodologies and just BE. That’s the source of the frustration. And the awareness of that is the beginning of freedom. I want MORE. I want to tap into that reality. I’ve known that for a long time, but the challenge has always been letting go of conventionality, and stepping into active faith, active experience, opening myself up past all defenses. Pushed the envelope of my thinking? Yes. And my thinking is exactly what needed to be challenged today!
Thanks for sharing "A"
It's awesome to hear how the Lord spoke to you through this.
He's so Good!!!
I really need to figure out how to change my name on here so it actually shows up, instead of just being "A" LOL
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