Friday, November 26, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
The Blessing - Psalm 20
May the Lord ...
- Answer you in trouble
- Set you on high
- Send you help
- Strengthen you
- Remember your offerings
- Grant your heart's desires
- Fulfill all your plans
- Fulfill all your petitions
- Give you victory
- Answer you when you call
- Answer you in trouble
- Set you on high
- Send you help
- Strengthen you
- Remember your offerings
- Grant your heart's desires
- Fulfill all your plans
- Fulfill all your petitions
- Give you victory
- Answer you when you call
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Hitting the Mark
Sin means to miss the mark. At the cross, Jesus Christ removed the sin issue from our lives. Through faith in Christ we are no longer condemned, and yet we daily struggle with sin in our lives. As I prayed and studied this out, I thought about six stages of spiritual growth and development for hitting the mark of God’s will in the believer’s life. I do not intend to make this into a “works doctrine”. It is in Christ and Christ alone that we have victory over sin. But with all of the spiritual weapons we have at our disposal, we must develop a skill set that demonstrates our proficiency in achieving mastery over sin - in other words, spiritual discipline.
A disciple is a student who learns and increases in knowledge, by listening, practicing, developing the habits of, and becoming accustomed to the ways of his teacher. As one scholar put it, “Disciples are made, not born.” Jesus spent three years of His earthly ministry making disciples. Then He commanded His disciples to go and teach all nations in the same way (Matthew 28:19). In this analogy I like the archer's arrow to the Word of God and the bow to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Taking Up Your Bow & Arrows – What if in the very first stage of our spiritual development, we recognize that we have a bow and arrow, but we never willfully pick them up or by faith attempt to do anything with them. Have we missed the mark? The Word of God is our ammunition, and the Spirit of God is our bow. If we never implement what has been given to us, we have missed the mark purely from not even trying. How many believers never truly take the Word of God in hand and search out the deep things of God? How many believers having the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, do not seek out an intimate relationship with Him?
When we come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, He gives us everything we need to live out the life He has designed for us. Peter taught, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (II Peter 1:3). Everything we need to live the Christian life is already in us through Him.
Jesus said, “If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The fact that our salvation is paid for does not mean we are without obligation. We must take what God has given us and do something with it that truly honors Him. Christ is calling us to daily utilize our intelligence, gifts, talents, resources, time and abilities to glorify Him.
Please realize, if Satan can’t steal our salvation, then his next best strategy is to keep us so overwhelmed by the worries and the cares of this world (Luke 8:14) that we wind up being completely ineffective and unproductive for the kingdom of God (II Peter 1:8).
Taking Shots – In the second stage of spiritual development we pick up the bow and arrow, but attempt to use it randomly, firing off arrows here and there in an aimless manner. We are shooting at anything that moves, and not at the mark. All of this is like taking spiritual potshots. We’ve missed the mark, because although we now have the Word of God in our hand and the Holy Spirit’s presence, we have no clearly defined purpose or direction for our lives, and in this way we are quite dangerous to ourselves and others around us, but not dangerous for the Lord or against His enemy. We might accidently hit the mark, or accidently hit each other, but most of the time we just miss the mark.
Paul recognized how a new believer without spiritual guidance could find himself in this situation. He likened this to two other athletic endeavors. “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air” (I Corinthians 9:26). The runner doesn’t run with an uncertain direction, but races for the finish line. The boxer does not waste his energy on swinging without the intention of striking his opponent decisively. The wasted effort would sap all of the athlete’s strength. Too many believers are living aimless Christian lives without a true sense of their divine purpose.
Taking Aim – We are finally finished playing around with the bow and arrow, and eye the target, take aim, draw back the bow and fire. The first arrow is over range. The next falls down range. Another arrow goes to the left, the next veers to the right. We couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. At this stage we are trying to use the Word and operate in the Spirit for the right reasons and in the right way, but we are yet unskilled and untrained. Although we are to be commended for our efforts, we are far off the mark. Please remember, missing the mark for the believer does not equal condemnation, but it is keeping us from achieving God’s highest and best for our lives. Our failed attempts are a good thing in the sense that they teach us that we don’t know what we are doing. Realize that there is more to this than meets the eye, and we need help.
Where can we find the kind of help we need to learn to be on target with our Maker Creator’s design? The Psalmist declared, “My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2). The Lord is ready to help us with whatever we need.
One of the first lessons we must learn is how to dial in our aim, by becoming intimately acquainted with our bow. Remember our bow is the Holy Spirit. Become sensitive to the Spirit of God, Who dwells within our human spirit. He is the presence and the power of God with us and in us. Just like our arm and bow must become one, so we must become one with the Spirit. In overcoming sinful behaviors, Paul gave this advice. “[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh … If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16, 25). It is difficult to do two things at the same and get good at either one. So we must concentrate on walking in the Spirit, instead of obsessing over sinful behaviors. One will overtake the other.
At this stage we don’t know everything, but the one thing we must know is how to love others as Jesus loved (I John 3:16). Although you may not have studied the whole Bible yet, and certainly haven’t perfected your skills, if you will strive to love, you will not be far off the mark.
Training and Skill Building – At the fourth stage we submit to formal training. We take an archery class at the junior college or the YMCA. In class we learn everything from the history of archery to some basic techniques in handling the bow and arrow. We are now taking archery more seriously, and even investing in some of our own equipment. We have become an enthusiast of the sport, and actually watch it on TV. We even go out and practice once or twice a week. But those who compete in the sport professionally are so much better than us. “How did they get to that level?” we wonder. In this spiritual analogy, we are becoming followers, but haven’t reached the proficiency of those we are learning from, because there is still so much more. This where we realize the importance of good spiritual leadership.
Training is important, and the expectation is certainly there in other areas of life. Why do we think the Christian life will just happen to us? Listen to what Paul said about spiritual training. “… Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next” (I Timothy 4:7-8 NLT). In other areas of life there are coaches, teacher, professors, mentors, personal trainers, sponsors, accountability partners. In discipleship we will need to submit ourselves to spiritual authority.
Every believer is not a disciple, because every believer doesn’t submit themselves to fully following in the Master’s footsteps. Our salvation in Christ is God’s free gift to us, but becoming a true disciple of Christ will cost us everything! Jesus didn’t pull any punches when said, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Are we ready for this?
Christ has blessed us with spiritual leadership in the church to functionally equip us for His service (Ephesians 4:11-12). These officers of the church are positioned to disciple and train the believers to multiply effective ministry.
Achieving Mastery – Have you ever watched Olympic Archery on television? Those guys are good! What do you think it would take to reach that level of expertise? It takes many hours of daily training and practice to achieve mastery of a sport like that. Even after submitting to a team coach, and also the tutelage of a personal trainer, just to qualify for an Olympic team would be an achievement in itself, let alone winning a gold medal. Why would we think it would be any less difficult to walk in the fullness of all that God has for us?
Paul again shares with us a tremendous insight about how a runner trains for his race. “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible … But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:24-25, 27). In the same way any athlete would train for their sport.
Mastery is the key to success in our spiritual walk. The fundamental principle of mastery has to do with becoming self-controlled in every area of our lives. Temperate means to be curbed, restrained in ones behavior. In a figure drawn from the Greek athletic games, the athletes in preparing themselves for their events willfully abstained from unwholesome food, wine, and sexual indulgence. It was all part of putting forth a quality performance, so as to win, and not allow anything to disqualify them from the prize.
Now at this stage of mastering archery we are hitting the mark more than we are missing. We haven’t achieved perfection, but we’ve developed award winning skill. In competition we have our sights set on the ultimate goal, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith …” (Hebrews 12:2). Remember, we have this one goal, to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).
At this higher level of performance, sin is not so much a matter of overcoming a habitually addictive lifestyle that holds us back, but rather to the master archer it is very small incremental adjustments that improve quality and technique. Archery has become an art of skillful detail. A bad shot is no longer bad simply because we missed, for we may have hit the mark, but violated a rule in the process, which is known as a fault. We could hit the mark, but accidently crossed the line with our foot. As it relates to spiritual conduct, this might be like speaking the truth, but without a loving attitude (Ephesians 4:15). The rules of the game are not meant to inhibit performance, but rather to enhance our ability to more accurately and consistently hit the mark. In athletic competition not following the rules is cause for disqualification.
Considering External Forces – To this point we have spent all of our time training in an enclosed arena, under controlled circumstances, take fixed targets and we decide to take our bow and arrow to the woods to do some real sportsman like hunting. Warning – we are entering an entirely different environment. When they refer to hitting the “bull’s eye”, now they really mean a bull’s eye. We will be targeting live game in the great outdoors. When we take aim and fire we miss, because we must shoot ahead of the moving target. We have great aim, but a twenty mile an hour gust of wind crosses our trajectory and we miss again. This is really frustrating, because in the arena we are an expert, but in the field there are new and different influences on our marksmanship. If we do not learn to take all of these external forces into consideration and adapt to our environment, we will miss the mark, like a rookie.
Can we see that we are now out in the real world? We're not sheltered in the church or a live-in recovery program. We aren’t cloistered at a church retreat, monastery or even isolated in a prison. We are in the world, but not of it, daily facing temptations and distractions that can hold us back, slow us down and impede our progress in accomplishing our goals. We must become spiritually disciplined to keep our focus and attention on the prize.
We are responsible to take all of our skills and abilities, and apply them to living in the real world. External forces may include, but are not limited to others around me, Satan’s temptations, fleshly desires and worldly influences. “… Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). To be released from all of these encumbrances gives us flexibility, agility and freedom of movement to adjust and adapt to various circumstances, and useful for the Master’s service in any situation. A simple rule of thumb is this, “…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
Conclusion
Can we see now what makes sin a sin? God isn’t out to ruin our enjoyment in life, but He is longing for us to come into the fullness of all that he has for us. Christ freely offers us new life in Him. What do we plan to do with this? Will we try to live the new life in our old way, or will we pursue the perfect purposes of God for our lives? We were chosen for salvation. Now, how will we choose to live?
There seems to be an imbalance in an overemphasis of grace today, to the denial of holiness. Grandma said, “Grace does not get rid of works; it produces them. It doesn’t make them unnecessary; it makes them possible.” We can confess our faith all we want, but we demonstrate our faith by what we do. “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). We don’t want to just call ourselves Christians. We really want to live the Christ life!
A disciple is a student who learns and increases in knowledge, by listening, practicing, developing the habits of, and becoming accustomed to the ways of his teacher. As one scholar put it, “Disciples are made, not born.” Jesus spent three years of His earthly ministry making disciples. Then He commanded His disciples to go and teach all nations in the same way (Matthew 28:19). In this analogy I like the archer's arrow to the Word of God and the bow to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Taking Up Your Bow & Arrows – What if in the very first stage of our spiritual development, we recognize that we have a bow and arrow, but we never willfully pick them up or by faith attempt to do anything with them. Have we missed the mark? The Word of God is our ammunition, and the Spirit of God is our bow. If we never implement what has been given to us, we have missed the mark purely from not even trying. How many believers never truly take the Word of God in hand and search out the deep things of God? How many believers having the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, do not seek out an intimate relationship with Him?
When we come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, He gives us everything we need to live out the life He has designed for us. Peter taught, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (II Peter 1:3). Everything we need to live the Christian life is already in us through Him.
Jesus said, “If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The fact that our salvation is paid for does not mean we are without obligation. We must take what God has given us and do something with it that truly honors Him. Christ is calling us to daily utilize our intelligence, gifts, talents, resources, time and abilities to glorify Him.
Please realize, if Satan can’t steal our salvation, then his next best strategy is to keep us so overwhelmed by the worries and the cares of this world (Luke 8:14) that we wind up being completely ineffective and unproductive for the kingdom of God (II Peter 1:8).
Taking Shots – In the second stage of spiritual development we pick up the bow and arrow, but attempt to use it randomly, firing off arrows here and there in an aimless manner. We are shooting at anything that moves, and not at the mark. All of this is like taking spiritual potshots. We’ve missed the mark, because although we now have the Word of God in our hand and the Holy Spirit’s presence, we have no clearly defined purpose or direction for our lives, and in this way we are quite dangerous to ourselves and others around us, but not dangerous for the Lord or against His enemy. We might accidently hit the mark, or accidently hit each other, but most of the time we just miss the mark.
Paul recognized how a new believer without spiritual guidance could find himself in this situation. He likened this to two other athletic endeavors. “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air” (I Corinthians 9:26). The runner doesn’t run with an uncertain direction, but races for the finish line. The boxer does not waste his energy on swinging without the intention of striking his opponent decisively. The wasted effort would sap all of the athlete’s strength. Too many believers are living aimless Christian lives without a true sense of their divine purpose.
Taking Aim – We are finally finished playing around with the bow and arrow, and eye the target, take aim, draw back the bow and fire. The first arrow is over range. The next falls down range. Another arrow goes to the left, the next veers to the right. We couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. At this stage we are trying to use the Word and operate in the Spirit for the right reasons and in the right way, but we are yet unskilled and untrained. Although we are to be commended for our efforts, we are far off the mark. Please remember, missing the mark for the believer does not equal condemnation, but it is keeping us from achieving God’s highest and best for our lives. Our failed attempts are a good thing in the sense that they teach us that we don’t know what we are doing. Realize that there is more to this than meets the eye, and we need help.
Where can we find the kind of help we need to learn to be on target with our Maker Creator’s design? The Psalmist declared, “My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2). The Lord is ready to help us with whatever we need.
One of the first lessons we must learn is how to dial in our aim, by becoming intimately acquainted with our bow. Remember our bow is the Holy Spirit. Become sensitive to the Spirit of God, Who dwells within our human spirit. He is the presence and the power of God with us and in us. Just like our arm and bow must become one, so we must become one with the Spirit. In overcoming sinful behaviors, Paul gave this advice. “[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh … If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16, 25). It is difficult to do two things at the same and get good at either one. So we must concentrate on walking in the Spirit, instead of obsessing over sinful behaviors. One will overtake the other.
At this stage we don’t know everything, but the one thing we must know is how to love others as Jesus loved (I John 3:16). Although you may not have studied the whole Bible yet, and certainly haven’t perfected your skills, if you will strive to love, you will not be far off the mark.
Training and Skill Building – At the fourth stage we submit to formal training. We take an archery class at the junior college or the YMCA. In class we learn everything from the history of archery to some basic techniques in handling the bow and arrow. We are now taking archery more seriously, and even investing in some of our own equipment. We have become an enthusiast of the sport, and actually watch it on TV. We even go out and practice once or twice a week. But those who compete in the sport professionally are so much better than us. “How did they get to that level?” we wonder. In this spiritual analogy, we are becoming followers, but haven’t reached the proficiency of those we are learning from, because there is still so much more. This where we realize the importance of good spiritual leadership.
Training is important, and the expectation is certainly there in other areas of life. Why do we think the Christian life will just happen to us? Listen to what Paul said about spiritual training. “… Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next” (I Timothy 4:7-8 NLT). In other areas of life there are coaches, teacher, professors, mentors, personal trainers, sponsors, accountability partners. In discipleship we will need to submit ourselves to spiritual authority.
Every believer is not a disciple, because every believer doesn’t submit themselves to fully following in the Master’s footsteps. Our salvation in Christ is God’s free gift to us, but becoming a true disciple of Christ will cost us everything! Jesus didn’t pull any punches when said, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Are we ready for this?
Christ has blessed us with spiritual leadership in the church to functionally equip us for His service (Ephesians 4:11-12). These officers of the church are positioned to disciple and train the believers to multiply effective ministry.
Achieving Mastery – Have you ever watched Olympic Archery on television? Those guys are good! What do you think it would take to reach that level of expertise? It takes many hours of daily training and practice to achieve mastery of a sport like that. Even after submitting to a team coach, and also the tutelage of a personal trainer, just to qualify for an Olympic team would be an achievement in itself, let alone winning a gold medal. Why would we think it would be any less difficult to walk in the fullness of all that God has for us?
Paul again shares with us a tremendous insight about how a runner trains for his race. “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible … But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:24-25, 27). In the same way any athlete would train for their sport.
Mastery is the key to success in our spiritual walk. The fundamental principle of mastery has to do with becoming self-controlled in every area of our lives. Temperate means to be curbed, restrained in ones behavior. In a figure drawn from the Greek athletic games, the athletes in preparing themselves for their events willfully abstained from unwholesome food, wine, and sexual indulgence. It was all part of putting forth a quality performance, so as to win, and not allow anything to disqualify them from the prize.
Now at this stage of mastering archery we are hitting the mark more than we are missing. We haven’t achieved perfection, but we’ve developed award winning skill. In competition we have our sights set on the ultimate goal, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith …” (Hebrews 12:2). Remember, we have this one goal, to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).
At this higher level of performance, sin is not so much a matter of overcoming a habitually addictive lifestyle that holds us back, but rather to the master archer it is very small incremental adjustments that improve quality and technique. Archery has become an art of skillful detail. A bad shot is no longer bad simply because we missed, for we may have hit the mark, but violated a rule in the process, which is known as a fault. We could hit the mark, but accidently crossed the line with our foot. As it relates to spiritual conduct, this might be like speaking the truth, but without a loving attitude (Ephesians 4:15). The rules of the game are not meant to inhibit performance, but rather to enhance our ability to more accurately and consistently hit the mark. In athletic competition not following the rules is cause for disqualification.
Considering External Forces – To this point we have spent all of our time training in an enclosed arena, under controlled circumstances, take fixed targets and we decide to take our bow and arrow to the woods to do some real sportsman like hunting. Warning – we are entering an entirely different environment. When they refer to hitting the “bull’s eye”, now they really mean a bull’s eye. We will be targeting live game in the great outdoors. When we take aim and fire we miss, because we must shoot ahead of the moving target. We have great aim, but a twenty mile an hour gust of wind crosses our trajectory and we miss again. This is really frustrating, because in the arena we are an expert, but in the field there are new and different influences on our marksmanship. If we do not learn to take all of these external forces into consideration and adapt to our environment, we will miss the mark, like a rookie.
Can we see that we are now out in the real world? We're not sheltered in the church or a live-in recovery program. We aren’t cloistered at a church retreat, monastery or even isolated in a prison. We are in the world, but not of it, daily facing temptations and distractions that can hold us back, slow us down and impede our progress in accomplishing our goals. We must become spiritually disciplined to keep our focus and attention on the prize.
We are responsible to take all of our skills and abilities, and apply them to living in the real world. External forces may include, but are not limited to others around me, Satan’s temptations, fleshly desires and worldly influences. “… Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). To be released from all of these encumbrances gives us flexibility, agility and freedom of movement to adjust and adapt to various circumstances, and useful for the Master’s service in any situation. A simple rule of thumb is this, “…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
Conclusion
Can we see now what makes sin a sin? God isn’t out to ruin our enjoyment in life, but He is longing for us to come into the fullness of all that he has for us. Christ freely offers us new life in Him. What do we plan to do with this? Will we try to live the new life in our old way, or will we pursue the perfect purposes of God for our lives? We were chosen for salvation. Now, how will we choose to live?
There seems to be an imbalance in an overemphasis of grace today, to the denial of holiness. Grandma said, “Grace does not get rid of works; it produces them. It doesn’t make them unnecessary; it makes them possible.” We can confess our faith all we want, but we demonstrate our faith by what we do. “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). We don’t want to just call ourselves Christians. We really want to live the Christ life!
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