The Place of Spiritual Growth in the Christian Life (part five)

Previously I mentioned four "now" aspects of the Gospel: propitiation, justification, reconciliation and regeneration. We briefly discussed propitiation -- how Christ became an atoning sacrifice for our sins,

I feel like this when I try to justify myself through works

bearing the judgement and wrath of God in our place. In this post I'll touch on justification, which is the wonderful result of propitiation.

But first, here's another tip for spiritual growth: The best growth flows out of a healthy relationship with God. We need to focus on our relationship with God in the present. I believe a solid understanding of the above four "now" aspects of the Gospel will help us understand the basis of our love relationship with God. Then, growth will be something that happens knowing that the loving, powerful Holy Spirit is with us every step of the way, helping us with every detail of growth. He is the chief gardener of our lives.

The following scripture sheds light on the meaning of justification. "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood." (Romans 3:21-25)

What's this saying? Let's break the passage down. Imputed righteousness is available from God for sinful humans. This righteousness is given to us as a gift, so we don't have to earn it by obeying God's many rules. The Old Testament (Law and Prophets) foretold it. We can receive this righteousness by faith, by believing in Jesus Christ. All of us are sinners who fall way short of God's perfection. Fortunately, though, because of His grace (unmerited favor), we are declared righteous (justified) because of Christ's atoning sacrifice (propitiation). But to receive this righteousness, we must put our faith in Christ's blood that was shed to atone for our sins.

Way back in the Reformation, perhaps earlier, a wise Christian came up with a nice little saying known as The Double Imputation, also known as The Great Exchange. It goes something like this: "All our sin was imputed to Christ; all His righteousness was imputed to us." These are beautiful words, and true. 2 Corinthians 5:21 states it like this: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

There are two types of righteousness: behavioral and positional. Behavioral righteousness is marked by the good things we do and the sins we avoid. In this sense, when we call someone righteous, we are essentially saying they are a person of exceptional moral character, who sins little and does many good deeds.

Positional righteousness is very different. It is like receiving an Olympic gold medal without actually winning the race or suffering through all the hard training. But it's not cheating. It's completely justified, because Christ Himself did the hard training and won the race -- then he mercifully gifted his gold medal to us. All who believe in Jesus are awarded the gold medal of righteousness.

This gold medal was given to all Christians when they first placed their faith in Christ. It's not something waiting for us in the future. We are 100% righteous right now.

Because God sees all Christians as completely righteous, we are fully pleasing in His sight. Despite our flaws and struggles with sin, God loves us and is pleased with us.

This beautiful relationship with God exists because of propitiation and justification. In the next post, I'll focus on reconciliation, the sweet result of the Gospel that focuses on our reconciled personal relationship with God.

The Place of Spiritual Growth in the Christian Life (part four)

I'm no longer stumbled by the lack of spiritual growth I've observed in myself and in others. There was a time I'd observe a longtime Christian, perhaps a leader or an elder in the Church, and I'd bristle at their flaws. Maybe they

Like this tree, we can be prickly and still grow

were petty, egotistical, insensitive, bad listeners, prickly -- they just didn't seem to be as mature as they should be. Hmm, could I be describing myself?

I have a good excuse for them and me: if we didn't know the Lord, we would be much worse. As bad as I am now, I would be really bad if I didn't know Jesus. Unfortunately, all Christians (and non-Christians) are stuck with a fallen body and mind. In this life, our fallen flesh insures we're not going to be perfect -- not even close! When Jesus returns, Christians will be given a brand new resurrection body and brain that will be sin-free and perfect. Until then, Christians are in a lifelong war between their fallen flesh and their regenerated "born again" spirit. The good news is that the regenerated spirit (heart) is powerful and a significant key to our steady growth. We'll talk about regeneration later. 

Occasionally in this series, I'll throw in a tip for spiritual growth. Here's tip #1: read the Bible every day, even if it's only a small passage. This doesn't guarantee growth, but by not reading the Bible, you will certainly stagnate spiritually. Psalm 1:2-3 describes the person whose "...delight is in the law [word] of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither."

Spiritual growth involves more than simply becoming more virtuous and well-behaved morally. Certainly it's a good thing to sin less and less, but there are many other kinds of growth. For instance, God wants us to become wiser and more knowledgeable of Him and His kingdom. Similarly, we should aim to know Him on a personal level more deeply each day. Also, we should aspire for a stronger faith (belief) in Him. So, spiritual growth is multifaceted.

Tip #2 comes to mind: spiritual growth is more likely to happen when we ask God to help us grow. The prayerful reading of God's Word will surely result in more wisdom, knowledge, stronger faith, and a closer relationship with Christ. Petition-type prayer is crucial if you want to grow in wisdom. James 1:5-8 (ESV) says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Oops, this blog isn't supposed to focus on the "hows" of growth. Oh well. In the next post, we will get back to the four "now" results of the Gospel, analyzing the awesome reality of justification. Lord bless.

The Place of Spiritual Growth in the Christian Life (part three)

Before I get accused of plagiarism, I need to mention and recommend a couple of experts who have influenced my thinking on spiritual growth and the Christian life. Some of what I'm writing about is inspired by Dr. John Coe, professor of Philosophy and Spiritual Theology at Biola University. Of course, I'm interpreting his teaching and adding many of my own thoughts, so don't judge him for any of my strange ideas. I recommend his free, 10-hour audio course, Spiritual Formation, which can be found at biblicaltraining.org. John Coe's speaking style reminds me of the classic nice-guy neighbor who's fun to hang out with. He seems like an everyday guy, but is actually a genius with more degrees than you can fill a thermometer with.

Bread and wine remind us of Christ's sacrifice of propitiation

Perhaps my favorite Christian "self help" author is Robert S. McGee, who wrote a classic called The Search for Significance. McGee focuses on the Christian's identity in Christ and what the Gospel has accomplished for us "now." This current blog post borrows much from McGee.

I feel like mentioning one more resource. On the biblicaltraining.org website, there's a great 3-plus hour course by professional counselor  Dr. Gary Lovejoy called Depression: When a Member of the Flock Needs Special Care. He gives a great overview of depression and its surprisingly varied causes and solutions. It's a great resource that can direct a depressed person in the right direction if they desire treatment. I mention this because sometimes people who are discontented with their lack of spiritual growth may also be depressed.

Let's talk about "the now" of who you are. I'm referring to the Christian's identity in Christ right now. A person becomes a Christian by believing that Jesus is the the only begotten Son of God and inviting Him to be their Lord and Savior. Several wonderful things occur at the moment of conversion. Although, probably the most obvious blessing occurs in the future ("the not yet") -- that is, when we die we will live again, experiencing blissful eternal life in the visible presence of God.

Back to "the now." There are four blessings of the Gospel that fully and immediately take effect in a Christian's life at the moment of conversion. They are propitiation, justification, reconciliation and regeneration. These theological terms may seem coldly academic, but they mean everything to the Christian. I'll briefly cover these truths in this and subsequent blog posts, but for a detailed study, read The Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee.

I really, really believe all Christians should strive for a deep understanding of these four Gospel realities. They form the basis of who we are in Christ and, for me, an awareness of them keeps me grounded and focused in my faith. In my daily quiet time, I always make sure to thank God for each of them. They are directly tied to what I'll refer to as the four "I ams" of who we are in Christ: I am loved by God, I am fully pleasing to God, I am completely accepted by God, and I am a new creation.

Propitiation proves that God loves me. In my last blog post I said I would explain how God could love and accept me despite my sins and failings. 1 John 4:9 explains how: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

God's greatest expression of love for the human race reached fulfillment when he sent Jesus to die on the cross as a propitiation for our sins. Propitiation means this: sinful humanity justly deserves God's wrath, but Christ became the ultimate sin offering, bearing the full brunt of God's wrath in our place so that we could receive complete forgiveness of sins. Isaiah 53:4-6 prophesies Christ's propitiation: "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

This is Biblical proof that God loves you and me. He made the ultimate sacrifice for us. It is the foundation of who we are in Christ. More to come.

The Place of Spiritual Growth in the Christian Life (part two)

How about this title? Incredible Spiritual Growth in Five Easy Steps! Yeah, right. If there's anyone out there who knows these five steps, please tell me. Sure, I'd give them a try at least. Perhaps there are five steps, but I doubt that they're easy.

Instead, the title of this series focuses on the place of spiritual growth within the grand scheme of the Christian faith. Is spiritual growth the most important thing? There was a time in my past when I placed too much emphasis on it, and consequently experienced unnecessary guilt and a sense of failure at my lack of growth.

Occasionally in this blog I'll mention some "how to's" on growth, because I believe we should be progressing spiritually, but first I'd like to mention the most important thing we should focus on. Here's a great verse that helps me get my priorities straight: "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10 NIV) My primary focus should be on God, not myself. The Lord is exalted, whether I exist or not. If I'm focused too much on my own self improvement, is it because I want people to bow down in awe, marveling at Mr. Spiritual Giant Tom? No, the focus should be on the one true God: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

There does come a point when I need to look in the mirror and assess my life -- where it is and where it's going. In one sense I will rightfully conclude that my current life has fallen way short of where it should be. I'll call this current life "the now." Where it should be is "the not yet."

Let's camp in "the now" for awhile. I'll borrow and embellish an illustration by Teresa of Avila (16th century) that I heard from a teaching by Dr. John Coe that compares our lives to a garden. If my life were a garden, then it would be full of healthy, beautiful plants, as well as weeds and sickly plants. What if God were to visit my garden? What if he decided to live there? Am I going to tell God to only look at the healthy plants? No, the Lord wants me to invite Him on a tour of the weeds and sickly plants. Will he look at me in wrath and demand that I pluck up every bad plant? No. Instead he will tell me that he loves and accepts me, weeds and all. He will also tell me that I'm fully pleasing to him and perfectly righteous. This is "the now."

Then there's "the not yet." Does God ignore the weeds? No. He's very aware of them. In fact, not only does the Lord want to live in my garden, he wants to be the chief gardener. However, it's up to me to say yes. Then he begins the process of getting rid of the weeds and sickly plants, and replacing them with healthy plants.

[8/31/16 update: I don't think God just comes in and plucks up the weeds. The weeds often have deep roots that I'm not aware of. The upper, visible part of the weed could represent sinful actions that are obvious. The roots represent the hidden heart problem that causes the negative action. So, part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to bring us to a place where we are willing to look at the hidden part of our heart that we've been too ashamed to look at, even thinking we can hide it from God. The good news is that God wants to be right there with us as we acknowledge our dark, hidden roots. We need not be ashamed to expose the deep roots of our sin to God. At some point, the weed and its deep roots will be pulled and replaced by the life of Christ.]

But I'm getting ahead of myself. In the next post, I'll continue to focus on "the now," and why it's possible for God to love and accept me despite all those weeds.

The Place of Spiritual Growth in the Christian Life (Part One)

(Beginning today, my blog posts will be shorter.)

I need to start this blog series with a little confession: I've got a lot of flaws and I don't feel all that mature. One could argue that spiritual dynamos are the only ones who have the right to give advice about spiritual growth. If this were true, then I shouldn't be writing this. However, the topic of spiritual growth has always intrigued and frustrated me. Hopefully you, the reader, will identify with my struggles and perhaps gain a little comfort knowing you're not alone. And maybe both you and I will experience some spiritual growth!

What is spiritual growth? Chew on this Bible passage: "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

This passage says many things. First, freedom marks the presence of the Spirit. Second, we need to have an unveiled face that beholds God's glory. Next, transformation (growth) comes from the Spirit, who is the Lord. Finally, change is a gradual process "...from one degree of glory to another." This is a lot to take in and I'll tackle these concepts over the next several blog posts.

So, what exactly are these spiritual changes? In the past I've focused too much on my desire for behavioral change, as in being kinder, more giving, less selfish, less whiny, nicer, more honest, less lustful, less angry, etc.. These external behaviors are good, and are often the result of inner maturity -- but they are not actual spiritual growth.

True growth is a transformed heart and mind. More to come.