Month: April 2010

  • Enlightened Lives

    Christian brothers and sisters—who share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as the one and only Son of God, who came to be man so that He may die and suffer the penalty of all our sins so that when we die, those who acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior will no longer be bound to eternal death, but will be with our God forever—what does true fellowship look like?

    Just as Christ was reborn in the resurrection, we have been reborn in Him. But how is there rebirth if we do not live our lives—with our every thought, act and word—as if we have been transformed?

    If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
    1 John 1:6–7 (NASB)

    How are we, then, different from those who do not acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord? It is not enough simply to “believe” that He is our Savior, as so many easy-salvation evangelicals (especially the televangelists) preach. If you are truly transformed, then your lives will show it. If not, well then, how are we any different?

    Do not love the world nor the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
    1 John 2:15–16 (NASB)

    And, the world . . .

    . . . is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
    1 John 2:17 (NASB)

    In the first years of my rebirth, I was blessed with the fellowship of a group of men at CCCNJ who welcomed, nurtured, challenged, exhorted, instructed and helped me see God and the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life. Sadly, I cannot say that I have since ever experienced anything close to the same. This is as much my own fault than anyone else’s, if not more. God bless you guys in that great men’s group (wherever you are)! There was no challenge that was left unmet, personally and as a group, as we fought through so many issues…nurtured by God’s Word and His hand in guidance in each of us: we truly sought to live enlightened lives. I would hope the same for every Christian brother and sister.

    Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
    1 Peter 5:1–3 (NASB)

    Just as I am calling for elders to hold true to the Word, shed the world that has crept into their lives and lead by enlightened examples, I exhort them to be equally bold in holding the younger Christians to submit to God.

    You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
    1 Peter 5:5 (NASB)

    And, at the same time, I implore those of the younger generation also to submit to the elders’ leadership—so long as it is Biblically sound—so that we can all-together live as God intended.