by Elizabeth | Aug 18, 2010 | Learning Story
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” Galatians 5:13- 15
Listen to what Tim Keller says about these verses:
“Imagine what you would feel if a person asked to marry you, but you came to realize
that they would not want you if you did not come with an inheritance. You would feel
used. You would not feel loved at all. Now we all know that we don’t feel loved by
someone unless we are loved for who we are, not for what we bring him or her. This
analogy helps us to understand the motivation of the gospel. When we thought our
works saved us, we were serving God for what we could get from him. We are using
him. But after the hope of the gospel settles in, and we see the grace and beauty of
God, we love him for who he is.
In the gospel, we see that Christ has died for us and valued us not for what we bring
him. We are of no profit to him! We have been loved for our own sakes. And to the
degree we see that in gospel faith, we respond in kind. Now we can serve God not for
what he brings us, for we already have everything guaranteed, but for who he is and
what he has done for us. Finally, we can love God for who he is. Also, now we can
serve others not for what they bring us, but for who they are in themselves.
Increasingly, as v.5 dawns more and more on us, we live out of v.6. The more joy we
have in our gracious salvation, the more we are driven out by love and gratitude to do
good for the sheer beauty of good, for the sheer delight in God, for the sheer love of
others.
Galatians 5 sheds much light on Gal.2:19: “Through the law I died to the law that I
might live for God.” The fundamental issue is: What are we really living for?”
Tim Keller, Galatians study
by Elizabeth | Aug 17, 2010 | Learning Story
I am at peace with God. Some of you know the heart-wrestling and wrangling that comes along with being a parent letting older children ‘go’ — off to college, off to marriage, off to work. Others of you experience that watching with little power your baby run headlong in the opposite direction from YOU. What does it take to raise a child? A grudging willingness to give our ambivalence to God — again and again and again. And to trust him with it.
Of course I am writing about this today because yesterday I helped my elder daughter move back into her dorm room. We ate dinner with the delightful young woman who was her R.A. last year. My daughter calls her “Mom,” and they hugged on one another like sisters. I looked across the table at them and shook my head, “Does it seem weird to y’all that you didn’t even know each other last year at this time?”
Now my daughter is going to be a “FRAD,” a “FReshman ADvisor,” so she is here early for training. We met a guy who will be “FRADDing” the boys on the hall below her last night. (Well, I met him. She knew him.) While she talked with another friend, he and I stumbled upon a gracious conversation about — well — grace. Long but sweet story. I’ll just leave you with two thoughts I walked away with:
He looked at me with these eager brown eyes and asked, “What’s the best story you’ve heard recently?” (This was after a brief discovery that yes, I knew who Donald MIller is, and I teach people about discovering God’s grace in their stories.) If you know me, you know I loved that question.
Second thought: After he asked my daughter the same question about her time in Camden, he asked her if she knew if there were other R.A.’s or FRADs who were looking at their work as part of the ministry of the kingdom of God. “Because that’s really what we’re doing you know.”
As so often, lots more could be said. But I’ll leave you with his questions and with the recognition that while I may shed a few tears as I drive the 8 hours home today, I will be smiling through them. God is at work in His kingdom, and all must be well.
by Elizabeth | Aug 16, 2010 | Learning Story
“Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
23 After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
” Acts 9:19-31
Read the passage carefully. Study Saul. Pay attention to what happened to Saul after he experienced a shocking conversion on the road to Damascus. We know from Galatians that after that conversion he spent three years studying and learning about Jesus, so this vignette in Acts describes the time after that.
I heard a sermon yesterday at Atlanta Westside that focused on this passage. Many things about the sermon and the story impacted me…here are a few for you to consider…
- Who is the main character in your story? Walter Henegar, the pastor, spoke about what our lives look like when they are Jesus-shaped, when Jesus is the main character. (It reminded me of the movie Eat, Pray, Love which I had seen the day before, in which the story was clearly about the main character and her efforts to find something deeply satisfying in herself. I’ve tried that too — I think I’m much better off with Jesus as the main character.
- Paul preached Jesus. What do you preach? What are you passionate about? There are restaurants I want people to try out, there are people I want my friends to meet…do I want them to know who Jesus is?
- In living a Jesus-shaped life, two things happened to Paul: he grew more and more powerful (in Jesus, by the Spirit), AND he grew more and more vulnerable — now people wanted to kill him. Have you seen this play out in your life?
- In living a Jesus-shaped life, two more things happened to Paul: he experienced deeply intimate relationships with people who would die for him, AND he experienced some of the most painful alienation of his life. What about you?
More to be said, the sermon was way better than this short synopsis, so do track it down and download it. But most of all, ask Jesus, ask yourself, “Whom do I preach? What is my life like with Jesus as the main character?” These aren’t easy questions, and the answers are even harder.
by Elizabeth | Aug 14, 2010 | Learning Story
… Read more
by Elizabeth | Aug 13, 2010 | Learning Story
“…it is the gospel that continues to remind us that our day-to-day acceptance with the Father is not based on what we do for God but upon what Christ did for us in his sinless life and sin- bearing death. I began to see that we stand before God today as righteous as we ever will be, even in heaven, because he has clothed us with the righteousness of his Son.
Therefore, I don’t have to perform to be accepted by God. Now I am free to obey him and serve him because I am already accepted in Christ (see Rom. 8:1). My driving motivation now is not guilt but gratitude.”
This was a great article that really helped me in thinking about my “acceptance” in God. If you want to read the whole thing, check here:
Jerry Bridges, “Gospel-Driven Sanctification” in Modern Reformation, May 2003.
by Elizabeth | Aug 12, 2010 | Learning Story
My husband and I usually have a short conversation before he leaves for work. We discuss what’s ahead for his day and mine, and often I learn interesting medical facts, some of which I would have preferred never to know. But today an odd one came up.
I asked, “Isn’t there a condition in which the person doesn’t feel pain?”
He responded, “Yes, I met the oldest living person who had that.”
The picture of a 90ish-year-old man came into my head.
He added, “He was 22-years-old. Without pain to tell you you have appendicitis or an infection, you die.”
WOW.
A little later I opened email to read that two acquaintances had lost loved ones. I know other people who are experiencing deep emotional pain and powerful physical pain, and I’m anticipating some myself today as I head to PT for a new course on my ‘good shoulder.’:) In the midst of so much pain, it appears there is good news. Though much pain comes as a result of the Fall, no pain is wasted. It seems that in God’s strange ways, he uses pain to keep us alive, not just physically, but spiritually. Read the prayer Scotty Smith wrote last week; better yet, pray it with him, with me.
A Prayer About the Normalcy of Suffering
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13
Dear Lord Jesus, this portion of your Word comes like a kiss from heaven. To know that suffering is a normal part of the Christian life actually brings me, and many of my friends, a great deal of relief today. For many of us have “suffered” under the weight of bad theology—various teachings that make Christians feel like spiritual pigmies for suffering any degree of illness, lack, loss, defeat, doubt, economic struggle, emotional duress… and the list goes on. But you tell us painful trials and suffering are not strange at all.
It’s not that I want to suffer more, and I know I can suffer much simply from my own foolishness. But no one wants to suffer in vain… or with a sense of being a disappointment to you… or feeling abandoned by you… or being punished by you. The gospel tells us otherwise, but pain is an accomplished and effective liar.
In reality, most of our brothers and sisters in Jesus live in conditions that would make me wilt with whining, given my creature-comfort laden life. Indeed, Jesus, help me realize the aberration of the American “good life.” I thank you for the many things you allow me to enjoy where I live, but I don’t want to presume on them as a right. Rather, help us receive these good gifts as stewards and share them as servants.
Jesus, please help us understand how our suffering can be understood as participating in your sufferings. Your death on the cross was a once-and-for-all suffering—perfectly securing the salvation of your people. However, you’re not a distant, disconnected, dispassionate Savior. You’re presently making all things new, and this involves showing up in the messes and madness of life. Where there is injustice, disease, brokenness and suffering, you are present. How do we join you there and fellowship with you there? (Philippians 3:10)
There is a day of no more suffering coming (Revelation 21:1-5), and what a day of over-rejoicing that will be—the Day when your glory will be fully revealed. Until then, give us all the sufficient, sustaining, serving grace we need now… to suffer with you and for you. So very Amen, we pray, in your wonderful and merciful name.”
You can sign up to receive Scotty Smith’s daily prayers by visiting www.christcommunity.org or following him on Facebook.
