Our Lord is everything. He is our all in all and THE all in all. We’ve established He’s both love and wrath; He is also timeless, yet still relevant. His death brings life and He is a mystery made known to us. By becoming His servant, I find my freedom. He is a Lord of paradoxes because when you encompass all things, you most certainly reach both ends of the spectrum. He is indeed both night and day.
I’m currently walking the line between passivity and activity. For so long I have been practicing abiding. resting. seeking. I pray daily, “Lord, not my will, but your will be done” and find myself passionately singing for Him to burn away my desire for anything that’s not of him and is of me. But you know how sometimes the things that make sense in your head finally start to make sense in your heart? I’m finally seeking what it means to be meek and gentle in a Christ-like fashion. Recently I’ve felt so called to be bold for Him. It feels more like recognizing and accepting my identity than anything else. Why then do I still turn away from the person I am becoming if I’m allowing Him to be the one who fills me? It’s ok to embrace your identity when it’s within the fold of Christ, right? My head knows that that's kinda the point, but now my heart is starting to catch up.
I’m trying to let today’s reading speak for itself and present many avenues of truth. I don’t want to restrict it to just one train of thought just because my mind is limited to the current concerns of my heart, but it did feel like the preface was screaming at me.
Page 1, Line 1: “The longer you look at Jesus, the more you will want to serve him in his world.”
Yes. I’m so absolutely content to continue staring into His face, but the longer I do so, the more I am filled with a passion to act. Not because I want to lose eyesight of Him, but because I want to run towards Him. And it’s a choice. He allows me to choose how I respond to His love.
I want to follow the true Jesus. I don’t want to pursue some cream-puff Jesus I’ve created, I want to be CHALLENGED.
“He makes them feel happy from time to time but doesn’t challenge them, doesn’t suggest they get up and do something about the plight of the world. Which is, of course, what the real Jesus had an uncomfortable habit of doing… the ball is now in your court: the true Jesus is summoning you to follow him, to a life of discipleship. I suspect that we have yet to feel the full impact of the challenge the Gospels present” (first page still).
Welp, for now I’m very content with “doing my homework” as N.T. Wright calls it and reading the bible afresh for myself. Needless to say his bird’s eye view of Hebrews was bomb-diggity and I’m looking forward to his insights into Colossians, Matthew, Mark, and beyond. The more I read, the more I’m impacted daily by the Gospels and the more I find the necessary response to be sitting, then walking, and then standing firmly.
I just pray that in doing so I’m not being complacent to or ignoring the risky lifestyle He’s calling us to…
Hebrews 9:14 "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
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From the "Time" chapter of Principles of Spiritual Growth "It is not a present experience that ensures fruit unto maturity, but a patient continuance in well doing. To taste the grace of God is one thing; to be established in it and manifest it in character, habit and regular life, is another."
That's part of the journey we're on right now. Being established in the reality and ultimate relevance, perfection and completion of Christ and the Cross. The character of the Father. The moving of the Spirit.
I'm excited to be on this journey with this church. Matt. 18:20 - "For where two or more come (or in our case 'blog') together in my name, there I am with them." He is so present in these posts. The comments. The passion. The revelations. The encouragement.
Such a rich post, thank you Barhigh!
Juiced.
Bar high.. Mmmm. That was an incredible meal. I think it might actually produce some life in me. Most meals produce something else. Corsetto -- very sweet juice. Thanks to you.
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