Living with the nuisance of transformation

Genesis 1:27 says that human beings, male and female, are created “in the image of God.” While, Colossians 1:15 convey that Jesus Christ is the “image of the invisible God.” Thus to say that we are created in the image of God is to say that we are created in Jesus Christ.

That is why over the course of our exploration of this belief in our spiritual formation we are always reminded over and again with the realization that to be spiritual is to be human and that life is the arena of the journey towards being more fully human and that our human existence finds its basis, origin, and form in Jesus. He is our prototype and fulfilment.

However, that in itself is but a portion of this greater reality as we have come also to learn that even now we are gradually being transformed and our lives and all its facets are being pieced together to re-orient us with the startling reality of God’s future that has been inaugurated by Jesus Christ, the kingdom that approaches even now and sets our present lives within the context of God’s reality –which culminates towards our transformation to Christlikeness: to becoming indeed fully human!
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easier said than done

Earlier today I was walking along the streets of Cubao when I passed along this, theater-turned-church-turned-miracle-center-of-sorts by a famous televangelist. As I passed I was met by a couple of teenagers who handed me a gospel track and promised me salvation. "Para sa kaligtasan sir!" (‘for your salvation sir’), and what followed was something shameful for my part I mumbled: "salvation, is easier said than done."

Now don’t get me wrong. I just reacted the way I have probably reacted for a couple of years now whenever I would be approached by people who wish to save me, which oftentimes mean: proselytize me. I’m still down with the whole idea that its something that is freely given by grace through faith –after all Scriptures testify that and I won’t contest that.

The Kingdom of Heaven and the world to come

Christianity regards salvation as liberation from the bondage of sin and re-establishing a personal communion with God. Christians hold that Jesus is the source of salvation and faith in his saving power is of particular importance is it determines the ‘way, truth and life’ that leads those who believe Him into communion of God.

Why can't we focus more on the ties that bind us?

Me and a friend of mine had an interesting jeepney ride two weeks ago, where we encountered a jeepney driver who was also a pastor of a local Baptist church. It was on this conversation that he started to talk about how he doesn’t believe in the ‘once saved, always saved’ teaching of Baptists.

That conversation, lead me again to read on the topic of Eternal Security and Paul Little’s account of a conversation between the Charles Simeon and John Wesley provides wisdom in responding to the question of salvation in its past, present and future implications.

It is my hope that this conversation between an Simeon and Wesley will draw us to focus more on what binds us Christians if we are to talk about our salvation:

A conversation in 1784 between Charles Simeon (a Calvinist and believer in unconditional predestination) and John Wesley (a follower of Arminus, who denied unconditional predestination) can help us understand the mystery of coming to faith.

SIMEON: Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have sometimes been called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission, I will ask you a few questions… Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God if God had not first put it in your heart?

WESLEY: Yes. I do indeed.

SIMEON: And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do, and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?

WESLEY: Yes, solely through Christ.

SIMEON: But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?

WESLEY: No, I must bee saved by Christ from first to last.

SIMEON: Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other able to keep yourself by your own power?

WESLEY: No.

SIMEON: What then? Are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother’s arms?

WESLEY: Yes, altogether.

SIMEON: And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you into His heavenly kingdom?

WESLEY: Yes, I have no hope but in Him.

SIMEON: Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this my election, my justification by faith, my final perseverance; it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention, we will cordially unite in those things wherein we agree. 1

Note:
1. Simeon, Charles – as quoted by Paul Little – Know What You Believe p.101-102

The Gospel according to John Piper

Worthy of Worship

Revelations 4:8,11

"Worship is the human response to the self-revelation of the triune God, which involves: (1) divine initiation in which God graciously reveals himself, his purposes, and will; (2) a spiritual and personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ enabled by the ministry of the Holy Spirit; and (3) a response by the worshiper of joyful adoration, reverence, humility, submission and obedience"¹

Is God worthy of our worship?

The passage gives us a view from Heaven which gives us an idea of what awaits us there: it is eternal worship to God who is truly worthy of worship because He is God. Every glimpse of Heaven that we have in the Bible is always a glimpse of worship and rejoicing because God is who He is.²

Truly, there is none like Him who deserves our all in worship. But before worshiping the Bible also at the same time instructs us that the God who deserves our worship should be the God that we must know on the basis of a personal relationship with Him.

In fact, Acts 17:22-31 tells of the story in which the Apostle Paul praised the religiosity of the Greeks in Athens but at the same time admonished them to give worship only to the one true God whom we can only approach on the basis of our response to: “Him whom He has raised from the dead.” (Acts 17:31).

That person is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ who was born of a virgin, suffered under Pontious Pilate, died on the Cross and rose from the grave to make worshipers out of rebels³ We are brought to God and to faith and to salvation that we might worship and adore Him.

God has provided His salvation that we might be individually and personally be vibrant children of God, loving God with all our hearts and worshiping Him in the beauty of holiness.⁴

So to answer the question of whether God is truly of our worship can only be answered with a simple 'yes!'. Yes because He is God! The greater question lies more on what is true worship?

The late A.W. Tozer once defined 'true worship' as being: “personally and hopelessly in love with God.”⁵

Now the question would be is that have we ever been that hopelessly in love with the God who saved us?

We can only answer that on the basis of our personal response to the Gospel of Christ who compels us to come to Him as we are as poor sinners, in need of a Saviour.

Reflection:

1. How do I view worship? Do I look at it in light of a personal relationship with my Creator, Redeemer and Lord?

2. How do I view my salvation? Do I look at it merely as my ticket to Heaven? Or do I look at it as God's work so that I may commune with Him in the beauty of who He is?

The Lord of all being is far more than the Lord of all beings. He is the Lord of all actual existence. He is the Lord of all kinds of beings--spiritual being, natural being, physical being. Therefore, when we rightly worship Him we encompass all being. ⁶

^Notes

1David Nelson (2002), Authentic Worship, p. 149

2A.W. Tozer (1985) Whatever Happened to Worship p.14

3Ibid

4Ibid

5Ibid

6A.W. Tozer, http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/A.-W.-Tozer/1/index.html