Saturday, November 3, 2012
The Centrality of Jesus Christ and Our Spiritual Gifts
When we try to understand God’s message to us and live in accordance with the will of God, we turn to the Scriptures for guidance. In them, God is disclosed in the person of Christ Jesus. Our Lord as the Almighty Creator, whose nature is love and who has given to humankind all that is necessary for holy living. Holy living that is graced by the Spiritual gifts of faith, hope and love.
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on My behalf.” (John 1:39). Through the Scriptures we gain the spiritual understanding and strength required to live in harmony with God’s purposes. It teaches us that God has ordered the world for God’s own purposes. God has appeared in the world in Jesus of Nazareth, “reconciling the world Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). This means that all our grace gifts are not the central point, but the person of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, our Savior, is. In His loving kindness He bestowed upon us His redeemed, graces to co-labor with Him in His mission.
In music, art, athletics, or politics it is customary for gifted people to call attention themselves. Actors treasure their certain calls; artists revel in their exhibitions; athletes save their newspaper clippings; politicians enjoy when their admirers make glowing speeches about them. God’s gifted people; that is all of us who know Jesus personally, should work form motivation different from these. It is the honor of Christ that we should seek. The applause must go to Him and not us. We must not hug the credit.
This is especially true in the exercise of the gift of speaking. As stewards of God’s grace, as servants doing His work in His power, we cannot preach a message of our choosing. Whoever speaks, Peter instructed, should speak “as one who utters oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). What are these oracles? They are the promises and requirements of the living God who has made Himself known to us in Jesus. This side of Bethlehem’s stable, Golgotha’s cross, and Jerusalem’s empty tomb and God’s oracles about Jesus. He is God’s final Word to us. Our speaking them in the Spirit’s power must center in Jesus words and deeds. His worship is what we proclaim; His glory is what we covet “in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11).
Not our pet persuasions, not our private hunches , not our own religious aspirations, but Jesus Christ to whom all glory and dominion belong is the theme of our preaching and teaching when we do it in the power of the Spirit. To cultivate the gifts of the Spirit we focus on Jesus. After all, the reason God sent His Spirit was to make Jesus known. Entertaining with grace, serving with dependence and speaking of Christ with assurance are the gifts of stewardship. They are to be performed not just with skill, but with poise and gracefulness. This significance of love, the importance of humility, the centrality of Jesus Christ, without these whatever gift we try to cultivate will rot before they ripen. Christ’s church will suffer from malnutrition.
Giftedness and arrogance are arch enemies, as hostile towards each other as giftedness and selfishness. Gift and pride do not belong in the same sentence. Peter knew that and, therefore, urged his readers toward humility with words like these “ whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength God supplies” (1Pet 4:11). That last line slams the door on pride. What we do as believers in service to others we do in “the strength which God supplies.”
Humility is important for a number of reasons. First our ability to render significant service is a gift not an achievement. Good service takes selflessness; it means setting aside what we might prefer to do to in order to give attention to the needs of others. Jesus illustrates this gift, with the towel and basin, when He washes His disciples’ feet (John 13: 1-20). Such serving does not come naturally to us. We would rather be waited on than to wait on others. Humility is important for a second reason: service is not only a gift; it is a gift of God. This makes it both precious and purposeful. Its purpose is powerfully stated by Peter; “in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” Peter 4:11). Washing feet, cleaning house, doing shopping, preparing food, bringing flowers are all to the glory of God! Daily chores that we do for the helpless and regular tasks that we perform in the church have the highest possible dignity because they make God’s glory known and bring joy to His heart.
When we take credit for what we do it becomes easy them for us to look down on those we serve. In such a situation, service becomes our work, not God’s. Our purpose gets served, pride, self-satisfaction, public acclaim, not God’s. All of life goes out of kilter, and service becomes a liability to the church instead of an asset. Whatever polishes human glory tarnishes God’s glory. To let that happen is an unspeakable mistake. Cultivating God’s spiritual gifts calls us to honor the importance of humility in all we do, to put it better, in all He does through us. As good stewards of God’s varied grace, we draw on the grace He abundantly supplies. We have only one aim; to do the Master’s bidding. That means doing His work His way.
God stewards are different from glamorous stars. They are not a law unto themselves; they are bound to the Master’s rule. Those rules insist that in whatever we do, we do for Him. We do it with three great realities in mind; 1) love, 2) humility and 3) the centrality of Jesus Christ. Cultivating spiritual gifts takes more than training and practice of doing; it takes training and practice of being. Christian character is an essential part of Christina service. In God’s program no one is gifted enough to be acceptable; neither generosity nor even martyrdom, the ultimate gift, accounts anything with God unless love is the motivation (1 Corinthians 13). God’s gifts are jewels whose beauty and brilliance are marred if their setting are tarnished.
It is for this reason that Peter viewed hospitality as an attitude, as well as, an act. It could not be done well if it was done grudgingly. An open door must be matched by an open heart. Warm bread tastes best when spread with a warm welcome. Nothing makes a guest more uncomfortable than to know that they are just being tolerated and not truly received. The same grace and generosity with which our heavenly Father has swung the door wide open and ushered us into the heart of this family circle must mark those who have the gift of hospitality. Act and attitude must be in harmony.
“The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers. Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. Whoever, speaks, as one who utters oracles of God, whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever “. Amen (1 Peter 4:7-11)
T. Cyprian Kia
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Our Conception of God Determines Our Dedication
The hundred and twenty men and women who gathered at the upper room on the day of Pentecost understood themselves as living out Christ Jesus in their lives. They lived, acted and walked, expressing Christ before the watching world. Their response to life’s situations was always in obedience to God’s intent of it (Acts 5: 24; 4:19). They were curious in exploring the depth of His love and person. To them it was a discovery of His love and person involved in something much larger and more glorious than they ever dreamt. They were passionately consumed with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ was their love and their lives were totally centered around Him as their Head (Acts 1:8-15; 2:1-4).
All these are unlike what many see as the Christian life to be today. The Christian life, to many today, is merely about a list of things to do; winning souls, helping the poor, learning theology, studying doctrine, mastering the Bible, deciphering eschatology, praying more, attending church services, praising and worshipping, doing spiritual warfare, exercising spiritual gifts, hearing God’s voice; imitating Christ, and engaging in good works. Above all, it is also about endless activities that they are taught are the center of God’s will.
In a piece written by Frank Viola, we are reminded that “all the above had an end in view that went far beyond giving people a celestial fire insurance policy, bringing in the last great harvest, or changing the world for Christ.” Speaking further he said, “Being a Christian had taken on a completely new meaning. That meaning has to do with something bound up inside the beating heart of God. The Christian life was no longer about me and what I could do or should do. Neither was it primarily about others; the needs of human beings becomes secondary.” Yes it is all about Christ (Psalm 115:1) (2008, 11-12).
De Vern Fromke described this stage of human relationship with God as living in God’s viewpoint and sharing of the yearning of God’s heart beat. He said, believers should grow daily in their experience of the Christian life until they attain the fullness of Christ. Such an experience with Christ is not an overnight attainment or an act of human effort. It takes one’s willingness to walk daily in the full submission to the presidency of the Holy Spirit, a moment-by-moment submission.
It would seem that both apostles, Paul and John, lived in God’s viewpoint and shared His yearning father heart whose desire is to move the believer from childhood unto young manhood and unto fatherhood.
In the first epistle to John, John exhorted:
“I write unto you little children…”
“I write unto you young man…”
“I write unto you fathers…” (1 John 2: 12-14).
As a child, we are most alive to what we can receive from God. No one is alarmed when “little children rejoice in what their Savior has wrought for them in giving personal forgiveness and in providing a relationship with God the Father. Yet there is reason for concern when after many years they remain “little children” who live only to be ministered unto and who are mostly alive to the blessing, benefits and gifts they can receive.” They only interpreted God’s working as it related to them to their only welfare, their victory, seeking to move God around their little center.
Next are those who have matured unto young manhood. They have overcome the wicked one, and are strong, and the word of God abides in them. Through experience they have moved from defiance to the offence: instead of running from, they are now overcoming the Wicked One. At this stage one would feel a sense of “I have arrived at last”. They are centered in activity for the Lord as though their instrumental calling was more important than their expressive calling. The ultimate goal of our salvation in Christ is to have Him within and express his love outwardly.
The last stage in the growth process is to be a father. Here the believer’s walk with the Lord has led to spiritual fatherhood. The believer is suddenly awakened to something quite wonderful. As little children, “we recognized Him (God) as our Father in a begetting relationship, as “young men” we honored Him as our father in a governing relationship; but now as “fathers” were are one with Him in His fatherhood. Through an intimate identification we have an expressive relationship. We come to share a union with His Spirit, purpose, desire, vision, and dedication. The depth of God’s heart and His yearning now becomes the only goal that motivates us in life, and shapes our daily experience (2001:9-10).
Suddenly everything becomes about Him and His ultimate purpose. In other words, the Christian life is Christ and nothing more, nothing less. It is not an ideology or a philosophy, neither is it a new type of morality, social ethic or worldview. The Christian life is the good news that beauty, truth and goodness are found in a person. True humanity and community are found on and experienced by connection to that person—the Lord Jesus Christ.
We should all ‘seek Christ, embrace Christ, know Christ’ because to do so one will have touched Him who is Life. This is needful since in Him resides all truth, values, virtues, and gifts in living colors. Beauty has its meaning in the beauty of Christ. Only in Him do we find all that makes us lovely and lovable (Sweet and Viola 2010: XV). Ultimately the Christian life is Christ Himself.
T Cyprian Kia
All these are unlike what many see as the Christian life to be today. The Christian life, to many today, is merely about a list of things to do; winning souls, helping the poor, learning theology, studying doctrine, mastering the Bible, deciphering eschatology, praying more, attending church services, praising and worshipping, doing spiritual warfare, exercising spiritual gifts, hearing God’s voice; imitating Christ, and engaging in good works. Above all, it is also about endless activities that they are taught are the center of God’s will.
In a piece written by Frank Viola, we are reminded that “all the above had an end in view that went far beyond giving people a celestial fire insurance policy, bringing in the last great harvest, or changing the world for Christ.” Speaking further he said, “Being a Christian had taken on a completely new meaning. That meaning has to do with something bound up inside the beating heart of God. The Christian life was no longer about me and what I could do or should do. Neither was it primarily about others; the needs of human beings becomes secondary.” Yes it is all about Christ (Psalm 115:1) (2008, 11-12).
De Vern Fromke described this stage of human relationship with God as living in God’s viewpoint and sharing of the yearning of God’s heart beat. He said, believers should grow daily in their experience of the Christian life until they attain the fullness of Christ. Such an experience with Christ is not an overnight attainment or an act of human effort. It takes one’s willingness to walk daily in the full submission to the presidency of the Holy Spirit, a moment-by-moment submission.
It would seem that both apostles, Paul and John, lived in God’s viewpoint and shared His yearning father heart whose desire is to move the believer from childhood unto young manhood and unto fatherhood.
In the first epistle to John, John exhorted:
“I write unto you little children…”
“I write unto you young man…”
“I write unto you fathers…” (1 John 2: 12-14).
As a child, we are most alive to what we can receive from God. No one is alarmed when “little children rejoice in what their Savior has wrought for them in giving personal forgiveness and in providing a relationship with God the Father. Yet there is reason for concern when after many years they remain “little children” who live only to be ministered unto and who are mostly alive to the blessing, benefits and gifts they can receive.” They only interpreted God’s working as it related to them to their only welfare, their victory, seeking to move God around their little center.
Next are those who have matured unto young manhood. They have overcome the wicked one, and are strong, and the word of God abides in them. Through experience they have moved from defiance to the offence: instead of running from, they are now overcoming the Wicked One. At this stage one would feel a sense of “I have arrived at last”. They are centered in activity for the Lord as though their instrumental calling was more important than their expressive calling. The ultimate goal of our salvation in Christ is to have Him within and express his love outwardly.
The last stage in the growth process is to be a father. Here the believer’s walk with the Lord has led to spiritual fatherhood. The believer is suddenly awakened to something quite wonderful. As little children, “we recognized Him (God) as our Father in a begetting relationship, as “young men” we honored Him as our father in a governing relationship; but now as “fathers” were are one with Him in His fatherhood. Through an intimate identification we have an expressive relationship. We come to share a union with His Spirit, purpose, desire, vision, and dedication. The depth of God’s heart and His yearning now becomes the only goal that motivates us in life, and shapes our daily experience (2001:9-10).
Suddenly everything becomes about Him and His ultimate purpose. In other words, the Christian life is Christ and nothing more, nothing less. It is not an ideology or a philosophy, neither is it a new type of morality, social ethic or worldview. The Christian life is the good news that beauty, truth and goodness are found in a person. True humanity and community are found on and experienced by connection to that person—the Lord Jesus Christ.
We should all ‘seek Christ, embrace Christ, know Christ’ because to do so one will have touched Him who is Life. This is needful since in Him resides all truth, values, virtues, and gifts in living colors. Beauty has its meaning in the beauty of Christ. Only in Him do we find all that makes us lovely and lovable (Sweet and Viola 2010: XV). Ultimately the Christian life is Christ Himself.
T Cyprian Kia
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Speaking Like a Godly Woman
In Matthew 12:34 we read “…For the mouth speaks that which fills the heart.” Our words reveal our character. What is in our hearts will soon be expressed by our lips.
Unkind words, gossip, lies, flattery, boasting, anger, slander, craftiness, shouting and cursing are all to be put away because we are now in Christ. “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the Head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). Our instruction as to speaking in a godly manner is in Ephesians 4:29 “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification, according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Even apology cannot erase the destructive influence of unwholesome words.
At the ladies Bible study a few weeks ago, one sister told us she was riding in the car with her daughter who was driving. They were suddenly cut off by another driver almost causing an accident. She said she then heard a very quick outpouring of expletives and profanity proceeds from her daughter’s mouth. She could not believe the intensity or the choice of words. Her reaction was one of shock, disbelief, and embarrassment so that she couldn’t say anything for a moment. What should we speak in similar situations? We may be at the apartment potluck, or work, or with the family and want to respond in a godly manner. We can speak the truth in love that we are not comfortable when our Savior’s name is spoken so disrespectfully. Let’s not be holier-than-thou but have the courage to speak out in love, and remember that it may turn into an opportunity to witness for Christ.
Then we come to the OMG expression that has pervaded our language as a response to anything and everything by everyone, of any walk of life, any religion, believer and unbeliever. Any situation or circumstance will bring this quick response, and it is unknown exactly what the speaker means when he says it so loosely. We as godly women can choose not to use this expression which takes the name of God in vain. The Psalmist said (17:3) “I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.”
Most trouble is caused by what we say: wrecked homes, broken friendships divided churches. Therefore, it is imperative that we have a clean heart, so that the words will be wholesome reflecting God’s light. Man must depend upon God to control his thoughts and their expression. So then Philippians 4:8 says “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Keep our hearts and minds clean thinking on these things, so our words may reflect the beauty of Christ and be pleasing to Him. With our tongue we can pray, praise Him, share and teach the Word.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
Joy Ann Kia
Unkind words, gossip, lies, flattery, boasting, anger, slander, craftiness, shouting and cursing are all to be put away because we are now in Christ. “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the Head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). Our instruction as to speaking in a godly manner is in Ephesians 4:29 “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification, according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Even apology cannot erase the destructive influence of unwholesome words.
At the ladies Bible study a few weeks ago, one sister told us she was riding in the car with her daughter who was driving. They were suddenly cut off by another driver almost causing an accident. She said she then heard a very quick outpouring of expletives and profanity proceeds from her daughter’s mouth. She could not believe the intensity or the choice of words. Her reaction was one of shock, disbelief, and embarrassment so that she couldn’t say anything for a moment. What should we speak in similar situations? We may be at the apartment potluck, or work, or with the family and want to respond in a godly manner. We can speak the truth in love that we are not comfortable when our Savior’s name is spoken so disrespectfully. Let’s not be holier-than-thou but have the courage to speak out in love, and remember that it may turn into an opportunity to witness for Christ.
Then we come to the OMG expression that has pervaded our language as a response to anything and everything by everyone, of any walk of life, any religion, believer and unbeliever. Any situation or circumstance will bring this quick response, and it is unknown exactly what the speaker means when he says it so loosely. We as godly women can choose not to use this expression which takes the name of God in vain. The Psalmist said (17:3) “I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.”
Most trouble is caused by what we say: wrecked homes, broken friendships divided churches. Therefore, it is imperative that we have a clean heart, so that the words will be wholesome reflecting God’s light. Man must depend upon God to control his thoughts and their expression. So then Philippians 4:8 says “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Keep our hearts and minds clean thinking on these things, so our words may reflect the beauty of Christ and be pleasing to Him. With our tongue we can pray, praise Him, share and teach the Word.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
Joy Ann Kia
Saturday, March 17, 2012
The Christian Life is a Spiritual Walk
The Christian life is a spiritual walk; it is not about a new religion or religious experience. The new creation we have become is unlike the person whose end is to live in the world. A person who is living in the world, would embrace Christ as Saviour, but lives in pleasure and puts earthly pursuits above that of the Lord, and sinks his life into acquiring name, fame and money (1 John 2:15-17; 2 Peter 2, 18, 20). This is walking in the flesh.
Human wisdom and strength are useless in spiritual endeavors (John 3:6; John 15:5). The desire to make a name for oneself is carnal and antagonistic to the Spirit of God. All these are a contradiction to the Spirit of Christ. Therefore, these are a preference, an attempt to make a good appearance on the outside while the inside is corrupt. The Christian life is beauty from within and radiant reflection of Christ outside.
This person possesses a divine life and is capable of making God visible on the earth and ruling the planet with divine authority. As a Christian, one has been given God's uncreated life. As such, one is not called to live by "a Christian code of ethics". Instead one is called to live God's life. When a person lives by God's life, that person would possess divine impulses, instincts, promptings, senses and tendencies. This would yield to the person the secret of growing up with the Head, who is Christ (Ephesians 4:15). When collectively as a Body we live by the Lord's life, the character of Jesus begins to take shape within (Galatians 4:19). In the words of Detrick Bonhoeffer, "Jesus calls men not to a new religion, but to a new life." (John 10:10; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:4; 1 John 5:11-12).
God's mind is that humanity would share His life. He wanted us to live in union with Himself and express His goodness in the earth. That is what the Tree of the Lord offered. Hence, Frank Viola, warned that when we strive to be "good Christians we are eating from the wrong tree. " Living by 'right and wrong' is not Christianity. It is old covenant living and its very human, certainly not spiritual.
By contrast the Christian life is to live by the energy and direction of divine life which dwells in us. It is to depend upon the living Christ rather than upon one's knowledge of good and evil; right and wrong. Thus, the man who partakes of the divine nature lives by the indwelling Christ rather than by ourselves (2 Peter 1:9).
Having been transformed into a new creation in Christ, one who walks in the Spirit is largely delivered from idolatrous abominations and Protestant misconceptions of Scriptures, and brought again to own in simplicity to the headship of Christ, the presidency of the Holy Spirit in the assembly of God's people and the authority of the written Word over the conscience of all who call upon the name of the Lord.
These believers consciously seek to avoid losing sight of the tremendous importance of walking in the Spirit in living, fully realized fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, to whose peerless name God would gather all His own. Their Christian walk or life points always to Christ in them, the hope of their glory. They are creations in Him, walking in the Spirit.
Human wisdom and strength are useless in spiritual endeavors (John 3:6; John 15:5). The desire to make a name for oneself is carnal and antagonistic to the Spirit of God. All these are a contradiction to the Spirit of Christ. Therefore, these are a preference, an attempt to make a good appearance on the outside while the inside is corrupt. The Christian life is beauty from within and radiant reflection of Christ outside.
This person possesses a divine life and is capable of making God visible on the earth and ruling the planet with divine authority. As a Christian, one has been given God's uncreated life. As such, one is not called to live by "a Christian code of ethics". Instead one is called to live God's life. When a person lives by God's life, that person would possess divine impulses, instincts, promptings, senses and tendencies. This would yield to the person the secret of growing up with the Head, who is Christ (Ephesians 4:15). When collectively as a Body we live by the Lord's life, the character of Jesus begins to take shape within (Galatians 4:19). In the words of Detrick Bonhoeffer, "Jesus calls men not to a new religion, but to a new life." (John 10:10; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:4; 1 John 5:11-12).
God's mind is that humanity would share His life. He wanted us to live in union with Himself and express His goodness in the earth. That is what the Tree of the Lord offered. Hence, Frank Viola, warned that when we strive to be "good Christians we are eating from the wrong tree. " Living by 'right and wrong' is not Christianity. It is old covenant living and its very human, certainly not spiritual.
By contrast the Christian life is to live by the energy and direction of divine life which dwells in us. It is to depend upon the living Christ rather than upon one's knowledge of good and evil; right and wrong. Thus, the man who partakes of the divine nature lives by the indwelling Christ rather than by ourselves (2 Peter 1:9).
Having been transformed into a new creation in Christ, one who walks in the Spirit is largely delivered from idolatrous abominations and Protestant misconceptions of Scriptures, and brought again to own in simplicity to the headship of Christ, the presidency of the Holy Spirit in the assembly of God's people and the authority of the written Word over the conscience of all who call upon the name of the Lord.
These believers consciously seek to avoid losing sight of the tremendous importance of walking in the Spirit in living, fully realized fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, to whose peerless name God would gather all His own. Their Christian walk or life points always to Christ in them, the hope of their glory. They are creations in Him, walking in the Spirit.
T. Cyprian Kia
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