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My Faith, One Step Forward, Two Steps…?
6:11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NLT)
There are days where being a believer is a fight, where it is just a struggle. There is a “fight” against the world, and its pressures, and seduction and mocking criticism. There can be a “fight” within the church, as we interact closely with others who are dealing with the paradox of being forgiven sinners. ( if they would only stop sinning, and also – don’t they understand they are supposed to forgive me?) But the biggest struggle for me is not the external fights, it is the internal one. The kind Paul describes himself going through in Romans 7 -the fight within me to pursue righteousness, to see mercy dominate, to keep in mind the struggle of this life pale in comparison to God’s presence now, and what He longs for, when we are all home in heaven.
After those days of internal fighting, I wonder about my faith. Do I deserve to be called a “christian”, never mind deserving to serve as a pastor? I comprehend all to well Paul’s word’s about not doing what I know I should, and doing that which I know I shouldn’t. I want to beat myself into submission, I want to find a way to get rid of the sin, as Hebrews 12 urges us – setting it aside for that which I enjoy more………and just when I do, something comes up – and my cynical and sarcastic side takes over… again.
So how do we mature, how do we overcome in this struggle?
We strive, but not in our own strength – we begin to depend on the One who is our source of righteousness – who created the faith we have, and will perfect it. We don’t give up, thinking there is not option to failure. But we are reminded by that failure of our need to depend on Jesus. As one pastor/priest wrote:
“You are not getting worse. It is just that now you have more light to see yourself as you really are. You must avoid even the slightest hint of discouragement.
Along the way to personal sanctity we can at times get the impression that we are going backwards instead of forwards, that we are getting worse instead of better. As long as there is interior struggle this pessimistic thought is only an illusion, a deception to be rejected as false. Persevere and don’t worry. If you fight with tenacity you are making progress and are growing in sanctity.” (1)
If our “fight” is to grasp more onto Christ, it makes sense that we will see that which would pull us away more clearly, that we would feel the drag on us more acutely, that we would learn the hard way, that trying to make progress is effective as we depend on Jesus, His love, His mercy, His guidance, His presence, more and more and more. That Godly life can only be learned from within the Kingdom of God, the place where we have belonged since our first day, when God cleansed us in baptism. When He took hold of us.
Hold on, don’t be distracted or drained by the currents of life, for know that He has a hold of you as well, as nothing can separate you from His love.
(1)Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 957-964). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
One holy, catholic and apostolic church…how?
Devotional thought of the day:
It is a line from our creeds, “I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.” Many believers – even a majority say such a phrase at least once a week, as we are gathered together by God, in His presence, in His Name.
Yet do we desire that which we state we believe in, that which the Holy Spirit creates as He calls and gathers us and sets us apart as His people. For the church is simply that – in Greek – “the called”, or “the chosen”. And many of us desire that the church be one, whether it is the church across the world and across all denominational boundaries, the church as in our particular denomination/synod/sect, or whether it is the church as in our own local expression of the church – the congregation – those gathered together in one place, where God put His name – so they can pray and know they are forgiven, and that those who don’t know God can pray, and they can know He is.
When the creed was composed, the idea of “one church” was obvious – both the word “one” and the word “catholic” testify to the church. But our forefathers in the faith were quite wise in adding the other words, “holy” and “apostolic”. For there we find some of the things which express our unity together.
Holy is much misunderstood these days – as if someone who is “holy” is a goody-two shoes, the person who never makes an error in morality, never doubts, always is serving others – an ideal saint. But if you look in history, saints were pedestal people (well – except for the Stylites…but that’s another story) They were common people often, who had to deal with anxieties, who had to deal with family issues, and financial struggles, who were challenged by their governments, and somehow – realize that the answer was not within themselves, but found in realizing that God was God, and God loved them. Their trust in God and HIs promises, was the the foundation of their strength, they would become attune to the direction of God, and while they would still sin like the rest of us, they could be assured that even there God was working.
The work of making them holy – wasn’t their discipline, it was and is the Spirit working in them, sanctifying them – making them saints. Setting them apart for God’s work, no matter whether the work is baking bread (like the lay-brother who wrote “practicing the presence of God – or the new baker whose work with provide for and subsidize a new seminary in the Sudan) or whether it is preaching and leading others deeper into dependence on God as priests and pastors and missionaries and Sunday School teachers.
And that brings us to the other word – we are an apostolic gathering of people. The question I’ve asked – is tha apostolic as in hearing the apostles teaching, or is it apostolic as in the idea that we – like the many people talked about as apostles in the New Testament (besides the 12 ) are sent into the word, to reflect the glory of God, and be His ambassadors to bring hope to the world. I tend to think it is both, but more the latter. And that is where the church is seen by the world, as it brings hope for healing -healing of relationships, healing from the damage of sin, healing of families, as we realize that Christ is healing us.
one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church – the body of Christ that is set apart to be salt and light in the world.
When you see it occur, you know it, and it is truly amazing….. God’s people, knowing the glory of His love and mercy and peace… and their reflection of that – drawing people into that very glory.
May we cry, “Lord have mercy” and find that He has…together.
