Moment of salvation is the moment when the Holy Spirit invades our conceived, inherited, developed beliefs that we can live this life on our own needing nothing from anyone, and brings us to a form of humility in that we recognize our NEED for another. If you believe that salvation is a gift, then in that moment, though you confessed with your mouth and believed in your heart, at the root---all you did was receive.
Is it Gods design to bring us to that place of receiving that one time in each of our lives, then step into a life of doing nothing but serving and giving? Modern day America would say yes. But biblically, no. Its as if the normal Christian experience has been reduced to a one time event of encounter and reception from Daddy, and the “next level” being defined by a devotion to service and proclaimation. If this is true, then we have lost the peak of God’s ambition for us (being shown through the sum of all law), that we would fall in love with Him, has been absolutely lost and dominated in Jesus’ call to minister (commission).
In this small train of thought, there is left no room for a depth of intimacy and communion with God, nor a lifestyle that is free to EXPERIENCE the depths of Daddy's heart, or the expressive love of Jesus, or the powerfully sweet blow of the Holy Spirit. (When this small way of living is in action it results in concepts and knowledge being elevated over experiential revelation and relationship with God. Comparison between Hebrew (experience) and western (concept) mentality.)
Picture 2 worlds, one being the reality of the world we live in with all of its concepts and understandings (2 plus 2 equals 4). The other being the reality that Jesus has proclaimed and brought for us which would be built on His logic (2 plus 2 equals whatever God says it equals.) Pertaining to growth or advancement, what does world 1 say? “If you work hard, go to school, do the best you can…etc, do this, do that…this is the path towards whatever it is your trying to obtain (growth).” What is the path of world 2? “Come to me all you who are thirsty, and I will GIVE you water to drink… On your own efforts and abilities, advancement is impossible. The beauty of it is that I have gone before you and claimed everything you could ever ask for or imagine. Just recieve it.
It’s the picture of a seed (parable of the seed. Matt 13, Mark 4:30), full of everything our eternal desires long for…it’s the kingdom of God, and its planted in our hearts when the invasion of the Holy Spirit brings about faith in our lives. Its within us. James 1---In humility, receive the word implanted. The word being the reality brought by Jesus, displayed by His teachings and sayings. It’s a picture of the kingdom of God within. How does that seed get watered? By us receiving from God.
The pressing need in the church and in the world, is not to study scripture harder, or to spend more time witnessing. Its to make the priority of our lives to receive from God…to find that place of intimacy with God, where you are giving to Him and receiving from Him, to find that place of love.
9.29.2005
the beauty of recieving.
Moment of salvation is the moment when the Holy Spirit invades our conceived, inherited, developed beliefs that we can live this life on our own needing nothing from anyone, and brings us to a form of humility in that we recognize our NEED for another. If you believe that salvation is a gift, then in that moment, though you confessed with your mouth and believed in your heart, at the root---all you did was receive.
Is it Gods design to bring us to that place of receiving that one time in each of our lives, then step into a life of doing nothing but serving and giving? Modern day America would say yes. But biblically, no. Its as if the normal Christian experience has been reduced to a one time event of encounter and reception from Daddy, and the “next level” being defined by a devotion to service and proclaimation. If this is true, then we have lost the peak of God’s ambition for us (being shown through the sum of all law), that we would fall in love with Him, has been absolutely lost and dominated in Jesus’ call to minister (commission).
In this small train of thought, there is left no room for a depth of intimacy and communion with God, nor a lifestyle that is free to EXPERIENCE the depths of Daddy's heart, or the expressive love of Jesus, or the powerfully sweet blow of the Holy Spirit. (When this small way of living is in action it results in concepts and knowledge being elevated over experiential revelation and relationship with God. Comparison between Hebrew (experience) and western (concept) mentality.)
Picture 2 worlds, one being the reality of the world we live in with all of its concepts and understandings (2 plus 2 equals 4). The other being the reality that Jesus has proclaimed and brought for us which would be built on His logic (2 plus 2 equals whatever God says it equals.) Pertaining to growth or advancement, what does world 1 say? “If you work hard, go to school, do the best you can…etc, do this, do that…this is the path towards whatever it is your trying to obtain (growth).” What is the path of world 2? “Come to me all you who are thirsty, and I will GIVE you water to drink… On your own efforts and abilities, advancement is impossible. The beauty of it is that I have gone before you and claimed everything you could ever ask for or imagine. Just recieve it.
It’s the picture of a seed (parable of the seed. Matt 13, Mark 4:30), full of everything our eternal desires long for…it’s the kingdom of God, and its planted in our hearts when the invasion of the Holy Spirit brings about faith in our lives. Its within us. James 1---In humility, receive the word implanted. The word being the reality brought by Jesus, displayed by His teachings and sayings. It’s a picture of the kingdom of God within. How does that seed get watered? By us receiving from God.
The pressing need in the church and in the world, is not to study scripture harder, or to spend more time witnessing. Its to make the priority of our lives to receive from God…to find that place of intimacy with God, where you are giving to Him and receiving from Him, to find that place of love.
4 comments:
Hey T....it's good to hear your voice, even it is through the informalities of a blog.
Very beautiful...keep on receiving.
uuuhhhh I didnt understand any of it....hahaha kidding
I like the part I could understand or comprehend..
but rather it is to commune with you to woo you into His depth of love and all the while changing you from the inside out into His original image for you.
I like that part...I really like that!
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