What are you becoming?

Philippians 3:9 ~ And become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

Yesterday our pastor preached on justification - that process by which we are made right with God through the blood of Christ. It was a great sermon. One of the concepts Pastor Tim made very clear is how thoroughly Christ has paid the ransom for our sin. "Justification is not the same as a pardon which merely eliminates the punishment but does not make someone not guilty. Christ not only takes our sin -giving us our salvation - He also gives us His righteousnes - giving us justification before the Holy God." Wow ... that is just huge!! I grew up in church. I've heard sermons on justification before ... got the pithy sayings like, "Justification is just as if I'd never sinned." For some reason, though, right now, I'm overwhelmed by the depth of God's love for me and Christ's willingness to ransom me. Isaiah 43 speaks to the idea of God ransoming other nations for His beloved Israel ... and so, we too have had a ransom paid on our behalf.

Below is the reading about justification that was done in our services yesterday. Amazing how many verses speak to the gift of justification ... a gift received by faith.

Justification
To do justice, vindicate, aquit, to prove right
“In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be justified” (Is.45:25)
“The Righteous One, my Servant, will justify the many” (Is. 53:11)
Justification
Right, righteous, righteousness, justify
“Justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24)
“A man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom. 3:28)
“Having been justified by His blood” (Rom. 5:9)
“Through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men” (Rom. 5:18)
“God is the One who justifies” (Rom. 8:33)
“We may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law” (Gal. 2:16)
“Being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of life” (Titus 3:17)
Justification.
Through Christ
His righteousness becomes our righteousness
Through Him we are declared “Not Guilty!”
Through Him we are reconciled to God.
Through His blood we are redeemed.
Through His love we are adopted.
Through His grace we are justified.

Justified ... declared "Not guilty!" And what, then, should be our response to this profound gift? Paul articulated his response in Philippians 3:9 ... "and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith" (NLT, emphasis added).

"Become one with him" ... becoming. I believe it was Kieerkegaard who said that our goal should always be "becoming" not "being" ... for as long as we recognize we are becoming we will never grow satisfied or complacent in our walk with Christ. The best response to Christ's ransom paid for us is to become one with Him. Understanding how this works can be helped by recognizing three truths about "becoming."

1. "Becoming" is the reality! No matter how mature we are in Christ, no matter how close to Him we are ... there is always more to learn, more to understand, more to experience. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6 that we will be perfected "the day of Christ Jesus" ~ when we see Him face to face. We must understand that we are always becoming ... either we are becoming more like Christ or we are becoming less like Him. There is no way NOT to become.

2. "Becoming" is the process! There is no standing still our Christian walk. We need to realize, though, that becoming like Christ is a process. It requires discipline, dedication, and desire. We must focus ourselves on being faithful to do those things that lead to intimacy with Him. Spending time in the Word, prayer and meditation, making choices to focus on Him instead of ourselves. These are a few of the steps in the process of becoming like Christ. And we must embrace the simple truth that the relationship is built over time ... time spent together.

3. Finally, "becoming" is the journey! So often I have been waiting for the "Big Event" in my Christian life. I get consumed with expecting something huge to happen and then I miss so much of what God has for me. I am finally beginning to understand that becoming like Christ IS the big event ... and that happens on every path along my life's journey. Even when I have strayed from God's plan for me, He has taught me and protected me and loved me. My life has had many twists and turns ~ some as a result of my own poor choices and sinful behavior and others, merely the result of a fallen world. There have been great mountain moments when I have felt and experienced the vastness of God's love for me in a powerful way. And there have been valleys, dark valleys ~ valleys where I have walked in the shadow of death, faced loss that seemed overwhelming, and asked questions that have no earthly answer ~ and, yet, in those darkest times, I have found God's light still shines and offers me hope. I hope I never am guilty again of waiting on that "Big Event' ... but that my life's journey is marked by daily, momentary little events of seeking God, trusting God, and resting in Him.

"Becoming" is such a precious thing. It is our sacrificial response to the gift of justification. And Paul gives us three milestones along the way ...

"I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law" ~ realizing that I cannot do it!

"I trust Christ to save me" ~ accepting that His sacrifice is sufficient in all ways, at all times, for all people, including me!

"Depends on faith" ~ the hard part! Becoming requires believing. As Pastor Tim demonstrated yesterday, we can KNOW all about a chair ... it's design and description ... but until we SIT in the chair, we don't BELIEVE it can hold us. Faith requires acting on what we say we know. And it is only through faith that we can "become one with Him."

So, I'm wondering ... .what am I becoming? A person who daily is more like Christ ... more "one with Him"? What about you? What areyou becoming?

Fab Five ... Week ending April 11, 2009

It's been a great week! Spring Break ... gotta love that!!

1. Having a daughter! I love being the mom of a girl ... so much fun. We went to a sleepover Sunday night and had the best time. And I think about my relationship with my mom and I look forward to the future relationship with my sweet Casiday Hope.

2. Sales ... the really good kind. Where you get basically half - price on everything you buy!! I really like that and I hit the jackpot (finally!) when I bought my Easter outfit this year.

3. Ice cream. 'Nough said.

4. Free long distance! I get to talk to my sistah (sister-in-law) Beth whenever I want thanks to this great thing.

5. Laughter ... so much of this in my life. Another great thing!

Amazed ...

And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from faith in God and is by faith. Philippians 3:9 NIV

And become one with Him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's Law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with Himself depends on faith. Philippians 3:9 NLT

And be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ - the righteousness from God based on faith. Philippians 3:9 HCSB


What a great verse for this Saturday before Easter! Just considering the profoundness of His great sacrifice and the amazing grace I do not deserve is overwhelming at all times ~ but more so as we pause to reflect deeply on the reality of what He endured physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and socially. That my righteousness can ONLY come through faith in Christ is one of those truths that I often let slip right by.

I love the NLT on this verse ... "I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's Law, but I trust Christ to save me." Isn't that the crux of our "Sinner's Prayer" .. that most simple declaration of understanding. I am sinful but You, O God, are holy. And I need You. So I trust Your plan for reconciliation even though I don't understand HOW or WHY ... I take you, God of Truth, at Your eternal, unchanging Word. Most simply said by Pastor Rick Warren, "It's not about me." And once we realize that ... oh, the freedom that follows.

Paul understood this. He had tried to be right through the Law, through his lineage, and through legalism. Not one of those met that need deep within ... and then he met the Light of the World. He was transformed and was able to write, "For if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation! The old is gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

And so, we find him, late in life, writing to his beloved church in Philippi. Once again sharing that simple truth ... the sufficiency of grace and the necessity of faith. Having shared that all the things he once valued are now trash to him and that the only pursuit of value is knowing Christ, Paul offers to them the simple message of the Gospel ... righteousness, rightness with God, comes not through what we do but entirely through Christ's provision. A gift we are freely offered, a gift accepted through faith in Jesus Christ. Is there a better message for Easter? Is there a better message for any day?

Today, I pray that I grasp the reality of Christ's great love. I am listening to Pandora right now ... "Amazed" is playing. And it so captures my heart right now.


"Amazed"
Artist: Lincoln Brewster
Album: All to You... Live
Date: 2005

(verse 1)
You dance over me while I am unaware
You sing all around but I never hear the sound

(chorus)
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
And how You love me

(verse 2)
You paint the morning sky with miracles in mind
My hope will always stand
For You hold me in Your hand

(bridge)
How deep how wide
How great is Your love for me

May I never cease to be amazed at the vast love of God ... how deep, how wide, how great ...how utterly unbelievable and undeserved. May my declaration be the same as Paul's ~ My righteousness is not of me but only, ever, always, entirely of Christ through my faith in Him to the great glory of God Almighty who loved me and sent His Son for my ransom, to pay my price. To Him and Him alone be all glory, honor and praise for now and forever. Amen.

Fab Five ... Week ending April 4, 2009

Posted a week late on Blogger ... but was actually posted last week on FB. Oops!! :)

We've had a great week! Scott continues to do well which is, of course, the biggest item on my list of thanks!! But, here is a few other things I am loving from last week ....

1. MAIL ... Real mail. Handwritten cards and letters, placed in envelopes with stamps. You know the kind people take time to put in the mailbox and it arrives a few days later. I love getting mail. And this week I got some sweet cards from some great people who I love so much. And even got a package in the mail from me wonderful friend Christina! I love mail!!

2. J. Jill ... I love this store/catalog/website! Great clothes that are incredibly comfy. I highly recommend anything from J. Jill ~ plus they have a great clearance section on their website.

3. Family Dinner ... a lost art during these busy days and in this crazy world we live in. But I am really committed to making sure we eat together as much as possible throughout the week. And there is just something so great about eating at home with my family.

4. HGTV ... So the past few weeks we have sorta gotten into this habit of watching HGTV when Scott comes home for lunch. It's nice to watch the transformations and dream about some of the things we would like to do in our house someday.

5. Michael's $1 bins ... I love Michael's!! And I especially love pilfering through the $1 bins ... and this week I got to do that with Karen which just made it even more fun!

Philippians 3:8 ~ Do you KNOW?

Seems like Casiday is always asking me questions that begin with, "Mommy, do you know ...?" Do I know where her dance bag is, why we park on the driveway and drive on the parkway, which color is her favorite today, and on the list goes. We live in what has been termed the information age and the pursuit of knowledge is considered a noble one. Those who know me, know that I am a student at heart ... I love to study, to dig, to learn. A voracious reader, I find myself reading books about almost anything ... a lifelong quest to know more.

All that to say (write!), that when I am studying Scripture, any verse with KNOW or KNOWLEDGE in it, will immediately cause me to stop and ponder. Philippians 3:8 says "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them all rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (NIV).

Clearly, I had to stop here and spend some time!! But before we get to the knowing, there was another phrase that I had to spend some serious time contemplating and researching.

The HCSB translates the first part of this verse as follows: "More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord ..." (emphasis added).

More than what? What is "that"? So, back to verse 7 I went ... That is "whatever was to my profit." Everything Paul had considered valuable in himself (see yesterday's blog for more discussion on this idea). So, MORE than counting all that he had gained as loss because of Christ, Paul recognized that KNOWING God, knowing Christ, living in intimate relationship with Him, is all that has lasting value.

Much like Solomon in Ecclessiastes, Paul determined that the only thing of eternal value, the only thing worthy of our life-long pursuit, is relationship with God.

Ecclessiastes 12:13 says, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (NIV).

Being the word hound that I am, I had to look up a few of those words in my handy-dandy Hebrew Lexicon. Here is what I discovered. All means ALL ... in Solomon's mind, he had examined and considered every available pursuit and thing of value. There was nothing left to evaluate or contemplate. He had reviewed it ALL. Even a quick perusal of Ecclessiastes will reveal that his assertion is accurate. So, Solomon looked at everything ... all had "been heard." The transliteration for that phrase is "sama" which means "to hear; give undivided attention; to understand what has been heard." Solomon had given his undivided attention to all the worldly opportunities available and understood each of them and what they offered.

After all that research, Solomon reached "the conclusion of the matter." And what a profound, yet simple, determination. "Fear God." That word "fear" transliterates as "yare" meaning "to be afraid; to fear, revere." In this usage, the words connotes a very positive feeling of awe or reverence for God, expressed in piety or formal worship. "Fearing" God is often the motivation which produces godly living.

Solomon was not referring to merely following a set of rules, however. He was endorsing a life lived in relationship with God, using the understanding and guidelines that had been given at that time.

So, back to Paul ...Paul had lots of creditentials. He had lineage, education, connections, and authority. And yet, all of that was not what motivated him, what moved him, what drove him. He was passionate about one thing ... "the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."

Of course, I had to look up "knowing" in the Greek Lexicon. In this verse, the word used is "gnosis" meaning, simply, "to know." The same word is used in Luke 1:77a "to give his people the knowledge of salvation" and in 1 Corinthians 13:2 which speaks of all knowledge being useless without love.

The root for "gnosis" is "ginosko" which carries the connotation of intimate knowledge, as between lovers. Paul was speaking of a deeply personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. That was the all-consuming pursuit of Paul's life - to KNOW Christ.

Is that type of intimacy my pursuit? Do I yearn to KNOW Christ? Or, am I content with knowing about Him? Those were difficult questions. As I read again 1 Corinthians 13:2, my heart was heavy with the weight of conviction ... I realized that too often, I am satisfied with knowledge alone, outside the love that comes through relationship.

It's a fine line ... we are commanded to study, to meditate, to spend time in the Word of God. We know that the best way to get to know Christ is through time spent in Scripture. But we must be ever mindful and cautious not to substitute knowledge alone for relationship (knowledge + love). God desires intimacy with us ... that comes through time shared together.

Paul goes on in this verse to say, "I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ." What is the rubbish in your life? What is it that you need to to lay aside in order to gain Christ? Everyone will have a different answer to this question and our answers will change throughout our lives most likely. But the reality is, that each of us must daily examine our hearts and minds - looking for the trash that has taken up space that rightfully belongs to God.

As I was thinking about why we leave the trash when we know what God has for us is so much better, I realized this ... I HATE taking out the trash in my house. It is just one of those things I do not like to do. And, I have never heard anyone say, "Oh man, I love taking out the trash." It's a gross task ... gathering up the stuff that is leftover, that we don't need, that is broken, torn, or useless. It's sometimes a messy task and usually requires walking through the whole house gathering up the trash from every room.

Same thing with tossing out the rubbish in our spiritual house! Gathering up the leftover anger, the jealousy we don't need, the hurts of broken hearts, the torn fabric of damaged relationships, and the useless frustrations that have lingered in our minds. It's messy looking at all the "junk" we've been carrying and so much easier to just leave it be. And the process of walking through the corridors of our hearts to determine what we have that needs to go is just not a pleasant task.

And yet, the rubbish is there! And it is the rubbish that keeps us from gaining Christ! We must be like Paul, counting all those things as trash, some translations say "dung," that keep us from the fullness of intimacy Christ desires with us.

Wow, this verse is packed with valuable lessons! I have been greatly challenged by Paul's testimony in Philippians 3:8. Here are the questions I am asking myself based on this verse:

1. What is the pursuit of my life?
2. Do I yearn to know Christ or am I satisfied with knowing about Him?
3. What rubbish do I need to take out of my life that I may gain Christ?

I'm stuck ... and it's not good ...

I've been reading Philippians for the few months. It's one of my favoite books of the Bible so I read it often. But this time I determined to read only one verse a day and really consider the meaning of each verse. I'm in chapter 3 and, wow!, there is so much here!! Verse 7 has me stopped ...

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ."

Whew ... that's a lot to take in!

So I asked myself these questions, "What is to my profit?" "What do I claim as valuable in me?" "Am I prepared to lay that down - to count it LOSS for the sake of Christ?" Those are some tough questions. It goes back to denying myself ... I get that. But then, God just kept showing me the answers about what it is that I am holding up as valuable ... as my profit ... and those things are deep within me, those emotions and attitudes that I am holding tight with clinched hands.

I have this great Hebrew-Greek Key Word Bible. It has the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek dictionaries and OT Hebrew and NT Greek lexicons ... I love this Bible. Anyway, I looked up "consider" from verse 7.

Consider - hegeomai - to bring, lead. To lead or go before, go first (Acts 14:12); to govern, rule, whether in a secular sense (Acts 7;10) or in a spiritual one (Heb. 13:7, 17, 24). To think, consider (Acts 26:2, 2 Cor. 9:5, Phil. 2:3, 1 Thess. 5:13)

Of course, that led me to looking up all the other verses ... especially the ones from the definition "to think, consider." Here are the two that stood out to me ~

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
1 Thessalonians 5:13 Hold them (those who are over you) in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.

OUCH! Those two verses are where God led me ... "in humility consider others better" and "live in peace with one another." I immediately KNEW what God was telling me. I have an issue that I must trust to His care. A person who has hurt me who I must learn to live in peace with, who I must learn to consider better than myself. Not for my sake but for Christ's sake. Out of obedience ... because it certainly isn't out of a desire at this point. I don't want to let this go ... I want to hold on tight. That "live in peace" literally means "to put an end to strife." Ugh ... that cut deep! I don't want to be the one who has to initiate this ... to apologize, to reach out. I want to be RIGHT!

But my heart is torn ... I want to be RIGHT ... but I also long for RIGHTEOUSNESS. And righteousness can only come through submission, through obedience. I can asking myself which I want more ... to be right or to be righteous. I know it shouldn't be hard, the answer is really easy ... but getting there from here ... that is hard.

Fab Five ... Week ending March 28, 2009

So this week has been great! Scott is doing FABULOUS (can anyone else hear Ashley Tisdale?) and the doctor is very pleased with his progress. Thanks to all for your ongoing prayers ... they are being answered in amazing ways.

Okay, here goes ... the Fab Five for the week of March 22 - 28, 2009 (drum roll, please) ~~~

1. Jittery Joe's coffee ... YUMMY fresh roasted coffee from this place in Athens, GA. Zach brought me some when he came home and I am so glad. I was just about out. This coffee is awesome.

2. School pics ... Casiday's spring pictures were great. Can't post them because they are Mother's Day gifts (shhh...don't tell Paula, Sue, or any of the great-grandmothers!! LOL ~ since most of them read this blog. Sorry, y'all, just building anticipation!!)

3. Clean cars ... Got some minor work done on my car and the guy who did it also detailed my car. It looks SOOOO good!

4. The Reagan Diaries ... I am reading this and it is absolutely fascinating. I am entranced. Here is one of my favorite quotes so far from the book (I'm only in March 1981) ... from Saturday, April 11 (after the assassination attempt by Hinkley, "Getting shot hurts. Still my fear was growing because no matter how hard I tried to breathe it seemed I was getting less & less air. I focused on that tiled ceiling and prayed. But I realized I couldn't ask for Gods help while at the same time I felt hatred for the mixed up young man who had shot me. Isn't that the meaning of the lost sheep? We are all God's children & therefore equally beloved by him. I began to pray for his soul and that he would find his way back to the fold." Matt Morrow, if you are reading this, you should know that I have now read over 10 Reagan biograhies. I know you would be proud!!

5. Note pads ... got a new one this week from my wonderful Aunt Mollianne! I love note pads and pens. And this one from M is PINK! Yea!! It's a big square, chunky one and has the Pink Panther on it. Too cute! Also have a great one in my purse that says, "I'd have more time to write but I'm too busy Running Errands." Got that one from Karen and love it. Pattie, if you're reading ~ I am sure you can relate to that sentiment!!

Okay, so that's it for the Fab Five this week. Scott was looking for this last night and pointed out that I was behind. So, babe, hope this one makes you smile! I <3 you, husband!!