One of the very first basic lessons I ever learned in my walk with Christ was at an early age. I was fortunate to learn it early, but it seems that at certain periods of my life I have had to force myself to relearn it...
Of what am I speaking? I am speaking about my identity in Christ.
It is a huge concept and yet such a simple one at the same time. When I gave my life to Christ, I became His own. I became His child. I became a new creation fashioned in His likeness. I became set apart and content in Him. I became happy with me because of who He was and who He was making me. I began to draw my self-worth from Him alone...and He values me more than anyone ever could value me!
But don't take it from me alone. This foundational truth is hammered home in Scripture. Ephesians chapters 1 through 3 are a great read on the subject, but if you're in a hurry, here are a few verses.
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. [Eph. 2:1-10]
The question “Who Am I?” is both theoretical and philosophical as well as practical and deeply personal. It is a question that everyone deals with throughout the entire course of their lifetime. For the believer, it is a wonderful truth that –- no matter what the world's categories may say about us, whatever we may be feeling about our own self worth (good or bad), whatever we might think about who we are –- all other “identities” get placed at the feet of the Lord. It is Him we depend upon to properly understand our selves, our personality, our emotions, our feelings, our habits, our gifts, our skills, our desires, our ambitions, and everything else about ourselves. It is God who defines us and not we who define us.
Today, examine the Bible for yourself and ask God to remind you that you are his child. Ask God to remind you this day of your worth, His love for you, your satisfaction in Him, your trust in Him, and your contentment in who He is...and in who you are.
-RCW
A few of my recent posts have reminded me of yet another subject.
A classic pet peeve of mine is the enormous amount of "Bible Lore" out there. How many times have you been talking with someone and they say, "Well, the Bible says, 'God helps those who help themselves.'"? No, the Bible does not say that phrase anywhere. It actually came from Ben Franklin.
Another great one..."God won't give you more than you can handle." The Bible actually doesn't say this. (Try "quoting" such a "scripture" to a person in a serious crisis. Let me know how that one goes.) You won't find the reference because it's not there.
In general, I simply hear the words come from someone's mouth: "Doesn't it say in the Bible somewhere...." or "What's the verse in the Bible that says something about..." and I begin to brace myself for the shock. I never know what nonsense might sputter out after the first few words. :)
The Bible (and spiritual things in general) is one of those subjects that everyone has an opinion about....many people are eager to share their own. Many people think they know fairly well what the Bible says, but in reality haven't studied it for themselves a whole lot. In short, "Bible Lore" results is a lot of muddled thinking about spirituality and numerous common myths about Christianity, Christians, God, the Bible, etc.
So, here's a novel thought: how about we all make it a goal of ours to READ our Bibles and MEMORIZE scripture? That way, instead of being guilty of such embarrassing blunders of biblical illiteracy, we can know God's word, hide it deep within our hearts, and be ready to explain the scriptures the next time someone rattles off one of these statements.
I myself am by no means immune or beyond this fault. I have been praying and asking God to reveal some things to me lately and yet I know that the easiest way to hear God's voice is to open and "devour" my Bible. How about you? Are you planting scripture within you? Or is your Bible just a dusty relic? When was the last time you cracked it open?
-RCW
A classic pet peeve of mine is the enormous amount of "Bible Lore" out there. How many times have you been talking with someone and they say, "Well, the Bible says, 'God helps those who help themselves.'"? No, the Bible does not say that phrase anywhere. It actually came from Ben Franklin.
Another great one..."God won't give you more than you can handle." The Bible actually doesn't say this. (Try "quoting" such a "scripture" to a person in a serious crisis. Let me know how that one goes.) You won't find the reference because it's not there.
In general, I simply hear the words come from someone's mouth: "Doesn't it say in the Bible somewhere...." or "What's the verse in the Bible that says something about..." and I begin to brace myself for the shock. I never know what nonsense might sputter out after the first few words. :)
The Bible (and spiritual things in general) is one of those subjects that everyone has an opinion about....many people are eager to share their own. Many people think they know fairly well what the Bible says, but in reality haven't studied it for themselves a whole lot. In short, "Bible Lore" results is a lot of muddled thinking about spirituality and numerous common myths about Christianity, Christians, God, the Bible, etc.
So, here's a novel thought: how about we all make it a goal of ours to READ our Bibles and MEMORIZE scripture? That way, instead of being guilty of such embarrassing blunders of biblical illiteracy, we can know God's word, hide it deep within our hearts, and be ready to explain the scriptures the next time someone rattles off one of these statements.
I myself am by no means immune or beyond this fault. I have been praying and asking God to reveal some things to me lately and yet I know that the easiest way to hear God's voice is to open and "devour" my Bible. How about you? Are you planting scripture within you? Or is your Bible just a dusty relic? When was the last time you cracked it open?
-RCW
Bible Reading,
Discipleship,
Growing,
Living Out My Faith,
Relating to Others,
The Bible,
Where Do I Start?
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There's a lot of confusion out there among the masses when it comes to "religion" and spiritual matters.
I think some simple charts can do the job.
Below are some examples of world religions.
A religion is a comprehensive belief system held by a community. It usually has a "holy book" and typically provides answers 3 questions: What is reality? What is wrong? What is the solution? If you see a flaw or simply don't like my off-the-cuff definition, here's a link to Wikipedia's definition of a "religion." Notice that Christianity is a religion.
The next chart is the three major "branches" or "realms" of Christianity. (I'm sure there is a better word, but for now right now the most commonly used term escapes me.) These are not different religions; they are actually all considered part of Christianity.
Finally, after the Protestant Reformation (notice the spur of Protestantism off of Catholicism in the chart above), a virtual plethora of Protestant "denominations" arose. Below is a chart of some of the ones you might be familiar with. (Ironically enough, the earliest of these various denominations proceeded to fight and kill one another quite frequently for several years. Aren't you glad that we now fortunately realize that we who are Protestants are all Christians and that Lutherans need not slay Baptists, Anglicans shouldn't behead Lutherans, etc.)
Don't study the above chart too closely. The denominations aren't arranged in any particular fashion except that "lots of others" can be a sub-category of "Bible Churches" or "Non-Denominational" or entirely outside of both categories. One of the problems however is that many non-Christian religious movements, groups, and cults, aim to convince people they are a "denomination" when in actuality, the beliefs make them otherly altogether (a different religion).
My charts are very simplistic. Better charts are published in pamphlet form by Rose Publishing.
Does this clear up some of the confusion? If you're still wondering about the earlier examples, here are the answers, you sillies:
Well, enough of my rambling. I hope that this proves helpful the next time you spot a similar misconception. Point your guilty violators to this post and maybe it can clear up the confusion! :)
-RCW
- Example #1:
Suppose I tell someone out in public that I am a minister. Often, they will ask, "Oh yeah, what religion are you?" I tell them "Christian" and they will say, but what religion are you...Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist?"
If you can't spot the misunderstanding here, then I will explain it momentarily. - Example #2:
I was at a college campus sharing my faith with students a few years ago and within a 10 minute period, I asked two separate people if they were Christians. The one replied, "Yes, I'm Catholic." The other replied, "No, I'm not a Christian. I'm Catholic."
Puzzling, huh? - Example #3 comes when people recite the Apostle's Creed:
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church...
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.
A certain church I enjoyed in graduate school (it was not a Catholic church) used to recite the creed every single Sunday. I don't know how many times I heard people either refuse to speak the line or say afterward, "I don't like that line about the Catholic church."
Are you tracking with me? - Example #4: Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons will often insist that they are Christians. And some people actually believe them!
I think some simple charts can do the job.
Below are some examples of world religions.
A religion is a comprehensive belief system held by a community. It usually has a "holy book" and typically provides answers 3 questions: What is reality? What is wrong? What is the solution? If you see a flaw or simply don't like my off-the-cuff definition, here's a link to Wikipedia's definition of a "religion." Notice that Christianity is a religion.
The next chart is the three major "branches" or "realms" of Christianity. (I'm sure there is a better word, but for now right now the most commonly used term escapes me.) These are not different religions; they are actually all considered part of Christianity.
Finally, after the Protestant Reformation (notice the spur of Protestantism off of Catholicism in the chart above), a virtual plethora of Protestant "denominations" arose. Below is a chart of some of the ones you might be familiar with. (Ironically enough, the earliest of these various denominations proceeded to fight and kill one another quite frequently for several years. Aren't you glad that we now fortunately realize that we who are Protestants are all Christians and that Lutherans need not slay Baptists, Anglicans shouldn't behead Lutherans, etc.)
Don't study the above chart too closely. The denominations aren't arranged in any particular fashion except that "lots of others" can be a sub-category of "Bible Churches" or "Non-Denominational" or entirely outside of both categories. One of the problems however is that many non-Christian religious movements, groups, and cults, aim to convince people they are a "denomination" when in actuality, the beliefs make them otherly altogether (a different religion).
My charts are very simplistic. Better charts are published in pamphlet form by Rose Publishing.
Does this clear up some of the confusion? If you're still wondering about the earlier examples, here are the answers, you sillies:
- Example #1 - My religion IS Christianity. What they should have asked was what denomination I am.
Example #2 - The truth is that Catholics ARE under the umbrella of Christianity. Some Catholics might think that when they are asked if they are a "Christian," the question is asking if they are a Protestant or someone associated with "mainstream" Protestant Christianity.
Example #3 - Even though the term "Catholic" probably would have originally referred to the Catholic church (since the Catholic church WAS the early church), the term "catholic" as we know it today refers to the universal church. The "catholic" church would then simply mean those around the world from every Christian group or denomination calling themselves followers of Christ. (See how the "church" is also not just a building? It's PEOPLE. WE are the church.)
Example #4 - Jehovah's Witnesses & Mormons commonly claim they are a Christian group or a Protestant denomination. (They try to convince people that they belong in the "lots of others" category in the list of denominations under "Protestantism.") Yet, if you study those groups, the beliefs CANNOT fall under the umbrella of Christianity since the views they hold have been deemed UN-Christian by Jesus, by the church from earliest Christianity, and sometimes even earlier...by Judaism. There is no way that the two groups could ever call themselves Christians except to mislead and sway others, or to simply distort the ugly truth.
Well, enough of my rambling. I hope that this proves helpful the next time you spot a similar misconception. Point your guilty violators to this post and maybe it can clear up the confusion! :)
-RCW
Yes, it's been a while since I wrote. Let's not make it an issue. Such is life. On a personal note, I have been refreshed to be leading a group of college students and young adults on a journey toward spiritual growth. It's been awesome and really rejuvenating to see their passion for God and how much they are enjoying it. No credit to me whatsoever except to say I have been extra busy as of late...with the class, with the rest of my responsibilities at the church I work at, marriage, my wife's recent downturn in health, etc. All that has made the writing (on this blog anyway) cease...but only temporarily.
The name of this particular entry is identical to the name of one of C.S. Lewis's essays. It is a very good quick read (maybe a couple of pages long). I will summarize it for you.
There is something innately human about our tendency to fault-find. No person is immune. For instance, we think that some people are absolutely charming until we get to know them and realize that we can find several things we'd change about them. Just ask a newly married wife...a few months into the marriage is when she realizes that there are some things about her husband that she did NOT sign on for. My wife of course is no exception. Hence, the title of Lewis's essay is "The Trouble with X..." In other words, the title is using the phrase that we so easily slip into - "The trouble with so-and-so is...fill in the blank here." It simply rattles off of our tongue readily. "I like Tom except that he always bites his nails and interrupts." Or "I enjoy her, but I dread the way she fixes her hair." These are superficial remarks, but they generally go much deeper. And to make matters worse, the closer we are to the person (let's say the person is an immediate family member), the most sharp and merciless the judgements become. Sometimes we spend so much time dwelling on the "troubles" with our family members (their faults), that we forget that there was ever any good in them at all!
Jesus of course said much on the subject, but perhaps the most important thing he said about it is this:
Those aren't my words, they're His. If you want to follow Christ, we have to examine our own flawed selves first and foremost before we start criticizing everyone else...especially our loved ones and family members. How sad that we often treat worst the ones we love the most.
Prayer: Lord, help me to examine my own self before I am so quick to criticize everyone around me. Help me to see my own self and my own glaring sin clearly so that I may remove it. I ask that you help me with this that I might not only understand my self better, but that I might love others as you love them. Amen.
-RCW
The name of this particular entry is identical to the name of one of C.S. Lewis's essays. It is a very good quick read (maybe a couple of pages long). I will summarize it for you.
There is something innately human about our tendency to fault-find. No person is immune. For instance, we think that some people are absolutely charming until we get to know them and realize that we can find several things we'd change about them. Just ask a newly married wife...a few months into the marriage is when she realizes that there are some things about her husband that she did NOT sign on for. My wife of course is no exception. Hence, the title of Lewis's essay is "The Trouble with X..." In other words, the title is using the phrase that we so easily slip into - "The trouble with so-and-so is...fill in the blank here." It simply rattles off of our tongue readily. "I like Tom except that he always bites his nails and interrupts." Or "I enjoy her, but I dread the way she fixes her hair." These are superficial remarks, but they generally go much deeper. And to make matters worse, the closer we are to the person (let's say the person is an immediate family member), the most sharp and merciless the judgements become. Sometimes we spend so much time dwelling on the "troubles" with our family members (their faults), that we forget that there was ever any good in them at all!
Jesus of course said much on the subject, but perhaps the most important thing he said about it is this:
- "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person's eye."
-Matthew 7:1-5
Those aren't my words, they're His. If you want to follow Christ, we have to examine our own flawed selves first and foremost before we start criticizing everyone else...especially our loved ones and family members. How sad that we often treat worst the ones we love the most.
Prayer: Lord, help me to examine my own self before I am so quick to criticize everyone around me. Help me to see my own self and my own glaring sin clearly so that I may remove it. I ask that you help me with this that I might not only understand my self better, but that I might love others as you love them. Amen.
-RCW
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