Last Sunday my friend Kevin asked me to preach at his church in San Jose. The title of my ‘sermon’ was: “You Can’t Live Beyond Your Vision.” Other ways I could have said this are: “Seeing is Believing” or “What You See is What You Get." The point of my message was to question ourselves as to how we limit God in our lives by the way we view Him.
But another expression that is often used to encourage people to see things correctly is: “Keep Looking Up” meaning, of course, that we should look to God for answers, for insight, and for encouragement.
But I have a better one: “Keep Looking Down.”
The difference between the two is where one lives. If you “live” down here, on earth, then of course you must keep looking ‘up.’ The problem is that this view can keep you “earthbound.” But if you are living in the heavenlies, you will always be looking down. Only when you truly recognize that you are positioned IN Christ, in the heavenlies, will you be able to see all things from the Lord’s point of view.
“The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men” (Psalm 14:2)... [and] God raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus..." (Ephesians 2:6).
Our enthroned Christian position becomes the viewpoint from which we see all of our circumstances as we Keep Looking Down from our place of authority and power in Jesus.
What is your point of view?
"The difference between the two is where one lives. If you “live” down here, on earth, then of course you must keep looking ‘up.’ The problem is that this view can keep you “earthbound.” But if you are living in the heavenlies, you will always be looking down. Only when you truly recognize that you are positioned IN Christ, in the heavenlies, will you be able to see all things from the Lord’s point of view."
ReplyDeleteI understand what you are saying here, but I think it may be a slippery slope to say "a better one" is to "keep looking down," or that there is a "problem" with "looking up."
I think it is best to follow the direction that the apostle Paul gives us, as he did not believe looking up could leave us "earthbound":
Col 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are ABOVE, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things ABOVE, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Again, I understand where you are coming from philosophically, but I think it wise to always "set our minds on things above," lest we risk confusion among the brethren.
"“Keep Looking Up” meaning, of course, that we should look to God for answers, for insight, and for encouragement."
I think these things (answers, insight, encouragement) are the RESULT of "looking up," or abiding in Him. The REASON to always look up is of course to "love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength" (Luke 10:27). When we do this, Jesus tells us what the result will be:
Mat 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
God bless :-)
What if the solution that has no slippery slope is to do both--"keep looking up" AND "keep looking down?" You could also throw in the ideas of looking"out" and looking "in", as well! There probably are a whole bunch more prepostions that could serve God's puropose for our vision and experience of the kingdom of heaven in the here and now to whatever extent we can embrace it.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the either "up" or "down" question of where best to focus we may very well have to leave that to the context in which we find ourselves. When seeking to live above the world and its allurements we need to have the view to being "seated in the heavenlies in Christ." The entire first chapter of Ephesians supports this by its repeated emphasis on being "in Christ!" But when recognizing our need for Christ to fill us with wisdom and understanding and all other things that need to come come outside of ourselves as a support base, then by all means take the view as looking beyond ourselves and our own limited resources from within ourselves!
It is an interesting fact that both of these Pauline passages use the Resurrection as their foundation--one starts with it in view, the other end with it as a foundation for all else that precedes it. Whatever one's paradigm is at the moment the truth of Christ having overcome death makes either possible for all of us!
Stan
"There is no true illumination apart from the written Word. Spiritual impressions generated from my own experience are of no importance, and if I pay attention to them I will pay no attention to the words of Jesus."
ReplyDelete"The thing to ask yourself is, “Does the Bible say it?” not, “I don’t think that is a good view of God.”
"Beware of bartering the Word of God for a more suitable conception of your own.
Every impulse must wed itself to the express statements of the Bible, otherwise they will lead astray."
Chambers, Oswald: Disciples Indeed.
A question, then, my anonymous friend: once one does set one's mind and affections upon the things that are "above" then isn't one in a position to look "down?" If something is "set" doesn't that imply a type of permanence in the "set" view? From the "above" vantage point everything below it is still "down" as far as relationship to it is concerned. So "looking down" is not as unbiblical as your comment seems to imply...
ReplyDeleteStan