Who am I and Why am I here?

Until my 30’s, I struggled with  my “identity.” Though I was born again, and supposed to be a saint, I felt like a sinner caught in a web of failure and futility. But then, the Holy Spirit revealed to me who I was (am) “in Christ.”

 
Today, I feel no more saintly than in those days of ignorance, but I now have an objective, biblical definition of who I am! Feelings do not define me. I am a son of God, a new creation, a new self (John 1:12; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:24): truths that exceed my best self-evaluation.

And herein I employ Ray Stedman's words: “We think that we have to change the way we act in order to be different; God says, No, I have made you different, and when you believe it you will automatically change the way you act. This struggle can cease only when we reckon on who we really are in Christ. It is a new self-image that delivers us, when we begin to think of ourselves as God thinks of us...” (Edited)  When you know who you are, and whose you are, you will also come to understand why you are here (Eph. 2:10).

You have just Entered the No-Blame Zone

Shifting blame is a sure sign we are the “sons” of Adam, who not only blamed Eve, but God too—“After all, God, you gave this woman to me!” I wonder what the rest of Adam’s very long life was like. How long did it take him to stop blaming God?  Imagine how awful it must have been to see the consequences of his wrong choice played out in subsequent generations.

But aions later, God is still getting the blame for the world's troubles. “Mother Nature,” a euphemism for a sovereign God, is blamed for every natural disaster; and every man-caused tragedy evokes the thought on everyone's mind, “Where was God?” When calamity strikes you, what is your first response!? 

I know this blog post is not the right venue for a ‘theodicy’—a defense of God’s character in an evil world. Suffice it to say that one day, Satan will be judged; and sin and suffering will cease. Then everyone who blamed God will understand. Until then, let us make every effort to stay in the “No-Blame Zone.”

Worshiping Celebrity

This is the time of year when celebrity worship reaches its peak. If you haven’t the stomach for TV anymore, you’ve missed these worship services: Golden Globes, SAGs, and Grammys, with the highly exalted Oscars and Super Bowl Sunday worship services yet to come.

 

This adulation of celebrity stems from man’s longing for excellence. Created to worship, Adam was an enthusiastic spectator of God’s glory. But sin changed the object of veneration—from Creator to creature: “We will make a name for ourselves” (Ro. 1:25; Gen. 11:14). Mankind is a worshipper by nature. Enamored with youthfulness, strength, beauty, and intelligence, his thirst for excellence is unquenchable.

The sons of Adam search in vain for ‘something’ worthy to worship on this earth. Sadly, many believers are also easily deceived and captivated by these futile fetes. Please understand that I am not saying it is wrong to watch the Super Bowl or the Oscars. But in light of worldly adoration, it behooves us to watch our hearts so we won't unwittingly fall into the worship of celebrity. It's not worth it! 

Get Your Ashes in a Flash!

After I had written my post yesterday about Ash Wednesday, I read the following story: Episcopalians are administering Ash Wednesday at train stations, bus stops and subways. “Five years ago,” reports the Rev. Teresa Danieley, “I had an epiphany of sorts. If people can grab breakfast on the go, why shouldn’t they be able to get their ashes in a flash?" Her idea grew into the “Ashes to Go” program—now bicyclists, drivers and bus passengers have a convenient way to be smudged by the sign of the cross. 

While I can't fault the Episcopalians for taking their ministry to the streets (after all, Jesus didn't confine Himself to the Temple), it seems strangely incongruent with Jesus' message to “COME! Pick up your cross.” Is it possible "Ashes to Go" trivializes the meaning of the Cross?  A.W. Tozer's words of 50 years ago are very relevant today.

“The new cross says ‘come and get.’ Whereas the old rugged Cross says, “Come and give.” Whereas the old Cross was meant by God to be the symbol of death and detachment from the old Adam life, this new substitute cross does not intend to slay the sinner but just redirect him. The new cross lets Adam live without interference [or interruption]. His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for himself."  Smudging people with the sign of the cross on Main Street may be one more sign of the times.

Stop Pointing the Finger

By now you’ve all heard about the infamous “finger wagging” encounter between President Obama and Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. Regardless of why it happened, or “who started it,” it was arguably improper for Brewer to point her finger in the President’s face. 

“Pointing the finger” is an action of blaming, reprimanding, or warning, and worse, a gesture of contempt.  Who can forget how President Clinton used it to scold his accusers.  And recently,  during a Republican debate, Rick Perry pointed condescendingly at Ron Paul. 

Finger pointing is as old as Adam who pointed the finger at Eve who pointed the finger at the serpent.  It is natural to want to "wag your finger" to point out someone else's error, to justify yourself.  Or, to shift the blame when you feel threatened.  

"Finger pointing" is soundly condemned by God (Is. 58:9) because of what it is. But He promises if we stop pointing at others, and instead, ask Him to point out our faults, He will bring our relationships to the point of restoration. (Is 58:9-12).  Then, instead of pointing at people, we can point people to God, which is really the point of our salvation, isn't it!

You don’t have to live with the Disease

I would appreciate your prayer for me tomorrow as I will be teaching the “Dying to Live Abundant Life” seminar at the Urban Church in East Oakland. Specifically, pray for Spirit-influenced illumination to those who will be hearing the truths of our freedom in Christ—some, perhaps, for the first time. I’ll never forget the first time I understood that I was no longer a “son of Adam” but a “son of God!”

The “sons of Adam” have all been infected with a disease called “moral fatalism.” But all too often, even those who have become the “sons of God,” though they are no longer infected, remain affected. Moral fatalism says as long as we are in the flesh, we must expect to sin. If we live with the supposition “I can't help but sin; it’s who I am,” then we are like those who are still living with the disease. And as John says "we lie and do not practice the truth" (1 John 1:6). The clear message of our freedom in Christ is that "sin will not rule over you" (Romans 6:14).

By believing we are still affected by the disease of moral fatalism, we are actually doing what Paul tells us not to do—we are making provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14). In other words, Paul is saying do not provide for failure; provide for victory. Since Jesus “gave us power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases” (Luke 9:1), why is it so many of the 'sons of God' still suffer from the disease called moral fatalism?