"The glory of God is the most powerful agent of transformation available to mankind. It is so powerful that it transforms those who merely gaze upon it. The Apostle Paul gives personal testimony concerning this stunning fact. 'But we all,' he says, 'beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.' From Paul's testimony I learn that if I wish to become all that God wants me to be, I must behold His glory each day.
But where do I find God's glory to behold? Indeed, the glory of God is revealed throughout all of Creation, but the Bible indicates that, outside of heaven, the glory of God in its thickest density dwells inside the gospel. It is for this reason that the gospel is described in Scripture as 'the gospel of the glory of Christ' and 'the gospel of the glory of the blessed God.'
Consequently, as I habitually gaze upon the glory of the Lord revealed in the gospel, I can know that actual deposits of God's very glory are attaching themselves to my person and transforming me from one level of glory to another. This transformation is deep and abiding, and unfadingly displays the glory of God to others."
-Milton Vincent, The Gospel Primer
Recently I have been thinking about the purpose of man, and how we can fulfill that purpose. We know from the catechism that we learned in our kindergarden class at church that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. But how can we as sinful humans glorify God?
In the beginning when Adam and Eve were in the garden, they were without sin. They were fulfilling their purpose. They were without sin and they were completely glorifying God. God made us for a purpose, and we have rejected that purpose by sinning.
I am now an art student at ASU and recently thought of a good comparison. I have done quite a bit of drawing and I was trying to find the point of my art. What do my drawings do? They don't seem to have that big of a significance, besides getting me compliments. But then I realized that is their purpose. All of my drawings give me glory. When someone sees art, the piece itself doesn't get glory. Did the drawing make itself? No, that's absurd. The artist gets glory for creating the piece of art. The art merely reflects the artist's talent and skill.
That's exactly what we are supposed to do. We are to completely give God glory. But instead, we have forsaken our purpose. We have shaken our fist in God's face and said "Forget you, God. I'll give myself glory!" Because of this, we are sinful and are no longer perfect. So how do we get back to completely glorifying God?
That's where the gospel comes in. Christ has restored us by conquering sin on the cross. He has killed it, so we are no longer a slave to it, but rather slaves to God (like we were before). Now we know that we are still not perfect in this life, but we are to strive after perfection. We are to fight day in and day out to glorify God in this life. We will fail, but Christ knows that and that is why he has paid our punishment.
So I have two final charges to share with you from the Bible: 1) Strive after holiness that glorifies God and fight against sin (1 Peter 1:13-16). 2) Live in light of Christ's return. Look forward to glorifying God without the weigh of sin! (Romans 8:18-25)
Lord, I thank you so much for restoring us to you. I deserve hell, eternal death, for my treason against You. It truly is an amazing gift and undying, true love for you to die to save those who spit in your face and ran after our own glory. Thank you for bringing me back to You.
Lord, help me. Remind me over and over that I am no longer a slave to sin, but that I am free to follow you and to give glory to the One who deserves it. Lord, help me to glorify you here as preparation for glorifying you in heaven. Give me the strength to stand up against temptation and to fight against sin with the power that you have given us. Show me the innermost sinful desires of my heart, and aid me in waging war against them. I pray this, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who made this possible, and to give You and You alone glory.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
I'm a Show Off
I just wanted to take some time to explain the name of my blog to those who don't already know. I have taken it from a song by DJ Official called "Show Off" featuring Lecrae and Flame. The whole premise of the song is that we, as Christians, want to "show off" Christ to the rest of the world. At one point, Lecrae comes out and says, "Like the moon I reflect what the Son do. I don't wanna get the glory. I want the Son to."
I recommend you listen to it and read the lyrics as well. I want my life to reflect Christ and not myself. That is the purpose of this blog. I will be writing about my life, but I want to write through gospel lenses. We should glorify God, and that is what I am striving for.
Lecrae and Flame are part of a group called the 116 clique (one-one-six). They are a group of Christian rappers that live to proclaim God to the world. Their lyrics are some of the most biblical lyrics you will ever read. I highly recommend that you look these guys up. Even if you don't like rap music, look up the lyrics.
These are the guys that rap truth: Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii, Sho Baraka, Flame, Pro, Shai Linne, DJ Official, and more. Look these guys up. They are a real encouragement.
I recommend you listen to it and read the lyrics as well. I want my life to reflect Christ and not myself. That is the purpose of this blog. I will be writing about my life, but I want to write through gospel lenses. We should glorify God, and that is what I am striving for.
Lecrae and Flame are part of a group called the 116 clique (one-one-six). They are a group of Christian rappers that live to proclaim God to the world. Their lyrics are some of the most biblical lyrics you will ever read. I highly recommend that you look these guys up. Even if you don't like rap music, look up the lyrics.
These are the guys that rap truth: Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii, Sho Baraka, Flame, Pro, Shai Linne, DJ Official, and more. Look these guys up. They are a real encouragement.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Christian or Christian?
College. They're the best years of my life. This is where we have the most fun; find the friends that will be with me for the rest of my life. Everything should be going great. So why isn't it? What is it that constantly dampens what should be one of the best things in my life? It's not something foreign; it's not something new. In fact it's been around longer than I've been alive; longer than anyone has been alive. Sin.
It's everywhere. I'm at a secular college, so of course it's everywhere. If you aren't on guard, you will be pulled down. Sin and temptation don't take a vacation. They won't give you a chance to recover. No. They will attack with every intent to kill. What's worse is that it is us! Our flesh is constantly trying to kill us. We want to do what we want. God created us. He made us and He made us with a purpose; to glorify Him. But we don't want to do that. We spit in his face as we yell, "Forget you! I'll glorify myself!"
We have all sinned. "as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
- Romans 3:10-12, 23
As it says, we are worthless. We have forsaken our purpose to glorify ourselves and this is our punishment; eternal death (Romans 6:23). Because we disobeyed, we have broken God's law and because of that we deserve the wrath of God (Romans 4:15) and therefore were made enemies and separated from God (Romans 5:10).
But the story wasn't over. God had a plan to save us. He wanted to save us because He loved us (1 John 4:19). We had spit in God's face and yet God still loved us. It is a wonderful mystery. But even though He loved us, we were still enemies and therefore a sacrifice had to be made. We are sinful and therefore can not do anything to get into heaven. Our good deeds are like dirty rags to God (Isaiah 64:6).
So God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to live a perfect, sinless life and then die in our place so that we might not have to die (John 3:16). Not only that, but Jesus rose again, conquering sin and death all at once. Now he mediates for us to the Father, so that we are not longer enemies but have a relationship with God.
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time."
-1 Timothy 2:5-6
Now all we have to do is except this gift, and Christ's perfection, his righteousness, is counted as ours. God looks at us and sees the righteousness of his Son (Romans 5:19).
Now here is the real question and what I have seen a lot at college: If Christ has saved us and all we have to do is believe, then can we continue to live the same way we were? Can we continue in sin? Absolutely not! Paul says in Romans 6:1-2, 4, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?...We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
We are no longer the same people but we have been made new. "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!"
- 2 Corinthians 5:15-17
Are you a Christian or a Christian? Have you truly been affected by the gospel and desire to change your old ways and glorify God? Or do you called yourself a Christian and live however you want, hiding behind some false security?
Here is my challenge to those who defend themselves behind a title called "Christian" that doesn't have any meaning.
"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness."
- Romans 6:12-13
Forsake your sin and turn to God. Give everything to Christ and dedicate your life to proclaim God's glory and the gospel of salvation that has been freely given to those who except it.
I have another challenge, which is mainly directed to myself, but also to fellow Christians that want to serve God. Persevere.
"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love."
- 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Do not fall into a selfish and prideful mind set. First and foremost, constantly battle the sin of your own heart, then correct and lead others in this way. I myself fail at this more than anyone. I fall into passivity and then start to slip into the sins of this world. I become prideful that I am not like those "Christians", but look at verse 14 of 1 Corinthians 16. "Let all that you do be done in love." Do not be prideful, because you are a sinner too. But rather, correct in love.
Lord, I thank you so much for your love for us. Your love that saved me, even thoughI rejected you. It is overwhelming to think that you could love a sinner so filthy. It is even more overwhelming to think that your love drove you to kill your Son, so that I might be saved. Your grace is so undeserved and I could never thank you enough. I pray that you would help me stand strong, Lord. Help me to be completely sold out for you. I can't do any of this apart from you, so I pray that you would help me to constantly wage war against my fleshly impulses and shine through to this world, so that others may see you through me. Lord I pray these things to you only because Christ has and is mediating for us to you. Jesus repairs the relationship that we destroyed. May your name be praised! Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Amen.
It's everywhere. I'm at a secular college, so of course it's everywhere. If you aren't on guard, you will be pulled down. Sin and temptation don't take a vacation. They won't give you a chance to recover. No. They will attack with every intent to kill. What's worse is that it is us! Our flesh is constantly trying to kill us. We want to do what we want. God created us. He made us and He made us with a purpose; to glorify Him. But we don't want to do that. We spit in his face as we yell, "Forget you! I'll glorify myself!"
We have all sinned. "as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
- Romans 3:10-12, 23
As it says, we are worthless. We have forsaken our purpose to glorify ourselves and this is our punishment; eternal death (Romans 6:23). Because we disobeyed, we have broken God's law and because of that we deserve the wrath of God (Romans 4:15) and therefore were made enemies and separated from God (Romans 5:10).
But the story wasn't over. God had a plan to save us. He wanted to save us because He loved us (1 John 4:19). We had spit in God's face and yet God still loved us. It is a wonderful mystery. But even though He loved us, we were still enemies and therefore a sacrifice had to be made. We are sinful and therefore can not do anything to get into heaven. Our good deeds are like dirty rags to God (Isaiah 64:6).
So God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to live a perfect, sinless life and then die in our place so that we might not have to die (John 3:16). Not only that, but Jesus rose again, conquering sin and death all at once. Now he mediates for us to the Father, so that we are not longer enemies but have a relationship with God.
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time."
-1 Timothy 2:5-6
Now all we have to do is except this gift, and Christ's perfection, his righteousness, is counted as ours. God looks at us and sees the righteousness of his Son (Romans 5:19).
Now here is the real question and what I have seen a lot at college: If Christ has saved us and all we have to do is believe, then can we continue to live the same way we were? Can we continue in sin? Absolutely not! Paul says in Romans 6:1-2, 4, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?...We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
We are no longer the same people but we have been made new. "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!"
- 2 Corinthians 5:15-17
Are you a Christian or a Christian? Have you truly been affected by the gospel and desire to change your old ways and glorify God? Or do you called yourself a Christian and live however you want, hiding behind some false security?
Here is my challenge to those who defend themselves behind a title called "Christian" that doesn't have any meaning.
"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness."
- Romans 6:12-13
Forsake your sin and turn to God. Give everything to Christ and dedicate your life to proclaim God's glory and the gospel of salvation that has been freely given to those who except it.
I have another challenge, which is mainly directed to myself, but also to fellow Christians that want to serve God. Persevere.
"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love."
- 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Do not fall into a selfish and prideful mind set. First and foremost, constantly battle the sin of your own heart, then correct and lead others in this way. I myself fail at this more than anyone. I fall into passivity and then start to slip into the sins of this world. I become prideful that I am not like those "Christians", but look at verse 14 of 1 Corinthians 16. "Let all that you do be done in love." Do not be prideful, because you are a sinner too. But rather, correct in love.
Lord, I thank you so much for your love for us. Your love that saved me, even thoughI rejected you. It is overwhelming to think that you could love a sinner so filthy. It is even more overwhelming to think that your love drove you to kill your Son, so that I might be saved. Your grace is so undeserved and I could never thank you enough. I pray that you would help me stand strong, Lord. Help me to be completely sold out for you. I can't do any of this apart from you, so I pray that you would help me to constantly wage war against my fleshly impulses and shine through to this world, so that others may see you through me. Lord I pray these things to you only because Christ has and is mediating for us to you. Jesus repairs the relationship that we destroyed. May your name be praised! Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Amen.
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