Month: October 2012

A Good Name

Prosperity teachers, name-it-claim-it theology, and the word of faith movement have all combined to give the power of words a bad name.  But words do carry power.  We believe the written Word of God carries supernatural power.  And we empower our believing community when we properly use the words of Scripture to describe ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I am a firm believer that kids and adults live into the expectation we set before them.  And that expectation often takes its form in the words and labels we use.  If we practice a ministry of condemnation (II Cor 3:9); labeling believers as sinners, telling them how poorly they are doing, and not holding out much hope for improvement, can we be surprised when our parishioners live into that expectation.  It may seem counter-intuitive, but I believe a constant diet of chastising individuals and the church in general for not looking much different than the world will produce a church that is…not much different than the world.

But if we practice a ministry of life (II Cor 3:6), new life in the Spirit, we will be ever vigilant to remind our Christian brothers and sisters that they carry an incredible new identity – God Himself dwelling on the inside – and a new everything that comes with it; a new nature, a new heart, a new disposition, a new power over sin and so much more.

The apostle Peter writes that our lack of holy qualities is fostered by a bad case of spiritual amnesia.  “For he who lacks these qualities – diligence, faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love – is blind or shortsighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins” (II Pet 1:9).  Our number one problem, the sin that underlies all others, is forgetting the precious and magnificent promises of God regarding all that became new at our new birth, especially our new found freedom from the power of sin in our life.

Likewise, the apostle Paul begins nearly every letter with an explosive description of who we are in Christ.  Take the letter to the Ephesians for example.  In the first few verses of chapter one, we find that we are “blessed with every spiritual blessing…chosen…holy and blameless…adopted as sons…bestowed on by His grace…redeemed…forgiven…lavished upon…heirs…sealed with the Holy Spirit…God’s own possession” and so much more.  This new identity in Christ becomes the foundation for Paul’s call to holy living in the second half of these letters.  “Therefore [based on everything I have just written about who you are in Christ] I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Eph 4:1).

And finally, John draws a clear picture of the believer’s relationship with sin in his epistle.  He goes so far as to suggest that since we have been literally “born of God” we have a moral resemblance to Christ Himself.  “Since you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him” (I Jn 2:29).  John compels us to live into our righteous identity.

The New Testament is awash in joyous encouragement to live into our new identity.  As a confirmed affirm-aniac, I just don’t think we say it enough.  In fact, I don’t think we teach it, preach it, say it, and live it enough.  Next post, I will take a stab at explaining why this is so as well as some suggested remedies.

Kindling for the Fire

Let me introduce you to a new book by Dwight Edwards titled, Kindling for the Fire.  Here is an excerpt from the Introduction:

“Fire. There are many pictures used for God in the bible – rock, water, wind, fortress, refuge, etc. But the similitude which outstrips all of them is one that we probably wouldn’t expect. It is that of fire. Over ninety times God and His presence are likened unto fire. ‘For our God is a consuming fire’ writes the author of Hebrews and both the Old and New Testaments camp heavily upon this blazing portrait. However, God is not only a fire on the outside; He is equally a fire on the inside. And were that not true; I would not have written this book. Let me explain.”

“This book is founded upon one central, bedrock conviction – There is a permanent, inextinguishable fire in every believer’s soul. A God-birthed fire…a Spirit-sustained fire…a Christ-adoring fire. It is a holy fire; a gifted fire for which we can take no credit. Its flames can never be fully doused; regardless of the amount of sin, rebellion, confusion, or idolatry in our lives. This fire yearns to enflame every facet of our being but will not go where it is not invited. It is a gentle fire. It is a kind fire. But make no mistake; it is also a jealous fire. A fire that violently protests every vestige of sin in our lives while deeply delighting in our every small, faltering movement towards the Lover of our souls.”

“This fire is the living, breathing, actual presence of the living God in the deep recesses of our being. In reality it is a Him, not an it. As Dante put it, we are ‘ingodded‘. The God whose presence set ablaze a desert bush when He spoke to Moses, is the same God Who has taken up fiery residency within us. Therefore, our calling as fire-indwelt saints is not to work to keep the fire lit. The fire is here to stay; as incapable of going out as God is of dying. We are permanently ‘sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption’ as the apostle Paul writes. But every fire needs kindling. Every flame needs a boost now and again. And that my friend, is exactly what this book is all about.”

“Kindling for the Fire. The title pretty well conveys what my hopes are for this book. It is simply firewood for the fire within. If you have entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through trusting in Him alone for the forgiveness of your sins, then you are on fire. You are not only assured of eternity in heaven, you are equally assured of permanent indwelling on earth. Permanent indwelling by the very Author of the universe, the very Son of God, ‘very God of very God‘ as the Nicene Creed puts it. On your very worst days you are no less indwelt and on your very best days you are not one iota more indwelt. There is a heavenly fire within you, my friend, which is not going anywhere. And until we hit heaven, this fire will not rest content until we are wholly swallowed up in His joyous, holy, strong conflagration.”

In many ways, Kindling for the Fire captures the essence of what we at Fanning the Flames are all about.  I recommend it highly.