Peace

Isn’t it interesting how simple we assume a word is until we’re asked to define it? That’s because words in and of themselves aren't enough to convey the thing they’re trying to define. Many words are constructs we use to elucidate feelings and emotions that are way more complicated than what mere words can express. Often times it seems just as easy to express by contrast what a thing isn’t in trying to say what it is. This also has severe limitations. If I ask you to define peace, most would end up expressing some notion of the absence of war, which we understand as it’s opposite. However, this reasoning can be feeble and it’s insufficiency isn’t fully comprehended until we’re asked to define something like love – Saying that love is the opposite of hate is much more obviously inadequate.

Next question; Do you think it a contradiction in The Scriptures when we compare the following verses:

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

How can both of these statements be true at exactly the same time? Context. This is why it’s beneficial to define words according to their context and to go further to clarify meaning.

The first verse is what the angels proclaimed at the birth of Christ which is absolutely true. The birth of Christ was the fulfillment of eons of prophecy beginning in Genesis 3 with the “protevangelion”. The remedy for the separation between God and Men as a consequence of The Fall, the bridge to man’s redemption into the peace of God.
The second verse is Christ Himself speaking to the masses. He was explaining a deep truth to these people who already had a myriad of beliefs that they’d chosen to pledge allegiance to. In His statement of division, He made it clear that they could not expect peace in the midst of their other allegiances - A choice of separation would be required to embrace that peace promised in the first verse.

This understanding of peace in Christ and division from the world is still very true for us today.

Here’s The Word:

John 14: 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Looking closely at this verse, there’s an implicit assumption that the world has an assemblance of peace that it gives. We can see that all around us in ideas like ecumenical unity and tolerance. We also see how troubling these alliances are as we must hold loosely onto certain truths in order to maintain solidarity. Fact is, you can’t do both. The Bible says repeatedly that there’s an inherent opposition between God and the world and when you understand that, you realize that the peace of the world really isn’t peace at all.

The peace Christ gives is the peace of Salvation. The peace of ‘right standing’ before a Sovereign God Who would be unapologetically right to destroy us in His wrath toward our disobedience. This is sufficient reason for the world to be troubled and afraid. This is also why it can’t be stressed enough to ‘prove’ your life in the Spirit, rather than remaining anchored or overly friendly with the world. Romans 8:6 makes it clear in saying “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”


Peace In Him,
Cros

Dead?

Look at any birth certificate from just about anywhere and you will see the title of the document "Certificate of Live Birth". Something as fundamental as this is evidence of why it's so hard for many of us to fully embrace spiritual things. We "see" ourselves as alive and we don't discern the difference between being alive spiritually and being alive physically. Here is where I reflect on such a small phrase with GREAT impact - In the movie 'The Matrix', the character Neo, played by Keanu Reeves is talking to Morpheus (played by Laurence Fishburne). He'd just been awakened from the matrix into the real world and he asks the question "Why do my eyes hurt?" Morpheus' reply was simple, yet simply earth shattering: "You've never used them before".

All too often, we study the Bible to try and make sense of it, but at the ground floor of that process is our 'natural' understanding and the regrettable part of this is, there is a way to function with a natural understanding of spiritual things - it's ineffective, unfruitful, frustrating and limited.... but in the confusion that ensues, many people remain fully convinced that the solution has a natural answer. This way of thinking assumes that Christ came to make dead men better somehow, but He didn't come to help you do life His way, he came to make dead men alive. There's nothing salvageable from your dead self, everything must be submitted to His way.

Here's The Word:

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Now, realize that there are two realms - the realm of darkness and the one of light. Everything about the spiritual (light) realm is Truth as truth is that thing that reveals God Himself. Everything about the carnal world (dark) is broken, compromised and leads to increasing darkness and death. These realms have similarities but they're nothing alike. Both have their own particular glory, wisdom, forms of godliness, and goodness, but even in this, these realms are not only incomparable, they're incompatible. And they're not only incompatible, they're vehemently opposed...they're enemies. This is why Isaiah 64:6 saying that our righteousness is as filthy rags makes sense, it's spiritual and what beauty can the dead offer to the Holiest of ALL living.

The solution to understanding this is not a natural one. As we wake up in this world daily, we have to recognize that an old, natural operating system boots up with us, impressing itself upon our understanding. It tries to influence us that if we want to 'be good' there are some natural things we must do. If we want to prosper, there are some natural things we must do, and if we want to live for Christ, there are some natural things we must do. This is where we have to resist what comes naturally, and lean(yield) to the truth of what Christ has done in awakening us spiritually and telling us that we can't DO things to affect our lives the way we did when it was ALL natural.

Romans 6:13(b) but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.


In Him,
Cros

Another Jesus

Here’s The Word:

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

I think the saddest thing about history is that the further away it is, the less relevant it seems. This also seems to be the very reason why we repeat the same mistakes; then and now are completely different (contemporarily and contextually) and somehow we don’t assume that we could fall victim to the same subtleties over and over again.

Even when we read this scripture, many of us if we’re honest see its audience as at least a little “dull” mentally. As if they almost want to be duped because it’s SO EASY to stay on a straight path once it’s been firmly placed in front of you. Oh! How I wish that were true but we know that it isn’t. The Bible is replete with passages on how quickly we fall into the ditches on either side of the narrow path.

It’s evident from the verse above that we need to keep a close and intimate relationship with The Spirit of God that enlightens Scripture and leads us into Godly wisdom because there are also ‘other’ spirits that come in subtly to impress themselves on our doctrine. Although it’s easy to see the error in things like Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormonism, there are many, many other subtleties that actively gaining traction that can make you very unpopular if you point out their dissonance with The Bible.

This is not a new phenomenon, it’s an age old and tenacious spirit that continues to find potholes in our understanding. These potholes become footholds that then become strongholds because at the end of the day, there really is no “other” Christ; any counterfeit, any disingenuous exhibition, any benevolent display is to be scrutinized against Scripture to prove its foundation and fruit. To compromise Christ into a better relatable, more palatable, homogenized composition of things we're comfortable with is not the kind of thing to be easily dismissed. Warnings such as this are pretty good indicators that grace won't turn a blind eye.

I also hope you’ve seen through your reading that blame is never a good answer for being fooled, no matter how well devised the trickery was. Loyalty and unity are good and beautiful things, but neither are never worth diluting the clear presentation of Christ and His Gospel. Our persistent diligence to stay true to the ‘simplicity’ remains our responsibility.


In Him,
Cros

Think

More than likely, the wonderfully serene scene above is NOT the first thing you saw this morning. You may have not smelled the scent of fresh jasmine blowing in your window. Your significant other or children (if you're so blessed...or burdened) may not have hugged you appreciatively with a kiss; happily done all that was expected of them, and sat quietly waiting on your next instruction.

How bout cartoon birds and butterflies accompanying a high spirited theme song to put some 'pep' in your morning? No?....me neither.

Since most of us know that real life plays out in drudgery and things that can easily wear us down or frustrate us: Lack of sleep, blaring alarm clocks, sickness & pain, kids with nightmares, broken heels, missing buttons, traffic jams, spilled coffee, overworked, underpaid, disgruntled customers, bitterness, co-workers that steal food from the refrigerator, overdue bills, bounced check fees, appliance breaks, political unrest, Facebook (and Twitter) disagreements and blind-siding family circumstances - Whew!

Since that's real life for most of us, how can God really expect us to receive Philippians 4:8 in a real way?


Here's The Word;

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things

Is He telling us to live in some sort of mental "La La Land"? Heaven's No! HE's encouraging you to develop an ability that only YOU, through the gifting of His Spirit, can!
When I consider what it means to be 'made new', to be delivered from darkness to light and to be given the power to become the sons of God, it's not an outward transformation that uploads and installs itself whereas a simple reboot brings about a whole new reality. Nope, not at all.

What really happens is something deeper and although it requires real work, all the things that we learn as 'we work out our salvation with fear and trembling Phil 2:12', it's better and PROVES that we have been made new.
The unregenerate are not so, they have not been delivered and made new. They don't have the power to receive The Word and any desire to escape the frustration of real life is only in the context of temporary reprieve, not (eventual) total relief.

Everything....and I do mean EVERYTHING about life in Christ affects the context of all that once WAS, is and will be. Everything about this new life is now purposeful rather than randomly consequential and in knowing that first, choosing to consider and lean to 'better thoughts' is within our graced 'power', not just as some religious escapism but in real acknowledgment of truth by the spirit of holiness.

Here's The Word:

Ephesians 1:18 - 20 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

If that is true....and if you have been made new in Christ, it SURELY is, how much more compelling, real and relevant is it to engage in better thoughts...even in the midst of real life?
We don't live like those who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13), as we have GREAT hope that's just as strong in the midst of the real struggles of life as it is when we're less "encumbered"...just think about it.


In Him,
Cros