Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "colossians-3"
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 1
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
He was a most pathetic character indeed. He got up in the morning and didn’t know who he was. He didn’t know where he came from. For that matter he didn’t even know where he was! Sounds like a cartoon or a joke, right? Wrong! It’s called amnesia.
Sometimes amnesia is mental, other times physical. Sometimes it is accident related, other times emotional due to shock. Sometimes amnesia occurs as a symptom of illness. Anyone knowing a poor unfortunate with Alzheimer’s Disease abruptly recognizes their memory problems. Stroke victims don’t only face loss of motor skills. They sometimes encounter memory malfunction.
How horrible not to remember a foundational part of one’s life. What must go through the minds of those still in their right senses, as far as recognizing the reality around them, yet they don’t recall their name or where they’re at or what they should be doing. Could anything be more disconcerting, dear friends?
Yes, I can think of something much more disconcerting. Spiritual amnesia is qualitatively more disconcerting! The problem with spiritual amnesia, what makes it so devastating to life, is that those afflicted with it don’t know they have it.
In the natural realm amnesiacs know that they don’t know. They recognize that something’s amiss. In the spiritual realm amnesiacs go right on thinking all is well with the world, when in fact all is anything but well.
The reason for this discrepancy between amnesia in the natural realm versus in the spiritual realm is simple. We live and breath and conduct our lives in the natural realm. I mean, if we didn’t we would no longer be in the natural realm. We would have died already and gone into eternity! Ergo, since we function in the natural realm, we recognize when our natural functioning is out of kilter.
Alas, but this isn’t necessarily the case with our spiritual functioning. Even more, it isn’t usually the case, which is what makes it so dangerous and life-threatening. When we become new creations, born again as spiritual recreations, we are still in our natural bodies in time, space, and matter.
Before a person is born again, he functions only naturally. Christians function both naturally and spiritually. Any person, including a Christian, can easily enough function naturally. After all, it’s natural! A Christian must attempt to function spiritually because it doesn’t happen naturally.
To function spiritually a person must first be born again. Next the person must grow up as a new creation. He must mature spiritually. He must stop being conformed to this world and instead be transformed by the renewing of his mind, so that he recognizes what the good and perfect will of God is (cf., Romans 12:1-2).
We will press the pause button here and call it a day. See you tomorrow. Enjoy Jesus today!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
He was a most pathetic character indeed. He got up in the morning and didn’t know who he was. He didn’t know where he came from. For that matter he didn’t even know where he was! Sounds like a cartoon or a joke, right? Wrong! It’s called amnesia.
Sometimes amnesia is mental, other times physical. Sometimes it is accident related, other times emotional due to shock. Sometimes amnesia occurs as a symptom of illness. Anyone knowing a poor unfortunate with Alzheimer’s Disease abruptly recognizes their memory problems. Stroke victims don’t only face loss of motor skills. They sometimes encounter memory malfunction.
How horrible not to remember a foundational part of one’s life. What must go through the minds of those still in their right senses, as far as recognizing the reality around them, yet they don’t recall their name or where they’re at or what they should be doing. Could anything be more disconcerting, dear friends?
Yes, I can think of something much more disconcerting. Spiritual amnesia is qualitatively more disconcerting! The problem with spiritual amnesia, what makes it so devastating to life, is that those afflicted with it don’t know they have it.
In the natural realm amnesiacs know that they don’t know. They recognize that something’s amiss. In the spiritual realm amnesiacs go right on thinking all is well with the world, when in fact all is anything but well.
The reason for this discrepancy between amnesia in the natural realm versus in the spiritual realm is simple. We live and breath and conduct our lives in the natural realm. I mean, if we didn’t we would no longer be in the natural realm. We would have died already and gone into eternity! Ergo, since we function in the natural realm, we recognize when our natural functioning is out of kilter.
Alas, but this isn’t necessarily the case with our spiritual functioning. Even more, it isn’t usually the case, which is what makes it so dangerous and life-threatening. When we become new creations, born again as spiritual recreations, we are still in our natural bodies in time, space, and matter.
Before a person is born again, he functions only naturally. Christians function both naturally and spiritually. Any person, including a Christian, can easily enough function naturally. After all, it’s natural! A Christian must attempt to function spiritually because it doesn’t happen naturally.
To function spiritually a person must first be born again. Next the person must grow up as a new creation. He must mature spiritually. He must stop being conformed to this world and instead be transformed by the renewing of his mind, so that he recognizes what the good and perfect will of God is (cf., Romans 12:1-2).
We will press the pause button here and call it a day. See you tomorrow. Enjoy Jesus today!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 2
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
In our last study we were discussing being born again and then growing up spiritually. Let’s continue with this discussion now.
The born again part is known as justification. The growing up part is called sanctification. The born again part occurs as a one time act, just as being born is a one time act. The spiritual growing up part is a continuous process for the rest of our lives, just as is the case of growing up in the natural realm.
And therein lies the problem, dear friends. Not many Christians realize this fact of spiritual life. It is common in the churches to exhort folks to come to the front of the church and “receive Jesus”. When they do so they are patted on the back, given a certificate which declares they are now born again, and sent to the pews to live as good old boys in the church.
Once or twice a year they are subjected to a “revival” service, where they are excoriated for sitting on the pews! They weren’t saved to sit on a pew, you know. They need to get up and get busy! What are they to get busy doing? Your guess is as good as mine. Just stop sitting in a pew and start serving Jesus, y’all hear?
Yep, that is known as revival in the churches. Poor Jesus had to suffer horrifically to get us into heaven. Will we dare repay Him by sitting on a pew like a bump on a log? The shame of it all. Repent, you scalawags! Show Jesus you really love Him. Get busy.
Seems like any ol’ good work is appropriate, so long as we get busy. Trouble is, that is not in the b-i-b-l-e, BIBLE! As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, “The Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.”
Hmm. I have a novel idea. Maybe we should find out what the Bible wants from newly born again folks, rather than bury them alive under a pile of guilt feelings and send them off half-cocked to “serve Jesus”, whatever that means.
Perhaps church leaders—that would be us, my fellow preachers and teachers—perhaps we might want to read Ephesians 4:11-16 to see how the Bible instructs us to rear the spiritual young’uns under our care. The Holy Spirit gifts each Christian with at least one spiritual gift. This gift defines what ministry the Lord assigns the Christian.
It is the job of church leaders to teach this novel concept to the young’uns, not intimidate them into getting busy for Jesus. We need to be familiar with spiritual gifts, so we can help Christians to discover theirs and know how to direct them in putting them into use in the church. Think that might work? Hmm…
This would be a fine time to reflect on the subject at hand. Let’s call it a day and meet with Jesus for a spell. See you back here tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
In our last study we were discussing being born again and then growing up spiritually. Let’s continue with this discussion now.
The born again part is known as justification. The growing up part is called sanctification. The born again part occurs as a one time act, just as being born is a one time act. The spiritual growing up part is a continuous process for the rest of our lives, just as is the case of growing up in the natural realm.
And therein lies the problem, dear friends. Not many Christians realize this fact of spiritual life. It is common in the churches to exhort folks to come to the front of the church and “receive Jesus”. When they do so they are patted on the back, given a certificate which declares they are now born again, and sent to the pews to live as good old boys in the church.
Once or twice a year they are subjected to a “revival” service, where they are excoriated for sitting on the pews! They weren’t saved to sit on a pew, you know. They need to get up and get busy! What are they to get busy doing? Your guess is as good as mine. Just stop sitting in a pew and start serving Jesus, y’all hear?
Yep, that is known as revival in the churches. Poor Jesus had to suffer horrifically to get us into heaven. Will we dare repay Him by sitting on a pew like a bump on a log? The shame of it all. Repent, you scalawags! Show Jesus you really love Him. Get busy.
Seems like any ol’ good work is appropriate, so long as we get busy. Trouble is, that is not in the b-i-b-l-e, BIBLE! As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, “The Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.”
Hmm. I have a novel idea. Maybe we should find out what the Bible wants from newly born again folks, rather than bury them alive under a pile of guilt feelings and send them off half-cocked to “serve Jesus”, whatever that means.
Perhaps church leaders—that would be us, my fellow preachers and teachers—perhaps we might want to read Ephesians 4:11-16 to see how the Bible instructs us to rear the spiritual young’uns under our care. The Holy Spirit gifts each Christian with at least one spiritual gift. This gift defines what ministry the Lord assigns the Christian.
It is the job of church leaders to teach this novel concept to the young’uns, not intimidate them into getting busy for Jesus. We need to be familiar with spiritual gifts, so we can help Christians to discover theirs and know how to direct them in putting them into use in the church. Think that might work? Hmm…
This would be a fine time to reflect on the subject at hand. Let’s call it a day and meet with Jesus for a spell. See you back here tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 3
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
Rather than push immature Christians into active duty, it might serve the Lord’s purpose better to put them through boot camp first. Let’s continue discussing our topic now.
In the text quoted at the start of this study, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Colosse. As he did in all his epistles, so too did Paul in his letter to the Colossians. He began with doctrinal teaching, with theological instruction about what it means to become a Christian and be a part of the Body of Christ, His Church.
After submitting his teaching portion of his letters to the churches, Paul finished them with practical instruction for living as a Christian. First we need to know who we are, you see, and then we need to realize what this means for us in day-to-day living. This bears a strong resemblance to Paul’s directions to church leaders in Ephesians 4, to which we made reference already.
Paul didn’t pounce on the young Christians like a ravenous lion, threatening to make them his lunch if they didn’t get busy serving Jesus! He instructed them as to what it means to be a Christian. Then he directed them as to how they were to conduct themselves in their daily living.
It will never suffice for actual Christian living, to install programs and activities in the church in order to draw in new pew-sitters. This contemporary approach to “church growth” is about as intelligent as attempting to have a family by purchasing a half-dozen mannequins, and then lecturing them to get busy and help out with the family responsibilities. Yea, that’ll work.
Indeed! It might be easier than getting along with a spouse, while suffering through the teenage years with real kids. But I bet you a barn full of cows the kids will never amount to much! Rearing kids and having a family is hard work. So too is rearing a congregation from birth through spiritual maturity.
When the emphasis is on first being born again and then getting busy for Jesus, spiritual amnesia follows almost automatically. It is like a baby in the crib. The little thing cries. So its diaper is changed and a nipple is stuffed in its mouth. The dear soul sucks himself full, gurgles and burps, then falls asleep. When nappy time is over, he repeats his routine: cry, diaper, nipple, gurgle, burp, sleep.
Can you imagine mom and dad rudely awakening the little tot from his sleep, then growl at him to stop lying in the crib. After all, he should get up and get busy helping out with the house cleaning and cutting the grass. He might only be 4 months old, but that’s no excuse!
Pardon my fun, but I can’t help myself. Sometimes we Christians are so outrageous in our thinking, it’s inexplicable! Especially when we have Bibles we can read in a cudzillion different translations. I hear a voice from heaven thundering, “Pick one up and read.” Novel thought anyway.
Let’s pause on that note and sleep on it. Oh, we might want to talk with Jesus about it before sleeping on it. Catch you again tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Rather than push immature Christians into active duty, it might serve the Lord’s purpose better to put them through boot camp first. Let’s continue discussing our topic now.
In the text quoted at the start of this study, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Colosse. As he did in all his epistles, so too did Paul in his letter to the Colossians. He began with doctrinal teaching, with theological instruction about what it means to become a Christian and be a part of the Body of Christ, His Church.
After submitting his teaching portion of his letters to the churches, Paul finished them with practical instruction for living as a Christian. First we need to know who we are, you see, and then we need to realize what this means for us in day-to-day living. This bears a strong resemblance to Paul’s directions to church leaders in Ephesians 4, to which we made reference already.
Paul didn’t pounce on the young Christians like a ravenous lion, threatening to make them his lunch if they didn’t get busy serving Jesus! He instructed them as to what it means to be a Christian. Then he directed them as to how they were to conduct themselves in their daily living.
It will never suffice for actual Christian living, to install programs and activities in the church in order to draw in new pew-sitters. This contemporary approach to “church growth” is about as intelligent as attempting to have a family by purchasing a half-dozen mannequins, and then lecturing them to get busy and help out with the family responsibilities. Yea, that’ll work.
Indeed! It might be easier than getting along with a spouse, while suffering through the teenage years with real kids. But I bet you a barn full of cows the kids will never amount to much! Rearing kids and having a family is hard work. So too is rearing a congregation from birth through spiritual maturity.
When the emphasis is on first being born again and then getting busy for Jesus, spiritual amnesia follows almost automatically. It is like a baby in the crib. The little thing cries. So its diaper is changed and a nipple is stuffed in its mouth. The dear soul sucks himself full, gurgles and burps, then falls asleep. When nappy time is over, he repeats his routine: cry, diaper, nipple, gurgle, burp, sleep.
Can you imagine mom and dad rudely awakening the little tot from his sleep, then growl at him to stop lying in the crib. After all, he should get up and get busy helping out with the house cleaning and cutting the grass. He might only be 4 months old, but that’s no excuse!
Pardon my fun, but I can’t help myself. Sometimes we Christians are so outrageous in our thinking, it’s inexplicable! Especially when we have Bibles we can read in a cudzillion different translations. I hear a voice from heaven thundering, “Pick one up and read.” Novel thought anyway.
Let’s pause on that note and sleep on it. Oh, we might want to talk with Jesus about it before sleeping on it. Catch you again tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 4
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
The Church grows in numbers when people are born again. Yet that only begins the story. Each Christian must spiritually mature, just as in the natural realm a baby is born and then must physically mature. The Lord gave parents to teach the babies how to mature. He gives church leaders to rear newly born again Christians into spiritual maturity.
If we don’t want our folks to develop spiritual amnesia, dear pastors and teachers and other church leaders, then we must spiritually rear them into mature men and women of God. This cannot be done apart from the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.
Man’s words about the Bible will do no better than fill their brains with sawdust and ashes. The living Word of God alone can reach their hearts and transform them into the image of Jesus. Without daily quiet time alone with Jesus in prayer and Bible, no personal relationship with the Lord can be cultivated. There is no substitute for this.
Countless church functions and activities only make for a busy beaver congregation. Such a church appears super duper, but they are really only “getting busy serving Jesus”…before they even know Jesus! They are kindergartners who have been sent to establish a new nation in the Promised Land. Such an approach only leads to forty years of wilderness wanderings in the School of Hard Knocks.
To prevent spiritual amnesia was Paul’s goal in his letter to the Colossians. Paul’s cure is best served as preventative medicine. Stop the disease before it even gets started. If it ever does take root, the only deliverance is to give the cure after the fact and hope it succeeds.
Alas, but too often spiritual amnesia keeps the poor afflicted souls from recognizing they have a problem. Hence they aren’t much amenable to the suggestion they take the cure. They’ve become imbued with the practice of “getting busy serving Jesus”. Now that they do so to one extent or another, they are convinced all is right with God. So why fix something when it ain’t broke? (Pardon my French.)
Okay, so what is Paul’s preventative medicine to ward off spiritual amnesia? Listen:
• you have been raised up with Christ
• keep seeking the things above
• you have died
• your life is hidden with Christ in God
• Christ…is our life
• when Christ…is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory
Heady stuff, that. Yet it is so very practical. If I don’t want to lust after every skirt which passes by, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from the passing skirts. If I don’t want to feel cheated because I don’t have as many toys as my neighbor, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from my neighbor’s toys. If I don’t…well, enough of that. We all get the point.
Stop looking at the world and the things of the world and longing for them. Stop spending day-after-day dwelling on the things we want to buy, the places we want to go, the movies we want to see, the restaurants where we want to eat. Stop focusing on the earth and start fixing our gaze on Jesus.
We will finish this topic in our next study. Jesus is Lord! Let’s bow to Him now and enjoy His presence a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Church grows in numbers when people are born again. Yet that only begins the story. Each Christian must spiritually mature, just as in the natural realm a baby is born and then must physically mature. The Lord gave parents to teach the babies how to mature. He gives church leaders to rear newly born again Christians into spiritual maturity.
If we don’t want our folks to develop spiritual amnesia, dear pastors and teachers and other church leaders, then we must spiritually rear them into mature men and women of God. This cannot be done apart from the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.
Man’s words about the Bible will do no better than fill their brains with sawdust and ashes. The living Word of God alone can reach their hearts and transform them into the image of Jesus. Without daily quiet time alone with Jesus in prayer and Bible, no personal relationship with the Lord can be cultivated. There is no substitute for this.
Countless church functions and activities only make for a busy beaver congregation. Such a church appears super duper, but they are really only “getting busy serving Jesus”…before they even know Jesus! They are kindergartners who have been sent to establish a new nation in the Promised Land. Such an approach only leads to forty years of wilderness wanderings in the School of Hard Knocks.
To prevent spiritual amnesia was Paul’s goal in his letter to the Colossians. Paul’s cure is best served as preventative medicine. Stop the disease before it even gets started. If it ever does take root, the only deliverance is to give the cure after the fact and hope it succeeds.
Alas, but too often spiritual amnesia keeps the poor afflicted souls from recognizing they have a problem. Hence they aren’t much amenable to the suggestion they take the cure. They’ve become imbued with the practice of “getting busy serving Jesus”. Now that they do so to one extent or another, they are convinced all is right with God. So why fix something when it ain’t broke? (Pardon my French.)
Okay, so what is Paul’s preventative medicine to ward off spiritual amnesia? Listen:
• you have been raised up with Christ
• keep seeking the things above
• you have died
• your life is hidden with Christ in God
• Christ…is our life
• when Christ…is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory
Heady stuff, that. Yet it is so very practical. If I don’t want to lust after every skirt which passes by, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from the passing skirts. If I don’t want to feel cheated because I don’t have as many toys as my neighbor, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from my neighbor’s toys. If I don’t…well, enough of that. We all get the point.
Stop looking at the world and the things of the world and longing for them. Stop spending day-after-day dwelling on the things we want to buy, the places we want to go, the movies we want to see, the restaurants where we want to eat. Stop focusing on the earth and start fixing our gaze on Jesus.
We will finish this topic in our next study. Jesus is Lord! Let’s bow to Him now and enjoy His presence a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 5
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
To mature, a newborn Christian must be transformed by the renewing of his mind (cf., Romans 12:2). This is really a simple concept. Stop focusing on the things of the world and instead focus on the things of God. This comes from daily time alone with Jesus, spent in prayer and Bible.
Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God”. We died, which means we no longer live. The old man—he who was born naturally as a sinner—died. It’s what happens when we are born again. The old man spent his time dwelling on the earth and focusing on the things of the world. The new man doesn’t live for such things. Really. I mean it. Really.
If we Christians are so caught up in our affluence and the things of this world, it should tell us something. We should recognize from this symptom that the old man is controlling us. The new man is missing in action. If we cannot recognize this, then we can be sure we suffer from spiritual amnesia. It’s that plain and simple, dear friends.
We died, and dead people aren’t supposed to be in control. To remedy this, we first need to realize that the old life is dead. Then we need to realize what the old life is, so that we keep it buried in the tomb. Next we need to fix our gaze above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. After all, we are “in Christ” so we are there too.
It would be silly of me to go to another land and culture, and attempt to live the way I live here. I may want to eat Tombstone Sausage Pizza for supper in the new country, but they might not have any! I may want to take a hot shower when I wake up, but there may not be one! How pathetic it would be to mope about all day every day, dwelling on Tombstone Sausage Pizza and hot showers, huh?
So too is it with the Christian. We died as mere mortals who live for the earth, who feed the natural lusts of the body. We rose out of death “in Christ” and ascended into heaven in Him. We are seated at God’s right hand “in Christ”. We need to reestablish our wants and desires to fit our new culture and country, viz., up above, heaven.
Oh, there is one more part of the medicinal cure for spiritual amnesia. Paul educated the Colossians,
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Even though we are temporarily housed in this worldly tent on the earth, it won’t be long before Jesus will come again and take us to Himself, that where He is we may be also. Hallelujah! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
This being the case—and it is a certainty, dear friends—shouldn’t we keep the old man of the earth in the grave? Shouldn’t we want to acclimate ourselves for the glories of our new life in heaven? We indeed should…unless spiritual amnesia keeps these realities out of sight and out of mind.
We died, dear Christians. The new man lives. He is Christ, our life. He lived for heaven while He walked this earth, and He is in heaven now and still living for heaven. Since He is our life, how can we live any differently? We can’t…unless the old man is in control.
Let’s take the cure. Let’s be gone with spiritual amnesia. Let’s refocus our living from the earth to heaven, from affluence and toys to Jesus and new life. What say ye?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
To mature, a newborn Christian must be transformed by the renewing of his mind (cf., Romans 12:2). This is really a simple concept. Stop focusing on the things of the world and instead focus on the things of God. This comes from daily time alone with Jesus, spent in prayer and Bible.
Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God”. We died, which means we no longer live. The old man—he who was born naturally as a sinner—died. It’s what happens when we are born again. The old man spent his time dwelling on the earth and focusing on the things of the world. The new man doesn’t live for such things. Really. I mean it. Really.
If we Christians are so caught up in our affluence and the things of this world, it should tell us something. We should recognize from this symptom that the old man is controlling us. The new man is missing in action. If we cannot recognize this, then we can be sure we suffer from spiritual amnesia. It’s that plain and simple, dear friends.
We died, and dead people aren’t supposed to be in control. To remedy this, we first need to realize that the old life is dead. Then we need to realize what the old life is, so that we keep it buried in the tomb. Next we need to fix our gaze above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. After all, we are “in Christ” so we are there too.
It would be silly of me to go to another land and culture, and attempt to live the way I live here. I may want to eat Tombstone Sausage Pizza for supper in the new country, but they might not have any! I may want to take a hot shower when I wake up, but there may not be one! How pathetic it would be to mope about all day every day, dwelling on Tombstone Sausage Pizza and hot showers, huh?
So too is it with the Christian. We died as mere mortals who live for the earth, who feed the natural lusts of the body. We rose out of death “in Christ” and ascended into heaven in Him. We are seated at God’s right hand “in Christ”. We need to reestablish our wants and desires to fit our new culture and country, viz., up above, heaven.
Oh, there is one more part of the medicinal cure for spiritual amnesia. Paul educated the Colossians,
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Even though we are temporarily housed in this worldly tent on the earth, it won’t be long before Jesus will come again and take us to Himself, that where He is we may be also. Hallelujah! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
This being the case—and it is a certainty, dear friends—shouldn’t we keep the old man of the earth in the grave? Shouldn’t we want to acclimate ourselves for the glories of our new life in heaven? We indeed should…unless spiritual amnesia keeps these realities out of sight and out of mind.
We died, dear Christians. The new man lives. He is Christ, our life. He lived for heaven while He walked this earth, and He is in heaven now and still living for heaven. Since He is our life, how can we live any differently? We can’t…unless the old man is in control.
Let’s take the cure. Let’s be gone with spiritual amnesia. Let’s refocus our living from the earth to heaven, from affluence and toys to Jesus and new life. What say ye?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 1
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
He was a most pathetic character indeed. He got up in the morning and didn’t know who he was. He didn’t know where he came from. For that matter he didn’t even know where he was! Sounds like a cartoon or a joke, right? Wrong! It’s called amnesia.
Sometimes amnesia is mental, other times physical. Sometimes it is accident related, other times emotional due to shock. Sometimes amnesia occurs as a symptom of illness. Anyone knowing a poor unfortunate with Alzheimer’s Disease abruptly recognizes their memory problems. Stroke victims don’t only face loss of motor skills. They sometimes encounter memory malfunction.
How horrible not to remember a foundational part of one’s life. What must go through the minds of those still in their right senses, as far as recognizing the reality around them, yet they don’t recall their name or where they’re at or what they should be doing. Could anything be more disconcerting, dear friends?
Yes, I can think of something much more disconcerting. Spiritual amnesia is qualitatively more disconcerting! The problem with spiritual amnesia, what makes it so devastating to life, is that those afflicted with it don’t know they have it.
In the natural realm amnesiacs know that they don’t know. They recognize that something’s amiss. In the spiritual realm amnesiacs go right on thinking all is well with the world, when in fact all is anything but well.
The reason for this discrepancy between amnesia in the natural realm versus in the spiritual realm is simple. We live and breath and conduct our lives in the natural realm. I mean, if we didn’t we would no longer be in the natural realm. We would have died already and gone into eternity! Ergo, since we function in the natural realm, we recognize when our natural functioning is out of kilter.
Alas, but this isn’t necessarily the case with our spiritual functioning. Even more, it isn’t usually the case, which is what makes it so dangerous and life-threatening. When we become new creations, born again as spiritual recreations, we are still in our natural bodies in time, space, and matter.
Before a person is born again, he functions only naturally. Christians function both naturally and spiritually. Any person, including a Christian, can easily enough function naturally. After all, it’s natural! A Christian must attempt to function spiritually because it doesn’t happen naturally.
To function spiritually a person must first be born again. Next the person must grow up as a new creation. He must mature spiritually. He must stop being conformed to this world and instead be transformed by the renewing of his mind, so that he recognizes what the good and perfect will of God is (cf., Romans 12:1-2).
We will press the pause button here and call it a day. See you tomorrow. Enjoy Jesus today!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
He was a most pathetic character indeed. He got up in the morning and didn’t know who he was. He didn’t know where he came from. For that matter he didn’t even know where he was! Sounds like a cartoon or a joke, right? Wrong! It’s called amnesia.
Sometimes amnesia is mental, other times physical. Sometimes it is accident related, other times emotional due to shock. Sometimes amnesia occurs as a symptom of illness. Anyone knowing a poor unfortunate with Alzheimer’s Disease abruptly recognizes their memory problems. Stroke victims don’t only face loss of motor skills. They sometimes encounter memory malfunction.
How horrible not to remember a foundational part of one’s life. What must go through the minds of those still in their right senses, as far as recognizing the reality around them, yet they don’t recall their name or where they’re at or what they should be doing. Could anything be more disconcerting, dear friends?
Yes, I can think of something much more disconcerting. Spiritual amnesia is qualitatively more disconcerting! The problem with spiritual amnesia, what makes it so devastating to life, is that those afflicted with it don’t know they have it.
In the natural realm amnesiacs know that they don’t know. They recognize that something’s amiss. In the spiritual realm amnesiacs go right on thinking all is well with the world, when in fact all is anything but well.
The reason for this discrepancy between amnesia in the natural realm versus in the spiritual realm is simple. We live and breath and conduct our lives in the natural realm. I mean, if we didn’t we would no longer be in the natural realm. We would have died already and gone into eternity! Ergo, since we function in the natural realm, we recognize when our natural functioning is out of kilter.
Alas, but this isn’t necessarily the case with our spiritual functioning. Even more, it isn’t usually the case, which is what makes it so dangerous and life-threatening. When we become new creations, born again as spiritual recreations, we are still in our natural bodies in time, space, and matter.
Before a person is born again, he functions only naturally. Christians function both naturally and spiritually. Any person, including a Christian, can easily enough function naturally. After all, it’s natural! A Christian must attempt to function spiritually because it doesn’t happen naturally.
To function spiritually a person must first be born again. Next the person must grow up as a new creation. He must mature spiritually. He must stop being conformed to this world and instead be transformed by the renewing of his mind, so that he recognizes what the good and perfect will of God is (cf., Romans 12:1-2).
We will press the pause button here and call it a day. See you tomorrow. Enjoy Jesus today!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 2
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
In our last study we were discussing being born again and then growing up spiritually. Let’s continue with this discussion now.
The born again part is known as justification. The growing up part is called sanctification. The born again part occurs as a one time act, just as being born is a one time act. The spiritual growing up part is a continuous process for the rest of our lives, just as is the case of growing up in the natural realm.
And therein lies the problem, dear friends. Not many Christians realize this fact of spiritual life. It is common in the churches to exhort folks to come to the front of the church and “receive Jesus”. When they do so they are patted on the back, given a certificate which declares they are now born again, and sent to the pews to live as good old boys in the church.
Once or twice a year they are subjected to a “revival” service, where they are excoriated for sitting on the pews! They weren’t saved to sit on a pew, you know. They need to get up and get busy! What are they to get busy doing? Your guess is as good as mine. Just stop sitting in a pew and start serving Jesus, y’all hear?
Yep, that is known as revival in the churches. Poor Jesus had to suffer horrifically to get us into heaven. Will we dare repay Him by sitting on a pew like a bump on a log? The shame of it all. Repent, you scalawags! Show Jesus you really love Him. Get busy.
Seems like any ol’ good work is appropriate, so long as we get busy. Trouble is, that is not in the b-i-b-l-e, BIBLE! As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, “The Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.”
Hmm. I have a novel idea. Maybe we should find out what the Bible wants from newly born again folks, rather than bury them alive under a pile of guilt feelings and send them off half-cocked to “serve Jesus”, whatever that means.
Perhaps church leaders—that would be us, my fellow preachers and teachers—perhaps we might want to read Ephesians 4:11-16 to see how the Bible instructs us to rear the spiritual young’uns under our care. The Holy Spirit gifts each Christian with at least one spiritual gift. This gift defines what ministry the Lord assigns the Christian.
It is the job of church leaders to teach this novel concept to the young’uns, not intimidate them into getting busy for Jesus. We need to be familiar with spiritual gifts, so we can help Christians to discover theirs and know how to direct them in putting them into use in the church. Think that might work? Hmm…
This would be a fine time to reflect on the subject at hand. Let’s call it a day and meet with Jesus for a spell. See you back here tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
In our last study we were discussing being born again and then growing up spiritually. Let’s continue with this discussion now.
The born again part is known as justification. The growing up part is called sanctification. The born again part occurs as a one time act, just as being born is a one time act. The spiritual growing up part is a continuous process for the rest of our lives, just as is the case of growing up in the natural realm.
And therein lies the problem, dear friends. Not many Christians realize this fact of spiritual life. It is common in the churches to exhort folks to come to the front of the church and “receive Jesus”. When they do so they are patted on the back, given a certificate which declares they are now born again, and sent to the pews to live as good old boys in the church.
Once or twice a year they are subjected to a “revival” service, where they are excoriated for sitting on the pews! They weren’t saved to sit on a pew, you know. They need to get up and get busy! What are they to get busy doing? Your guess is as good as mine. Just stop sitting in a pew and start serving Jesus, y’all hear?
Yep, that is known as revival in the churches. Poor Jesus had to suffer horrifically to get us into heaven. Will we dare repay Him by sitting on a pew like a bump on a log? The shame of it all. Repent, you scalawags! Show Jesus you really love Him. Get busy.
Seems like any ol’ good work is appropriate, so long as we get busy. Trouble is, that is not in the b-i-b-l-e, BIBLE! As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, “The Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.”
Hmm. I have a novel idea. Maybe we should find out what the Bible wants from newly born again folks, rather than bury them alive under a pile of guilt feelings and send them off half-cocked to “serve Jesus”, whatever that means.
Perhaps church leaders—that would be us, my fellow preachers and teachers—perhaps we might want to read Ephesians 4:11-16 to see how the Bible instructs us to rear the spiritual young’uns under our care. The Holy Spirit gifts each Christian with at least one spiritual gift. This gift defines what ministry the Lord assigns the Christian.
It is the job of church leaders to teach this novel concept to the young’uns, not intimidate them into getting busy for Jesus. We need to be familiar with spiritual gifts, so we can help Christians to discover theirs and know how to direct them in putting them into use in the church. Think that might work? Hmm…
This would be a fine time to reflect on the subject at hand. Let’s call it a day and meet with Jesus for a spell. See you back here tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 3
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
Rather than push immature Christians into active duty, it might serve the Lord’s purpose better to put them through boot camp first. Let’s continue discussing our topic now.
In the text quoted at the start of this study, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Colosse. As he did in all his epistles, so too did Paul in his letter to the Colossians. He began with doctrinal teaching, with theological instruction about what it means to become a Christian and be a part of the Body of Christ, His Church.
After submitting the teaching portion of his letters to the churches, Paul finished them with practical instruction for living as a Christian. First we need to know who we are, you see, and then we need to realize what that means for us in day-to-day living. This bears a strong resemblance to Paul’s directions to church leaders in Ephesians 4, to which we made reference already.
Paul didn’t pounce on the young Christians like a ravenous lion, threatening to make them his lunch if they didn’t get busy serving Jesus! He instructed them as to what it means to be a Christian. Then he directed them as to how they were to conduct themselves in their daily living.
It will never suffice for actual Christian living, to install programs and activities in the church in order to draw in new pew-sitters. This contemporary approach to “church growth” is about as intelligent as attempting to have a family by purchasing a half-dozen mannequins, and then lecturing them to get busy and help out with the family responsibilities. Yea, that’ll work.
Indeed! It might be easier than getting along with a spouse, while suffering through the teenage years with real kids. But I bet you a barn full of cows the kids will never amount to much! Rearing kids and having a family is hard work. So too is rearing a congregation from birth through spiritual maturity.
When the emphasis is on first being born again and then getting busy for Jesus, spiritual amnesia follows almost automatically. It is like a baby in the crib. The little thing cries. So its diaper is changed and a nipple is stuffed in its mouth. The dear soul sucks himself full, gurgles and burps, then falls asleep. When nappy time is over, he repeats his routine: cry, diaper, nipple, gurgle, burp, sleep.
Can you imagine mom and dad rudely awakening the little tot from his sleep, then growling at him to stop lying in the crib. After all, he should get up and get busy helping out with the house cleaning and cutting the grass. He might only be 4 months old, but that’s no excuse!
Pardon my fun, but I can’t help myself. Sometimes we Christians are so outrageous in our thinking, it’s inexplicable! Especially when we have Bibles we can read in a cudzillion different translations. I hear a voice from heaven thundering, “Pick one up and read.” Novel thought anyway.
Let’s pause on that note and sleep on it. Oh, we might want to talk with Jesus about it before sleeping on it. Catch you again tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Rather than push immature Christians into active duty, it might serve the Lord’s purpose better to put them through boot camp first. Let’s continue discussing our topic now.
In the text quoted at the start of this study, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Colosse. As he did in all his epistles, so too did Paul in his letter to the Colossians. He began with doctrinal teaching, with theological instruction about what it means to become a Christian and be a part of the Body of Christ, His Church.
After submitting the teaching portion of his letters to the churches, Paul finished them with practical instruction for living as a Christian. First we need to know who we are, you see, and then we need to realize what that means for us in day-to-day living. This bears a strong resemblance to Paul’s directions to church leaders in Ephesians 4, to which we made reference already.
Paul didn’t pounce on the young Christians like a ravenous lion, threatening to make them his lunch if they didn’t get busy serving Jesus! He instructed them as to what it means to be a Christian. Then he directed them as to how they were to conduct themselves in their daily living.
It will never suffice for actual Christian living, to install programs and activities in the church in order to draw in new pew-sitters. This contemporary approach to “church growth” is about as intelligent as attempting to have a family by purchasing a half-dozen mannequins, and then lecturing them to get busy and help out with the family responsibilities. Yea, that’ll work.
Indeed! It might be easier than getting along with a spouse, while suffering through the teenage years with real kids. But I bet you a barn full of cows the kids will never amount to much! Rearing kids and having a family is hard work. So too is rearing a congregation from birth through spiritual maturity.
When the emphasis is on first being born again and then getting busy for Jesus, spiritual amnesia follows almost automatically. It is like a baby in the crib. The little thing cries. So its diaper is changed and a nipple is stuffed in its mouth. The dear soul sucks himself full, gurgles and burps, then falls asleep. When nappy time is over, he repeats his routine: cry, diaper, nipple, gurgle, burp, sleep.
Can you imagine mom and dad rudely awakening the little tot from his sleep, then growling at him to stop lying in the crib. After all, he should get up and get busy helping out with the house cleaning and cutting the grass. He might only be 4 months old, but that’s no excuse!
Pardon my fun, but I can’t help myself. Sometimes we Christians are so outrageous in our thinking, it’s inexplicable! Especially when we have Bibles we can read in a cudzillion different translations. I hear a voice from heaven thundering, “Pick one up and read.” Novel thought anyway.
Let’s pause on that note and sleep on it. Oh, we might want to talk with Jesus about it before sleeping on it. Catch you again tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 4
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
The Church grows in numbers when people are born again. Yet that only begins the story. Each Christian must spiritually mature, just as in the natural realm a baby is born and then must physically mature. The Lord gave parents to teach the babies how to mature. He gives church leaders to rear newly born again Christians into spiritual maturity.
If we don’t want our folks to develop spiritual amnesia, dear pastors and teachers and other church leaders, then we must spiritually rear them into mature men and women of God. This cannot be done apart from the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.
Man’s words about the Bible will do no better than fill their brains with sawdust and ashes. The living Word of God alone can reach their hearts and transform them into the image of Jesus. Without daily quiet time alone with Jesus in prayer and Bible, no personal relationship with the Lord can be cultivated. There is no substitute for this.
Countless church functions and activities only make for a busy beaver congregation. Such a church appears super duper, but they are really only “getting busy serving Jesus”…before they even know Jesus! They are kindergartners who have been sent to establish a new nation in the Promised Land. Such an approach only leads to forty years of wilderness wanderings in the School of Hard Knocks.
To prevent spiritual amnesia was Paul’s goal in his letter to the Colossians. Paul’s cure is best served as preventative medicine. Stop the disease before it even gets started. If it ever does take root, the only deliverance is to give the cure after the fact and hope it succeeds.
Alas, but too often spiritual amnesia keeps the poor afflicted souls from recognizing they have a problem. Hence they aren’t much amenable to the suggestion they take the cure. They’ve become imbued with the practice of “getting busy serving Jesus”. Now that they do so to one extent or another, they are convinced all is right with God. So why fix something when it ain’t broke? (Pardon my French.)
Okay, so what is Paul’s preventative medicine to ward off spiritual amnesia? Listen:
• you have been raised up with Christ
• keep seeking the things above
• you have died
• your life is hidden with Christ in God
• Christ…is our life
• when Christ…is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory
Heady stuff, that. Yet it is so very practical. If I don’t want to lust after every skirt which passes by, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from the passing skirts. If I don’t want to feel cheated because I don’t have as many toys as my neighbor, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from my neighbor’s toys. If I don’t…well, enough of that. We all get the point.
Stop looking at the world and the things of the world and longing for them. Stop spending day-after-day dwelling on the things we want to buy, the places we want to go, the movies we want to see, the restaurants where we want to eat. Stop focusing on the earth and start fixing our gaze on Jesus.
We will finish this topic in our next study. Jesus is Lord! Let’s bow to Him now and enjoy His presence a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Church grows in numbers when people are born again. Yet that only begins the story. Each Christian must spiritually mature, just as in the natural realm a baby is born and then must physically mature. The Lord gave parents to teach the babies how to mature. He gives church leaders to rear newly born again Christians into spiritual maturity.
If we don’t want our folks to develop spiritual amnesia, dear pastors and teachers and other church leaders, then we must spiritually rear them into mature men and women of God. This cannot be done apart from the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.
Man’s words about the Bible will do no better than fill their brains with sawdust and ashes. The living Word of God alone can reach their hearts and transform them into the image of Jesus. Without daily quiet time alone with Jesus in prayer and Bible, no personal relationship with the Lord can be cultivated. There is no substitute for this.
Countless church functions and activities only make for a busy beaver congregation. Such a church appears super duper, but they are really only “getting busy serving Jesus”…before they even know Jesus! They are kindergartners who have been sent to establish a new nation in the Promised Land. Such an approach only leads to forty years of wilderness wanderings in the School of Hard Knocks.
To prevent spiritual amnesia was Paul’s goal in his letter to the Colossians. Paul’s cure is best served as preventative medicine. Stop the disease before it even gets started. If it ever does take root, the only deliverance is to give the cure after the fact and hope it succeeds.
Alas, but too often spiritual amnesia keeps the poor afflicted souls from recognizing they have a problem. Hence they aren’t much amenable to the suggestion they take the cure. They’ve become imbued with the practice of “getting busy serving Jesus”. Now that they do so to one extent or another, they are convinced all is right with God. So why fix something when it ain’t broke? (Pardon my French.)
Okay, so what is Paul’s preventative medicine to ward off spiritual amnesia? Listen:
• you have been raised up with Christ
• keep seeking the things above
• you have died
• your life is hidden with Christ in God
• Christ…is our life
• when Christ…is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory
Heady stuff, that. Yet it is so very practical. If I don’t want to lust after every skirt which passes by, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from the passing skirts. If I don’t want to feel cheated because I don’t have as many toys as my neighbor, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from my neighbor’s toys. If I don’t…well, enough of that. We all get the point.
Stop looking at the world and the things of the world and longing for them. Stop spending day-after-day dwelling on the things we want to buy, the places we want to go, the movies we want to see, the restaurants where we want to eat. Stop focusing on the earth and start fixing our gaze on Jesus.
We will finish this topic in our next study. Jesus is Lord! Let’s bow to Him now and enjoy His presence a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 5
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
To mature, a newborn Christian must be transformed by the renewing of his mind (cf., Romans 12:2). This is really a simple concept. Stop focusing on the things of the world and instead focus on the things of God. This comes from daily time alone with Jesus, spent in prayer and Bible.
Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God”. We died, which means we no longer live. The old man—he who was born naturally as a sinner—died. It’s what happens when we are born again. The old man spent his time dwelling on the earth and focusing on the things of the world. The new man doesn’t live for such things. Really. I mean it. Really.
If we Christians are so caught up in our affluence and the things of this world, it should tell us something. We should recognize from this symptom that the old man is controlling us. The new man is missing in action. If we cannot recognize this, then we can be sure we suffer from spiritual amnesia. It’s that plain and simple, dear friends.
We died, and dead people aren’t supposed to be in control. To remedy this, we first need to realize that the old life is dead. Then we need to realize what the old life is, so that we keep it buried in the tomb. Next we need to fix our gaze above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. After all, we are “in Christ” so we are there too.
It would be silly of me to go to another land and culture, and attempt to live the way I live here. I may want to eat Tombstone Sausage Pizza for supper in the new country, but they might not have any! I may want to take a hot shower when I wake up, but there may not be one! How pathetic it would be to mope about all day every day, dwelling on Tombstone Sausage Pizza and hot showers, huh?
So too is it with the Christian. We died as mere mortals who live for the earth, who feed the natural lusts of the body. We rose out of death “in Christ” and ascended into heaven in Him. We are seated at God’s right hand “in Christ”. We need to reestablish our wants and desires to fit our new culture and country, viz., up above, heaven.
Oh, there is one more part of the medicinal cure for spiritual amnesia. Paul educated the Colossians,
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Even though we are temporarily housed in this worldly tent on the earth, it won’t be long before Jesus will come again and take us to Himself, that where He is we may be also. Hallelujah! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
That being the case—and it is a certainty, dear friends—shouldn’t we keep the old man of the earth in the grave? Shouldn’t we want to acclimate ourselves for the glories of our new life in heaven? We indeed should…unless spiritual amnesia keeps these realities out of sight and out of mind.
We died, dear Christians. The new man lives. He is Christ, our life. He lived for heaven while He walked this earth, and He is in heaven now and still living for heaven. Since He is our life, how can we live any differently? We can’t…unless the old man is in control.
Let’s take the cure. Let’s be done with spiritual amnesia. Let’s refocus our living from the earth to heaven, from affluence and toys to Jesus and new life. What say ye?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
To mature, a newborn Christian must be transformed by the renewing of his mind (cf., Romans 12:2). This is really a simple concept. Stop focusing on the things of the world and instead focus on the things of God. This comes from daily time alone with Jesus, spent in prayer and Bible.
Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God”. We died, which means we no longer live. The old man—he who was born naturally as a sinner—died. It’s what happens when we are born again. The old man spent his time dwelling on the earth and focusing on the things of the world. The new man doesn’t live for such things. Really. I mean it. Really.
If we Christians are so caught up in our affluence and the things of this world, it should tell us something. We should recognize from this symptom that the old man is controlling us. The new man is missing in action. If we cannot recognize this, then we can be sure we suffer from spiritual amnesia. It’s that plain and simple, dear friends.
We died, and dead people aren’t supposed to be in control. To remedy this, we first need to realize that the old life is dead. Then we need to realize what the old life is, so that we keep it buried in the tomb. Next we need to fix our gaze above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. After all, we are “in Christ” so we are there too.
It would be silly of me to go to another land and culture, and attempt to live the way I live here. I may want to eat Tombstone Sausage Pizza for supper in the new country, but they might not have any! I may want to take a hot shower when I wake up, but there may not be one! How pathetic it would be to mope about all day every day, dwelling on Tombstone Sausage Pizza and hot showers, huh?
So too is it with the Christian. We died as mere mortals who live for the earth, who feed the natural lusts of the body. We rose out of death “in Christ” and ascended into heaven in Him. We are seated at God’s right hand “in Christ”. We need to reestablish our wants and desires to fit our new culture and country, viz., up above, heaven.
Oh, there is one more part of the medicinal cure for spiritual amnesia. Paul educated the Colossians,
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Even though we are temporarily housed in this worldly tent on the earth, it won’t be long before Jesus will come again and take us to Himself, that where He is we may be also. Hallelujah! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
That being the case—and it is a certainty, dear friends—shouldn’t we keep the old man of the earth in the grave? Shouldn’t we want to acclimate ourselves for the glories of our new life in heaven? We indeed should…unless spiritual amnesia keeps these realities out of sight and out of mind.
We died, dear Christians. The new man lives. He is Christ, our life. He lived for heaven while He walked this earth, and He is in heaven now and still living for heaven. Since He is our life, how can we live any differently? We can’t…unless the old man is in control.
Let’s take the cure. Let’s be done with spiritual amnesia. Let’s refocus our living from the earth to heaven, from affluence and toys to Jesus and new life. What say ye?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
