Pioneers! O Pioneers!

nearlyhillary:

There are heaps of Christians that believe this holy day is a day where we celebrate and convict others. They say things like “die to yourself everyday and carry the cross”. And I agree with that statement. But the point of Easter isn’t about saving people or scaring them into believing in Christ….

So I read through all of 1 Corinthians yesterday night and was completely overwhelmed by so much awesomeness! 

I was moved by the Spirit through these words in more ways than I can describe and I absolutely needed to read what I read. So I thought I’d share with you one of the big principles that was revealed to me. 

As I poured over the text, the first place Paul addresses the sexual immorality of the Corinthian church is in Chapter 5. Within this context of addressing sexual sin (he actually starts with writing about hearing a report concerning incest), Paul goes into an incredible metaphor using yeast and it’s effects in bread to parallel sin. THEN, he ends the chapter addressing judgement in and outside of the the church… this is where I want to dive in with you:

I Corinthians 5:9-13 (MSG) 

I wrote you in my earlier letter that you shouldn’t make yourselves at home among the sexually promiscuous. I didn’t mean that you should have nothing at all to do with outsiders of that sort. Or with crooks, whether blue- or white-collar. Or with spiritual phonies, for that matter. You’d have to leave the world entirely to do that! But I am saying that you shouldn’t act as if everything is just fine when one of your Christian companions is promiscuous or crooked, is flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory. You can’t just go along with this, treating it as acceptable behavior. I’m not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don’t we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house.

So here’s several things I picked up through this:

• Paul is not saying we should abandon or avoid those outside the church who we might define as immoral. Many times I find myself trying to avoid situations where I have to lean into a world of darkness where God may not be known, and it sickens me that I do this. Sure it’s easy to go on a mission trip to a foreign country organized by your church, but it’s so much harder to share the love of Christ with the smelly, drug addicted, alcohol induced hobo asking for money on your city street corner and back alley. Yet these are the ones outside the church. Which leads to my next point:
• God decides on the outsiders. In the NIV translation, this reads “God will judge those outside” in verse 13. Paul asks in verse 12 “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?” (NIV). This, paralleling the Message interpretation, speak volumes into our everyday lives. Who are we to judge those outside the church? It’s not in our job description. Though we are called to teach and share the Gospel with all nations (Matthew 28:16-20), according to Paul we are not asked to condemn or judge anyone outside of the church. That is God’s job.
• This one seems to be the hardest to take in:
  
  You shouldn’t act as if everything is just fine when one of your Christian companions is promiscuous or crooked, is flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory. You can’t just go along with this, treating it as acceptable behavior. 
  
  Paul is calling us to be accountable with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When reading the NIV, ESV, etc. be sure to note that when Paul talks about brothers and sisters, he’s not talking about your genetic family, he’s talking about the church, he’s talking about believers. 

And this is SO tough because you, just like me, know people who may call themselves Christians yet continually neglect to live as Christ intended us to. In the same way, WE are just as screwed up in our ways as well and will likely look hypocritical when we “judge” other Christians. Therefore, I developed a few criteria that I think are great to follow when approaching a fellow believer:

1. Don’t Judge. After all, Jesus commands us not to judge others, unless we want to be judged in the same manner (Matthew 7:1-5).
   Futhermore, Jesus states “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” (John 12:47 NIV) If we are to become like Christ, the very attribute that defines us as Christian, then we must not judge because He didn’t.
2. So since, we should not and cannot judge, then let’s be accountable to one another who are in Christ. Paul’s asking us to do more than just call people out, or assess them behind their backs (which is judging at its finest). But Paul asks (as interpreted in the Message) “don’t we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers?” This responsibility we should feel for one another is accountability. And accountability is not only for addressing sin, but also bolster each others faith!
   
   For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. - Jesus (Matthew 18:20 NIV).
3. Lastly, and what I think is most important, is be accountable to fellow Christians in LOVE.
   
   A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. - Jesus (John 13:34-35 NIV)
   
   Not only are we to love another like Christ has loved us, but those outside of the church will know us by how we love each other inside the church! This is crucial! How can we show the love of Christ to outsiders, to atheists, to agnostics, or to other world religions when we treat each other, in our own faith, like crap? So if you don’t love the person your about to be accountable to, then don’t even start the conversation (for a good definition of love, see 1 John 4:7-12). What I mean by this, is we really need to ask ourselves: Am I calling my Christian friend out because they’re making other Christians, including myself, look bad? Or am I doing this because I sincerely love them and want the absolute best for them in Christ? I hope we aways choose the latter.

——————————————————————————————————————

If I cannot uphold these three values, then I have no right to say who’s “out of line” or when to “clean house.” 

So in conclusion, through my own interpretation I state:

We should take responsibility for our fellow Christians shortcomings, just as Paul suggests. However, we must do this without judgement and with love, as Jesus commands, and accountability. 

You know sometimes I think about writing a post and end up not posting after about the first sentence because sometimes it’s just not what I feel called to post about. If I am to let God, the Holy Spirit speak through me divinely, then I must respect His every movement within me, even when I’d rather do otherwise.

So I felt called to share with you, lovely readers, the importance of honesty. Short and sweet, is that there’s a reason lying is a sin. God isn’t a “fun-sucker,” He just knows what’s best. Simple as that. He’s like an amazing parent combined with your best-friend, all without the flaws. They call you out, kindly, and discipline you, not in a harsh way, but all in a loving,cherishing, “you’re my own flesh and blood” sort of way. Is it not true when we bear the name “Christian,” we are entering into being a part of the Body of Christ?

Right now, I am surrounded by a few people currently who are straight up with me, even when they may not want to be. And it means so much to me. Sometimes, let’s be honest (bada boom chhh), we hate the truth because it usually reveals something about ourselves that we don’t like. Many times we lead entire lives composed of a lie just to impress others or distract them from the real us… and during all that time we’re wasting we’re missing out on real-life, a life to the fullest.

Which is why lying just sucks, and honesty rocks.

When we surround ourselves with people who are lovingly honest, we enter into a community that allows so much growth because we aren’t held back by fake goals or motivations. Not to mention you start to be honest too…

I’m reminded constantly in the Gospel how Christ was lovingly honest to His followers and disciples, and rewarded those who were honest with Him. In Luke, Jesus is asked to heal a centurion’s servant. This centurion ended up not speaking a word to Jesus personally (according to Luke’s account, he just kept sending friends or messengers to them to speak to Jesus on his behalf). The centurion felt that he was unworthy to even be in Jesus’ presence. The centurion understood that God was on His way to his house, and he was totally unworthy, even to speak to Him. The centurion, a “man of authority,” was honest with himself: his authority was nothing compared to His.

Though I may not command a hundred men, I have tough issues with my pride, and pride often stems from the inability to be honest with myself, to recognize that I am not in control.

Because of the centurions faith, his servant was healed and Jesus exclaimed that he had yet to find faith as strong as the centurions, even in Israel (where the people were supposed to have the MOST faith!!!).

My hope is that you engage your faith honestly. Ask questions, discuss doubts with others, be accountable to one another. We are all a part of this enormous dysfunctional family called the Church and the only way to start establishing solid foundations is to: 1) rely solely on Christ who spoke the Word of God and 2) be lovingly honest with one another.

Lying is simply the Enemy’s tool that delays us from achieving the love, blessings and hopes of Christ through others.

and a simple one at that.

Today I was thinking, you know I ask for God’s will to be done, but very rarely recognize it when it happens. I very rarely look back on a situation retrospectively and say, “Wow God, you totally answered my prayer.”
It’s like we surrender to Him, but fail to see the blessings of our devotion.

When Jesus taught the disciples to pray (which is now known as the Lord’s prayer), part of what He says is: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” Your will meaning God’s will. (Matthew 6:10 HCSB)

So let’s change perspectives here for a second. Let’s first ask ourselves before we pray that His will be done, if it’s already being done. Simple as that. Has Christ fulfilled what you have asked for before? For me, I asked that He would provide an understanding of how to address a problem in a relationship, and He has. Christ has revealed to me the way I should approach, engage and lead relationships. I should let Him define a relationship, not my own actions or her own actions, but Your actions as an example to ours…

“on earth as it is in Heaven.”

That’s the crazy thing. When we surrender to God, we get to be a part of Heaven and earth colliding in this massive effort of restoration! See friends, salvation is not only at hand but restoration along with it!

and God isn’t done in my life or yours. The Holy Spirit isn’t done moving in me, or you!

A quote I will never forget: “God loves you as you are, but too much to let you stay the same.”

It’s the catch to unconditional love. His love is unwavering, and we are helpless to resist it.

So today on my drive home I prayed something a little different. I thanked God that His will has, is and always will be done in my life.

and now as I re-read my post before pubishing, it’s like He said “Your Welcome”
because you and I both know, I’m too ignorant, fallen and flawed to make this stuff up.

restore my soul.

I am yours.

Save me from myself.

I am yours.

I am yours.