Category: Level: Intermediate

By substituting for our sin Christ also substituted for our shame. True shame is rooted in our sin or in sin inflicted on us. When humans rebelled in the Garden they became corrupt and they became aware of their corruption. In this way, all of us have shame. Some have a much stronger experience of shame because of life experiences. By curing us of our sin he cured us of the shame that comes with it. His crucifixion was the ultimate shameful event in history and it was the comprehensive payment for all our shame. Since there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom. 8:1), there is also no shame to bind us. Our New Adam self is shame-free because it is made in the image of Christ, though our old self might lead us into shame or others may inflict shame on us. When we live Continue Reading →

It is important to take time to consider the ways in which our habits and behaviors harm people around us. The harm may not even be intentional, but if we allow a harmful habit to continue then we are responsible for the damage it causes. Sometimes our habits harm others in the sense that they keep us from projecting God’s goodness and blessing to others as we otherwise could. Our actions obscure God’s light shining through us like mud on a window obscures sunlight. What does God think of this? How will he judge your life? How do you want your biography to read when you enter the next age of the New Creation? So what do we if we have a bad habit that is harming our relationships? What if we have prayed and tried to break it but we can’t make much progress? Obviously, such habits are opposed Continue Reading →

We will naturally desire to experience the sweet love of our Beloved, and this is good. Wouldn’t it be sad if we did not desire this? Thus, our challenge is to desire to experience the love of the Beloved in this life as well as the next, while at the same time completely letting go of control of making that happen and being content if we don’t experience it. Instead, we focus on walking in the Spirit, Christformation and doing God’s will. This is one of the great challenges of the Christian life. It may take an entire life to fully embrace this tension. We should enjoy spiritual pleasure as long as God provides it, as long we as focus on God and not the pleasure. This means we do not cling to the pleasure. The spiritual hedonist focuses on their own will being done (their desire for pleasure) while Continue Reading →

Sometimes we think we are not able to accomplish Christformation and defeat a bad habit because we need something more when in fact we do not need anything more. God has already provided the strength inside us so it is within our character, or maturity level. If we commit ourselves to it then the change will come. Popular culture may tell us to just be ourselves, or that other people are responsible for all our problems, but Jesus calls us to actively grow up into new Adams who can overcome life’s challenges. A simple exercise will illustrate how your character relates to transformation. Think of a minor bad habit that you want to break. Commit yourself to abstain from the habit for one week while you look to Christ. Most people will find that they can succeed. This is because it was within their character, and they just needed to Continue Reading →

When it comes to the relationship between God’s will and human will we are diving into a profound mystery that cannot be fully understood. The question cannot be completely answered because it is not clearly answered in Scripture. In order to answer this question we would have to understand how God’s will operates inside the depths of God which we cannot do because God’s nature is so far beyond our nature. We would also have to understand the details of how God relates to time and the nature of time itself. We cannot do this either. Even human will is a mystery to us. Considering how much we don’t know is it really possible to make assertions on this matter that are not clearly stated in Scripture? If we venture beyond Scripture, then we will find ourselves clinging to shaky speculations. What we can do is embrace what God has Continue Reading →