Spiritual Ponderings

If all humanity was taken up 'in Christ' when Jesus died and was resurrected, then how does the fact that most will be lost fit into that model? This is a question that many think shoots down this concept. As I see it so far, simply acknowledging that every human is now 'in Christ' is not sufficient to deal with the problem of disharmony between God's pure, passionate divinity and our rebellion and hostility toward such an environment. Sin creates within our hearts a lethal liability that will self-destruct if exposed to the atmosphere of pure love. Sin is so hostile toward selfless love that even when that kind of love is veiled significantly, humans feel so uncomfortable around it that they feel compelled to either run away or to attack it and try to destroy the person exhibiting such love. This is why they ultimately killed Jesus and has been the cause of all persecution throughout the history of this world. Being 'in Christ' does not in and of...

Forgiveness is the opposite of taking offense and blaming. Blaming gives away our authority over the pain that is produced in us by offenses that have happened to us, making that authority unavailable to us so that not even God can heal that pain or resolve the problems resulting from unforgiven offenses. When we hold someone else responsible for the pain they have caused us and refuse to take ownership of it ourselves, we hand over to them our God-given authority we need for our own healing and turn ourselves into victims incapable of healing or maturing beyond the point where we took that offense. Begging God for healing or forgiveness for ourselves then becomes useless because we no longer have the authority necessary to give Him permission to access the pain inside of us caused by that unforgiven offense. The reason Jesus teaches us the importance of forgiving others so that God can forgive us pivots around this key issue of authority. So long as we continu...

Pride is the counterfeit of boldness. It strips away the most important foundation of godly boldness, humility. Humility is the secure identity that provides the needed backup for effective boldness unafraid of the opinions or persecutions of others. Because one has a solid base of security in Christ and all value comes exclusively from God, humility becomes bold to boast about knowing God. Thus says the LORD: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth; but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the LORD; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24) Pride is a false identity front desperate to convince others of its authenticity. Pride is in denial of the true emptiness of the inner soul driven by fear of discovery of the shame being hidden or rep...