The Blessed Life

 

Blessed is the man

 who walks not in the counsel of the wicked\ nor stands in the way of sinners,

 nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

 and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree

 planted by streams of water

 that yields its fruit in its season,

 and its leaf does not wither.

 In all that he does, he prospers.

 The wicked are not so,

 but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

 nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

 but the way of the wicked will perish. - (Psalm 1 ESV)

What we meditate on shapes our minds, wills, and emotions. Our actions are determined by our thought-life. Meditating on God’s word day and night is foundational to the life of the disciple, and there is no Christianity without discipleship. Holy Scripture is “God-breathed.” God’s words have creative power – he spoke the world into existence. He raises those who are spiritually dead to life with His word. The inner life of a disciple is formed by the Word of God through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. 

The revelation of who God is causes us to get a glimpse of his transcendence. 

Meditating and contemplating the truth of God brings stability to our lives. Transformed thinking leads to a profound sense of joy and peace even in times of uncertainty. As New Testament believers we have the Spirit abiding in us at all times.

“I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8 ESV)

This transformation of our inner person is the outcome of gazing at the beauty of Jesus, as revealed in the Gospel. King David was careful to use his sanctified imagination to “set the Lord always before him.” The Holman Christian Standard Bible says, “I keep the LORD in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8)

King David ask God to create in him a clean heart. God’s creative activity in the human heart never ceases. And just as our Creator created the human race by breathing life into Adam, so he has created a new race called Christians, by giving us his Spirit. We are, spiritually speaking, a new creation in Christ, whom God has created out of the midst of fallen humanity.

God has given his children access to the blessed life – which means true happiness. A key component to spiritual growth is avoiding the counsel of the wicked, at all cost. And to avoid the talk and the reasoning of those who scoff at God and his people. This is an essential part of the Spirit-led life.

As we consistently engage God in prayer, and meditation on the Scripture – our souls will flourish and prosper. Listening to Hollywood, the media, politicians, and the talking heads of popular culture can lead us into spiritual depression. But, our attentiveness to God’s voice brings a deep sense of joy in a confused and negative world. “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 NLT)

Having confidence in the nearness of God is the key to our enjoyment of him. So even when His presence is not felt – we still know that Jesus is with us. And that “he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) 

The goal of our lives is to be conformed to the image of Jesus.

Rooted In Good Soil

“Truth is a great fertilizer for the soul.” – Stuart McAlpine

If a tree is not planted in good soil and well-watered with the right nutrients, it will eventually wither and die. According to Stuart McAlpine, the picture we see in Psalm 1 is probably of a tree planted near an irrigation channel in Babylon, while the Jews were living in captivity. This is an interesting observation because even if we are planted in enemy territory, we can still flourish spiritually if we seek the Lord.

We are God’s trees and we must feed off the word of God if we are to prosper spiritually, like the man mentioned in Psalm 1. We must be intentional about our spiritual growth. This requires turning off the computer and television at times and tuning out all other distractions.

Eugene Peterson teaches that we must meditate on Scripture the same way a dog chews on a bone. This is a much more aggressive form of meditation than most of us have understood. This requires a day and night preoccupation with the truth.

 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7 ESV) 

 

….that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love… (Ephesians 3:16-17 ESV) 

Jesus Christ is the good soil that God has planted us in.

Spiritual Blessings In Christ

” Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” – (Ephesians 1:3-10 ESV)

The book of Ephesians has always fascinated me. It tells us who we are in Christ and who he is in us, and that we are blessed in Him. It teaches us that our redemption comes through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It also reveals God’s plan of grace to conform us into his image. We see that God chose us and set us apart for himself before the creation of the world. And, that God reveals his master plan to unite all things in his Son. Everything and everyone which was made by Jesus (which is everything and everyone) will be summed up and have its meaning in Him.

I’m not really into the whole predestination debate anymore. I’m satisfied that God is both sovereign and that humans can make free choices. The ultimate goal of the Apostle Paul’s instruction here; is that we are conformed into the image of Jesus – not to argue how God chooses his elect.

We have been chosen to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be spiritually seated with him in the heavenly realms. We know that only those who are “in Christ” will experience eternal life with Jesus now, and in his coming Kingdom. God has marked us out and called us as sons and daughters. We are Christ’s inheritance and he has a lot invested in us.

Jesus is the source of our blessing and he delights in his children. The fact that we are seated in 

“heavenly places” with him should lead us to pursue his heart for all people. Some say we can be “so heavenly minded, that we’re no earthly good.” But, I don’t see that as my problem, or, an issue with the western Church as a whole. If we would access the “mind of Christ” we would have his perspective on life in this present evil age. 

We live in between what theologians call, ‘the now and the not yet of the age to come.’ Our quest should be to discover all that God has for us in this age “in Christ” as we experience his great grace and the power of the age to come, to some degree now. And, how we can impact people with the love of Christ that we have experienced.

As I delve more and more into the book of Ephesians, I find a pang of hunger in my heart for a deeper intimacy with God.

Divine Reality and Our Inner Being: Part 2

 

Read Ephesians 3:14-19

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. The Spirits’ ministry is supernatural. And He gives us an understanding that we cannot obtain by our study and natural effort, alone. Our spirits are enlightened by God’s Spirit in our hearts – which is our innermost being. That’s where all spiritual transformation takes place. Which ultimately results in a change in our outward behavior.

As believers, we must ask God to reveal himself to us, so that as the NIV translates it: “you may know him better.” We first come to know him through our initial salvation experience, but that’s only the beginning of our spiritual journey. The knowledge of God is a never-ending process for those who pursue him. And, God desires to make the debts of his love, wisdom, and power known in ever-increasing ways. He’s a holy but very personal God.

We have been set apart by God as his holy people so that our behavior will be in harmony with his will for our lives. We are His inheritance. And his will is that we will become more like Jesus (over time) through the transformation of our character. The theological word for this is sanctification.

As Disciples of Jesus, we are God’s inheritance and we have his resurrection power living inside of us. 

We must ask (pray) for an understanding of the “immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might,” which is what God has given us in Christ. For the most part, the full extent of this power is untapped in our lives. We overcome the evil impulses of the world, the flesh, and the Devil by allowing the resurrection power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to dominate our thinking. As we discover God’s power in us, we are more effective in supernatural ministry.

The Ephesians understood that the spiritual atmosphere was evil and they were up against dark powers – that controlled unbelievers. Those same dark forces still operate in our world today. The Churches during biblical times understood what they were up against spiritual darkness. But, sadly many in the modern Church don’t have even a basic understanding of spiritual warfare. Paul was reassuring Christians that all these evil entities are under Christ’s feet. We desperately need more understanding of the resurrection power that God has given us access to today. And this comes to us, in response to our prayers. So let’s keep asking.

Note: The point of the knowledge of him has nothing to do with what God knows, but with what believers are to know (hence, “your…knowledge”). Further, the author’s prayer is that this knowledge of God would increase, not simply be initiated since he is writing to believers who already know God (hence, “your growing knowledge of him”). NET Bible, bible.org

Divine Reality and Our Inner Being

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” – (Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV)

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41 NIV)

The Holy Spirit mysteriously abides in the “inner being” of all followers of Jesus. When we become sensitive to His Spirit he can reveal and impart his life and heart, to our minds and change our desires. When we press into God or seek his face through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can be guided by the truth of His Word, and prayer. Our internal conflicts can only be resolved by God’s indwelling Spirit. The spirit of a person that has experienced new-birth, desires to do the will of God, in his or her inner being.

When we come under the power of temptation we must learn to rely on the Holy Spirit. We can only be renewed daily, by the Spirit who is – “Christ in you, the hope of Glory.” The renewal of our inner being is crucial in our battle with, the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The un-renewed Christian mind falls back into old sin patterns and is conformed to the surrounding culture, to one degree or another. We can stand strong in the Lord, by trusting in the finished work of Christ, and by the renewal of our spirits by the Holy Spirit. Without day and night meditation on the Word, and on things above, we drift into sin and deception. (Ps.1) And we become unfruitful and ineffective in what God is calling us to do.

Our thinking directs our actions and behavior. So, right thinking is critical as we walk out our lives before God. Our thought lives must be dominated by truth so that we can experience “soul prosperity”. When our souls (thought life) are dominated by and filled with, the Word and the Spirit, we will experience incremental change, if we don’t give up.

Praying for the renewal of the inner man needs to become part of our prayer lives daily. Praying the prayers of the Apostle Paul will help in the process of discovering all that God has given us in Christ Jesus. These are God-breathed prayers, that if prayed consistently over a long period, will bear fruit.

The love of Christ surpasses our understanding. This kind of spiritual comprehension is revelatory. It supernaturally touches both our mind and emotions. God’s love fills us with unspeakable joy.

Recently, I was pondering on the possibility that many Christians today are avoiding God. And, that we often seek to hide from Him behind our religious activities.

 I was reflecting on the endless Bible studies and sermons that speak to our intellect, more than to our hearts. All of these activities are important, but the goal of spiritual knowledge is to come to know God more intimately.

The Scripture was meant to teach us Biblical doctrine and to renew our minds. But, it takes both the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to bring about spiritual transformation in our lives.

God has given us the Holy Spirit, but it’s our responsibility to learn to fellowship with Him.

I see two major drifts in certain spiritual movements, that troubles me. One group focuses on a demonstration of the power of God. And that’s a good thing, as long we allow the Holy Spirit to deal with our character flaws. Also, a more intellectual movement that seeks to study Biblical theology, at the expense of God’s presence. There are exceptions in the body of Christ to both of these groups.

It’s not sufficient to know what the Apostle Paul knew, without experiencing God as he did. Our study of Biblical doctrine will only come alive as we seek to experience God for ourselves.

 I thought the quote below by A.W. Tozer concerning Paul summed up my point well. It speaks of those who study truth but neglect to seek God’s presence.

“For them, the truth becomes a veil to hide the face of God; for Paul, it was a door into His very Presence. Paul’s spirit was that of the loving explorer. He was a prospector among the hills of God searching for the gold of personal spiritual acquaintance. Many today stand by Paul’s doctrine who will not follow him in his passionate yearning for divine reality. Can these be said to be Pauline in any but the most nominal sense?” (1)

(1) Tozer, A. W.. Keys to the Deeper Life. Pioneer Library. Kindle Edition.