Redefined

In Star Trek: Picard, the comment is made, “A point comes in a man’s life when he looks to the past to define himself. Not just his future” (3:1). That started me thinking about the many things that define us. Most of us probably start with our family of origin, current family, and career. While those things are important, they are not ultimate. Christians can look at the past, present, and future to reveal who we are.

Our past started before the beginning of time.

• “[God] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph. 1:4).
• “For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:29).
• “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Ps. 139:16).

Our stories started long before we were even conceived or imagined by our parents. Our origins point to the Creator of the universe, who chose us to belong to Him.

In the present, our roles are defined by the One we call Lord and has gifted us to serve Him.

• “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Rom. 12:11).
• “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Pet. 4:10).
• “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Cor. 12:27).

Our calling is to follow God’s commission to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20a).

For the future, we look ahead to the day when Christ returns and makes everything new and perfect, when He will judge all peoples.

• “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God... According to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3:11-13).
• “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak” (Matt. 12:36).
• “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him” (Heb. 9:27-28).

If our future is to dwell with God, that should impact the decisions we make here and now.

In short, by looking at the past, present, and future I define myself as a child of God, a servant of God, and an heir of His eternal kingdom. Since that is true, I choose to live in obedience to Him, by His grace and to the best of my ability, as I look forward to that final day when we meet face to face.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation… training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-12).

© 2024 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Belonging

Recently I was listening to a podcast from a Christian source talking about LGBTQ labels and identities. Although I disagreed with some of what was said, it did make me think more broadly about the desire of every human being to find a sense of belonging. We all want to feel that we are loved, accepted, and appreciated, but sometimes we look in the wrong places for that community. Our children and youth are subjected to an increasing number of identity “options,” as well as peer pressure to declare their chosen labels (although some change frequently!). Things were a bit simpler back in my school days when there were just a few cliques based on activities and not usually based on personalities, preferences, and attractions. We all knew that once we graduated most of those groups would disappear.

As Christians, we should be the people who are most comfortable with our identities and community—after all, we belong to the God who created the universe, who made us in His image and adopted us into His eternal family through faith in Jesus Christ. Our core identity as children of God doesn’t change. “You also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the death, in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Rom. 7:4).

In practice, however, many Christians still struggle with feelings of alienation, shame, and rejection. Churches tend to adopt certain standards of what a good Christian or a godly man or woman should look like, and whether we realize it or not, often those standards are based more on conservative culture than on biblical definitions. Some of us may feel like we don’t quite fit in if we look a little different, have different interests, or struggle with certain temptations that are deemed taboo to even talk about. We’re all sinners covered by the mercy and grace of God.

It’s often been said that Sunday morning is the most segregated time of the week. This isn’t just true of race, but of other characteristics as well. Some folks church-hop until they find one where everyone is just like them. Some churches segregate the ages into different groups. Churches separate themselves theologically based doctrinal distinctives. There’s a cowboy church down the road. You name it, there’s probably a church for it.

And yet every true believer is part of the same family, united under the headship of Christ and supposedly pursuing the same mission. What would it take for us to focus more on what we have in common in Christ than on the traits that separate us from other believers? How might we remind one another that we do belong together, even though we are each unique in many ways? I don’t have the answers, but I know that we adults need assurance that we are loved and accepted just as much as our kids do.

“In every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:35). “I… urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called… eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-2).

© 2023 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Who Am I?

In many things I’ve read and listened to recently, I’ve seen a variety of comments about identity. In this helpful video from the ERLC, Katie McCoy described our cultural conflict as being an emphasis that “identity is self-created versus identity is God-given.” Whether we’re discussing gender and sexuality, personality tests, or a myriad of other topics, we’re being told that your identity is defined by how you feel. People are urged to adopt whatever labels fit them at a particular time, and then change them as often as they wish. It’s confusing for all of us to try to keep up.

The deeper issue is that every person is trying to figure out where they fit in the grand scheme of life. Those of us who have been out of school for a while can remember the various cliques that existed in our day. My high school had the jocks, popular kids, band geeks, nerds, and stoners among others. There wasn’t a whole lot of question who was in each group. After graduation most people settled into life-stage categories—college, singles, married, children, middle age, and retirees.

Now it seems like the labels are constantly changing for every age group. That can largely be tied to the increasing individualization of Western culture. No longer are we defined by our place in our local village, but we have infinite choices—where to live, what kind of work we do and who to work for, what entertainment we pursue, where or if we go to church, who we want to associate with, etc. Each choice tends to group us with certain people and segregate us from other people. If we decide we don’t quite fit in one group, we’re free to relocate to another group. So we’re constantly trying to determine what identity label best fits us at any given time. Expressive individualism is the rule of the day.

We’ve lost our sense of belonging to a relatively consistent community. The church ought to be a pillar of light and truth in this darkness and uncertainty. Andrew Walker said in the above video, “We need to recapture the idea that there are universals—universal truths… consistent with our design as human beings.” Our identity needs to be tied to how and why God created us, our role in His eternal family, and how He has gifted us with abilities and relationships.

One of the challenges we face, even while we attempt to preach the truth of God’s Word, is the tendency to adopt stereotypes that are not based in Scripture. There is a saying that “If you’ve met someone on the autism spectrum, you’ve met one person on the spectrum.” In other words, the traits and characteristics are so diverse that stereotypes are often meaningless. The same can be said of many other labels. Yes, there are some binary categories—for example male (XY) and female (XX)—but the interests, abilities, and traits of men or women, married or single, young or old, educated or uneducated, are highly variable and often overlapping. If we focus too much on cultural stereotypes, we may unintentionally alienate people who are looking for their place in our community.

I’ve wrestled with the question of identity in a variety of ways. As a Gen X single woman (among other labels), I often focus more on the things that separate me from other people than on the things that unite us. But I’ve been reminded that if we actually take time to get to know one another deeply and spend unstructured time together, we’ll usually find that we have a lot more in common than we might otherwise assume. One recent highlight for me was several hours in a van with coworkers just chatting and asking goofy questions. Even though most of us have worked together for years, it made me feel more connected to our little community.

We in the church need to remember that relationships are not built by sitting together through a worship service, but by sharing life together in a wide variety of circumstances. Our identity is not simply as children of God, but as brothers and sisters walking together through life. We can’t have the Father without also connecting to our siblings. If we find our place in the “village” of our local church, it will go a long way toward helping us feel secure, loved, and accepted in our unchanging identity in Christ and in this world.

“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:27-28).

© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Losing It

 Jen Oshman writes in Enough About Me:

“The cultural air we breathe fills us with optimism. And so we take deep breaths, and we keep running for the goal. Create your own destiny. You be you. Reach for the stars. You can be a self-made woman. You are in charge of your own happiness. You get what you give. Never let them see you sweat. Follow your dreams. Make it happen. You are enough… Almost without exception and as if on cue, we reach the end of ourselves. The coffee cup is empty. The self-talk grows quiet. We collapse on the couch. We are tired. This isn’t working. Someone send help” (26-27).

While other Christian authors are trying to tell us we’re “exactly enough” and “find your best life now,” Scripture presents a different picture. In the Apostle Paul’s letters we read:

“God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong… so that no human being might boast in the presence of God… ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:27, 29, 31 ESV; see also 2 Cor. 10:13-18).

“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor. 3:4-5).

“But [God] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor. 12:9).

And our Lord Jesus Himself said, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:34-35). Taking up your cross daily sounds a lot different than “become the best you you can be.” And praying “give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) is a picture of dependency, not accomplishment. Oshman goes on:

“Undoubtedly you’ve heard the comforting American quip, God never gives us more than we can handle. And perhaps you’ve thought to yourself, Really? Because this feels like a lot more than I can handle. I’m with you—in my experience, God often gives us way more than we’re comfortable with, so that we might cry out to him… This turning to God is a sort of death. We ultimately realize we cannot handle ourselves, our souls, our futures, our contentment. We need something. Someone, outside of ourselves. We need our Creator who is also our Redeemer, our rescuer, our load bearer” (66).

I don’t know about anyone else, but I am frequently reminded of my inadequacy and weaknesses. I can’t do all I need to do and all I want to do, and I can’t be anything I want to be. Years ago I read that the cross we each must bear is our own weakness in all its forms—unfulfilled desires, temptations, physical and mental limitations, lack of abilities and opportunities. It is perhaps the antithesis of the American dream.

There is no strength to be found by “believing in yourself.” Freedom doesn’t come from being self-accepting and authentic. Rather, strength and freedom are found in Christ alone as we rely on Him to accomplish His work in and through us. The Christian life is not about maximizing our potential but resting in Christ—not what I can do but what He has done. Denying myself and losing my life means letting go of what I want and think I need and embracing whatever God supplies. And it’s not just sinful desires that must be surrendered either—there are many good desires that God will not fulfill in this lifetime. Each of us probably have things that we wish were different in our lives and we may even be praying for God to change them, but He may be saying “My grace is sufficient, just trust Me.”

I can’t change myself or my world, but I can choose to trust the One who is in control of all things. I can’t pull myself up by my own bootstraps, but I can believe in the One who upholds me by His hand.

“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me… And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:12-13, 19).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

A Child of the King

In the children’s story Sara Crewe by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the young Sara lives in a boarding school and is suddenly orphaned. The headmistress begins to treat her as a slave. But Sara has a way of handling the abuse by imagining she is a princess. She tells herself:

“You don’t know that you are saying these things to a princess, and that if I chose I could wave my hand and order you to execution. I only spare you because I am a princess, and you are a poor, stupid, old, vulgar thing, and don’t know any better… I am a princess in rags and tatters, but I am a princess, inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth-of-gold; it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.”

As I was reflecting on the story and thinking maybe I need to try that tactic sometime, it hit me that I don’t have to imagine it—it’s already true. I am a child of the King of kings. I’ve been adopted into the royal family.

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:15-17a ESV).

“He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will” (Ephesians 1:5).

We all need to remember who we are. Though we probably won’t say it out loud:

• When people are abusive, “I’m a child of the King.”
• When someone says something inconsiderate, “I belong to God.”
• When the world mocks and condemns my faith, “I’m part of the family of God.”
• When suffering seems unending, “I’m loved with an everlasting love.”
• When I mess up and start condemning myself, “I have the righteousness of Christ.”
• When fellow Christians say or do aggravating things, “He or she is my brother or sister in Christ.”

I particularly like the reminder that it would be easy to be a prince or princess if everyone could see that’s what we are, but it is a challenge when we outwardly look the same as any other person. We are sanctified and matured by the process of clinging to the truth of who God says we are regardless of what the world tells us. It is a triumph of grace when we can live out of our new identity even when others can’t understand it.

I can’t end without a quote from C. S. Lewis:

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors” (The Weight of Glory).

We may not look or feel like princes and princesses right now, but if we know God as our Father that is our true identity.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:a).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Who's Who

The Gospel Coalition posted this brief video on the subject of identity. Although the title ties it to sex and gender, it really applies all discussions of identity. It reminded me of a quote from Brennan Manning: “Be who you is, ‘cause if you ain’t who you is, you is who you ain’t.” The problem is that who we think we are often does not align with who God has made us to be. He is our Creator and He has absolute ownership rights over us, so He is the one who defines us. If that is true then:

I am not my temptations.

I am not my sins.

I am not my history.

I am not my wounds.

I am not my failures.

I am not my successes.

I am not my relationships.

I am not my academic degrees.

I am not my career.

I am not my abilities.

I am not my nationality.

I am not who I once was.

Who am I?

I am adopted as a child of God (Rom. 8:16).

I am chosen by God (1 Thess. 1:4).

I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17, Eph. 4:23).

I am clean (1 Cor. 6:11).

I am justified (Rom. 5:1, 1 Cor. 6:11).

I am sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11, Heb. 10:10).

I am free from condemnation (Rom. 8:1).

I am a member of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27).

I am God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10).

I have been set free from sin (Rom 6:18).

I am loved by God (1 John 4:9-10).

I am His worker and ambassador (Eph. 2:10, 2 Cor. 5:20).

We all need to be reminded of the truth frequently—perhaps multiple times per day. The experiences of this life often seem more real than the truths of God’s Word. The old self seems all too lively in spite of having been crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6). As Sam Allberry said in the video above, “the old self hasn’t left the building yet, and I feel his presence daily.” Scripture is full of the reminders we need, if we’ll just take the time to read it, pray through it, and believe it.

“Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3 NJKV).

Here are a few songs I’ve found helpful as well:

  “You Are More” -Tenth Avenue North

  “I Belong” -The Digital Age

  “Remind Me Who I Am” -Jason Gray

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Marked for the Master

“I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to Me, declares the Lord, that they might be for Me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen” (Jeremiah 13:11b ESV).

The last few words of that verse are convicting. Because they didn’t listen, the Israelites were exiled from the Promised Land for many years. Though they were still God’s people, they were not bringing Him praise and glory through their actions, words, and worship. Interestingly, the New Testament authors use similar phrasing regarding who we are as Christians:

“[Christ] gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

We belong to God and we bear His name. We are meant to represent Him through purity, good works, proclaiming His Word, and glorifying Him. We are to walk in His light so that we may stand out from this dark world. But are we doing any better than Judah and Israel were back in Jeremiah’s time? Do we show ourselves to be “set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:20)?

Living in the Bible belt, I know a lot of nice, moral people, but the number of people who are clearly living for the glory of God is a lot lower. People can mistakenly assume that someone who is kind and decent must be Christian. We may also believe that someone who attends church functions on a regular basis is therefore a Christian, but that may not be true either. The ESV Bible titles Romans 12:9-21 “Marks of the True Christian,” but even in that list of instructions there is little that could not be imitated by non-Christians. Consider the following verses (emphasis added):

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:14-15).

 “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

“But whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked” (1 John 2:5-6).

Charles Spurgeon wrote in Following Christ:

“If we add to our churches by becoming worldly or by taking in people who have never been born again, or if we add to our churches by accommodating the life of the Christian to the life of the people of the world, our increase is nothing at all” (ch. 7).

I fear that there are many people sitting in church pews or listed on church rolls who have no idea what it really means to be a Christian. They may call themselves Christians, but they do not truly bear the name of Christ by living for His glory and praise. They have no desire for holiness or for the kingdom of God, but think that being a nice person is all the witness they need to give.

Let’s make sure we truly belong to Him.

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? –unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Original image copyright free from pixabay.com modified. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Keep Eternity in View

I was listening to a Family Life Today podcast the other day in which a speaker said, “I want you to introduce yourselves; but you can’t say what you’ve done, who you’re married to, or accomplishments that you’ve had in your life.” How hard would that be for some of us? We tend to define ourselves by our relationships and our activities. In a different setting, the question was asked, “What is one thing you couldn’t live without?” The answers given tended to be a spouse or parent. We’re on shaky ground if we define ourselves or weigh our lives by any temporal thing. Jobs will end, family members will die, health will fail, and abilities will fade. How might our lives look different if we clung to what is eternally true instead of what is passing away?

If we keep an eternal perspective, we won’t expect people to be something they’re not. No spouse can meet all our needs for love and support. No child can fulfill all our dreams for them. No pastor or teacher has perfect wisdom and counsel. No friend can be available at all times. Only God is perfectly loving, wise, powerful, and present. “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16 ESV).

If we keep an eternal perspective, we won’t expect earthly pursuits to satisfy us. No job feels enjoyable and purposeful every day. No entertainment can give us lasting pleasure. “And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil… and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (Eccl. 2:10-11).

If we keep an eternal perspective, we won’t be crushed by life’s losses. Death, pain, unemployment, divorce, and disease all lose their sting when viewed from eternity. They may hurt for a time, but “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4), and nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39).

If we keep an eternal perspective, we need not worry about the things of this life. Our greatest needs have been met in Christ. The judgments are man are meaningless when we are accepted by God. The risks of death are minor compared to eternal life. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? …But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:25, 33)

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Our purpose is to glorify God. We don’t have to look to a spouse, children, a career, or even a specific ministry to give us purpose. We can glorify Him through the seemingly mundane things of life as we seek His will and follow Him day by day. As God’s beloved children, we know we have eternal security, hope, purpose, and joy in Christ alone.

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1-3).

© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Guess Who

Recently someone asked me if I thought that we would recognize people after the Second Coming. My answer was, “Sure. Although marriage won’t exist anymore, there’s no reason we wouldn’t know each other.” I think her main concern was that we would be mourning those who weren’t saved. While I do think there will be a period of mourning at the judgment, we are promised that “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4 ESV). I don’t know exactly how God will do that, but I think we will be so consumed with His glory that the former things will not matter in comparison. In The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis imagines hell as being so minuscule and insubstantial that those in heaven are unaware of its existence. Personally, I believe in the complete annihilation of the unsaved after the judgment, so there would be no reason to mourn those who no longer exist.

If God were planning to wipe away all our memories, there is no logical reason for our current existence. He could create new, sinless beings and do away with this fallen world. Our life here and now is integrally related to our future existence in eternity.

Here are some other relevant passages:

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” While I think this refers first to our knowledge of God, I believe it will also apply to our knowledge of one another. We will truly know each other as brothers and sisters in Christ and not just as friends or acquaintances. Currently we only know those things that people choose to share with us. In eternity we’ll know each other with a depth of intimacy that right now probably induces some degree of fear in us.

In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 we learn, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” Our godly responses to the trials and difficulties we face in this life are creating some kind of eternal beauty that we do not yet see. One day we’ll look back at our own lives and the lives of others and see how each of us was shaped and made to reflect Christ. We will know things about one another that we can only guess at now.

The fact that we will know one another should be motivation for sharing the Gospel. Otherwise one might say, “I like Joe, but I’m not going to remember him later, so there’s no reason for me to embarrass myself by bringing up the Bible.” Eternal life doesn’t begin after death; it begins whenever we come to faith in Christ in this life: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36). “And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). For the believer, death will be just a temporary interruption prior to receiving a new body.

Jesus did not lose His divinity when He came in the flesh, but rather He added a human nature. Now the resurrected Christ is both fully God and fully man. Similarly, once we receive our resurrection bodies, we will still be fully human and, I would contend, will be even more human than we are now. Our bodies will be imperishable (1 Cor. 15:53) and we will have more abilities than we have now, not less (e.g. John 20:19). We will be like God in ways that we cannot now imagine, but He will still be infinitely greater. And regardless of how it all works out, we can be assured that it will be glorious and that every moment of pain will be worth it all (Rom. 8:16-25)!

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

You Are More

This weekend I was reading a couple different books that used the same phrase. The first was a novel by Marianne Evans, in which a character said that her infertility made her feel “less than.” In comparing herself to others, she felt she came up short every time. Mary DeMuth reflected the same feelings in Live Uncaged as she evaluated herself after a history of sexual abuse. Perhaps you’ve felt that way as well. I know I have. It may not be infertility or abuse that color our self-perception. Things that make us feel less can include:

• Lack of education or experience
• Being unmarried or separated
• Children who have strayed
• Loss of a job or home
• Health concerns
• Criticism from others
• Body size or shape
• Lack of skills (social, artistic, sports, etc.)
• Not matching cultural stereotypes

…and the list goes on. Any area in which we judge others is an area in which we can feel “less than.” Sometimes other people try to label us as inferior, but we often do it to ourselves as well.

God wants to remind us “You are more!” More than the sum of our abilities or lack thereof; more than our education and skills; more than the roles we take on as spouses, parents, employees, ministers; more than our accomplishments or our failures. The song “You Are More” by Tenth Avenue North is a great reminder that our value is not determined by what we do, but by the One who chose us as His own.

As our church was reminded in Sunday’s sermon on 1 Corinthians 4:1-13, human judgment is superficial. While it is easy to say we shouldn’t judge others (and in fact we get judgmental about judgmentalism), it’s not always so easy to deflect the judgment we heap on ourselves for our perceived inadequacies and failures. Most of our supposed shortcomings probably aren’t even known to anyone else, but we berate ourselves anyway. Mary DeMuth shared what her husband told her, “Mary, I would never treat you that way, and you wouldn’t treat others that way. Why in the world would you treat yourself like that?”

Even as I was planning to write this post I found myself thinking, “Why am I such an idiot?! I deserve ___!” God had to remind me once again “You are more than the sum of your past or present mistakes.” Mary put it this way:

• “You are not the person devalued by others’ casual opinions.
• You are not the sum of your righteous (or unrighteous) acts.
• You are not a thing to be consumed or used.
• You are not small and unworthy.
• You are not insignificant.
• You are not deserving of deceit.
• You are not the words spoken over you.
• You are not what they say you are.

You are who He says you are:

Beloved.

Welcomed.

Cherished.

Powerfully weak.

Beautifully rejuvenated.

Whole.”

The music video of Jason Gray’s song “Remind Me Who I Am” is a testimony to the power of God’s truth in our lives. No matter what label we think we deserve, God reminds us we are His beloved children. Even if He has to remind us every day, He is delighted to do so to keep us from being overwhelmed by the lies.

“I am my beloved’s and His desire is for me” (Song of Solomon 7:10 ESV).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

A Wanderer No More

I wasn't going to post this since I've written similar things recently, but it occurred to me that if an idea is repeatedly stirring in my mind, it is probably doing the same to other folks.  So here's what's on my mind:

In Prone to Love, Jason Clark talks about the line in the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" that says "prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love." He says that this should not be the testimony of a Christian. He writes:

"Because of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, and because I have said yes to Him, I am no longer prone to wander. Just the opposite, I am prone to love Him! The moment I said yes to Jesus, my very nature underwent a radical transformation" (164).

He lists several Scriptures to support this point:

• Romans 6:11 (ESV) "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

• Colossians 3:3 "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

• Ephesians 4:24 "Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

• 1 John 3:9 "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God."

The truth is that believers are no longer sinners prone to wander, but saints who have been set free from sin's dominion. Yes, we will still wander at times, but that is not our natural tendency anymore. Our new nature is inclined to love God and serve Him if we will listen to the new Master. 

I was thinking about this last Sunday as we celebrated communion, and I was reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote:

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4).

I've wrestled with Clark's comments. I have often sung "prone to wander" with great feeling. But I can see how that binds me and blinds me to think of myself in wrong terms. (I was prepared to skip that line when we sang the hymn this week, but we sang the version below.) If I want to walk in this "newness of life," it requires retraining my brain to remember my new identity in Christ. 

This idea is hard to grasp, probably because we know old nature, and we know how difficult the struggle against sin can be. But God is reminding us we are no longer sinners. We aren't even sinners saved by grace. We are saints, citizens of the Kingdom, children of the Father, and new creations in Christ. 

"For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).

 

Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
Bind my yielded heart to Thee.
Let me know Thee in Thy fullness;
Guide me by Thy mighty hand
Till, transformed, in Thine own image
In Thy presence I shall stand.

(Authorship of this verse is unclear but is assumed to be public domain. Please notify me if you know otherwise.)

© Dawn Rutan 2016.

New and Improved

In some recent reading I encountered the idea of “sins of identity,” where we justify or even celebrate sin by saying “That’s just the way I am.” In our scientific-oriented society, we tend to point to biological factors to explain and excuse the way we think, feel, and behave. But a genetic proclivity towards alcoholism (for example) does not mean drunkenness is okay. Genes are only part of the story.

I think sometimes the difficulty comes in discerning what things are truly sin and what are just normal variances in personality types and interests. To take this a step further, what elements of personality and socialization are part of the flesh and therefore eliminated in the new creation, and what ones are not? I don’t think heaven will come with a complete personality overhaul. However, if anything is related to fear/anxiety or pride/shame, obviously that will have to be removed. The question is, what should that look like now as we are being conformed to the image of Christ and transformed by the renewing of the mind?

I started researching Scriptures that speak to the difference between the old man and the new creation. Probably Galatians 5:19-23 is the clearest list of what needs to go and what needs to grow:

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (ESV, see also Colossians 3).

I’m sure we can all find some things in those verses that we need to work on. My prayer at this point is that God would give me specific direction and reproof where needed, and would remove any false guilt the enemy seeks to lay on me. I don’t want to become overly introspective, but nor do I want to become calloused to God’s work in my life. Finding that balance is not easy. It is clear that we all have blind spots, and the things I see in myself may not be my biggest problems. It would be easy to tune out what others may have to say.

As I was thinking about the contrast between old and new, I coincidentally read a couple different chapters and took note of these verses:

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ...” (Philippians 3:8).

“I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced” (2 Corinthians 12:21). “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:19).

What stood out to me was that in Christ even the good seems bad, but in the flesh even the bad seems good. For those who know the surpassing worth of Christ, even the best achievements and successes of life pale in comparison. But for those who do not value Christ, all the evils of this world start to look desirable and laudable. I think of some who claim to be Christian but have embraced a sinful identity, and I wonder if they will be among those who hear “Depart from Me, I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23). I pray that those I love will not fall into that trap of self-deception.

My hope is that I would never desire anything above the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ” and I would “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). And as we heard in last Sunday’s sermon on Wisdom & Discipline, we who are in the Body of Christ have an obligation to remind and correct one another in love. May we never shirk that duty out of fear or ignorance.

“The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 15:31-33).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.