Pure Blood Transfusion

Another epiphany just happened in my head. For some reason I began thinking about the word “purity”. I also identified internally my lifelong typical reaction to that word as something of an impossible demand by a holy God looking for excuses to fault me. Of course my picture of God is rapidly changing away from such horrible lies, but there are still many pockets of residual associated lies in my head that need to be exposed for what they are and replaced with truth consistent with the rest of the truth I am so excited about. This is definitely one of them.

As I thought about this word “purity” and how I have typically thought about it, I began asking questions about what it really means and why it is that God is so emphatic about it. There must be a reason that God is so particular about His people being completely pure – not just mostly pure. And the reasons must be consistent with the goodness and kindness and mercy of God, not darkened with the skewed images of an angry, vengeful tyrant-God waiting to point out my failures and inflict punishment.

Then the answer suddenly struck me with perfect logic. How would a patient feel who was in urgent need of a blood-transplant to save his life if he was informed that the blood he was to receive was not completely pure but was probably safe for the most part? It only contained an extremely small percentage of deadly viruses, but that should not be of much concern since it was mostly pure.

Of course, if the patient knew anything about medicine and health he would be amazed that anyone would have the audacity to even suggest such an idea. Why would anyone in their right mind be willing to settle for a transfusion of blood that was tainted in the slightest with anything that held the potential of killing him with an infection from some dangerous organism? Why not demand only the purest blood, even if there was only one place in the world from which to receive it? Why play into the hands of death when there was a perfectly pure alternative that would guarantee life, especially if that life could last forever?

When looked at from that perspective, purity of life and character in the light of eternity makes much more sense, especially from heaven's point of view. Think about the serious and valid doubts and questions that billions of intelligent beings throughout all of the universe must have about God's plans to introduce humans into the perfect atmosphere of heaven to live there forever. It is quite plain to them the results that the infection of sin and selfishness produces in the horrible experiment being played out on this planet. They certainly must not want any part of that infection spreading anywhere else in the cosmos and they have legitimate reason to wonder how God intends to deal with that issue in His public plans to import humans into the very center and hub of all the life of the universe, the very nerve center that connects to every other part of the cosmos. What is going to prevent us from carrying even the smallest element of this deadly virus with us to someday reinfect our hearts and again spread and wreak havoc once again?

Some would suggest that God will simply wipe sin away from our minds so that we will not be dangerous carriers. But that is to deny the most precious thing that God has endured millennium's of pain to protect – the complete freedom of all His created beings to love from free choice. God is extremely jealous of our freedom of choice, even to the extent of allowing sin to flourish in that open environment without ever using force against anyone's freedom to choose, to stop its spread. That is the most mind-boggling thing that most people simply cannot bring themselves to believe about God. But God has insisted on using something He declares is far more powerful than force – pure, untainted, selfless love.

Yes, sin has flourished all too well in the rich atmosphere of freedom and that is why so many believe that the antidote to sin is to remove freedom itself. But that is not God's ways but is part of the lies conveyed by the originator of sin himself; that is part of the makeup of the virus of sin that has infected us. Force, fear, shame and blame are all part of the satanic psychosis that robs us of freedom and insists that freedom is a luxury that cannot support a perfect environment.

But God says that freedom is of such a rarified nature that only complete purity of love can be the fuel for all its participants. That is why purity is of such urgent importance to God – not because He is dogmatic and fault-finding but because He is determined that this will be the only round of sin that will ever take place without giving up the slightest bit of a universe filled with complete freedom. Purity is necessary for freedom, for real love, for safety, for securing an eternity free from reinfection of sin. Ask any good medical lab technician about maintaining purity for a safe environment of health. The slightest introduction of contamination into a pure medium can become a deadly compromise. I am sure those more familiar with this area than I am could come up with much better explanations and analogies than I can.

The really good news is that though it is impossible for any one of us to purify ourselves and make ourselves perfect and safe for heaven – well, what the Law could not do, God did through His Son. (Romans 8:3,4) He came up with an incredible plan called salvation (which means healing, restoring to original perfect condition) whereby anyone who submits to be molded and transformed by abiding in Christ and being led by His Spirit will be made safe and pure and eventually free of all traces of selfishness and sin viruses. The blood used for this transfusion is none other than the perfect, pure, uncontaminated blood of the Son of God who submitted to be murdered by sinners like us so that we would come to believe in the grace and love and kindness of a pure and holy God.

Given that context for the idea of purity, I believe that purity is something I desire, even crave. I want to be restored to full health in every part of my existence and I certainly don't want any secret sin-virus hiding out in any part of my being waiting to reinfect me and cause more misery and death to myself and those around me. I also know that I cannot accomplish this by my efforts and that only the work of the Spirit of God within me can accomplish this herculean project. But God has promised unequivocally that He is going to finish the work that He began in me. I hold Him to His word, for He is able to do what He says He can do.

God, fill me with Your presence today and make me completely pure in every way. Thank-you for Your promises and Your passionate love and Your faithfulness. Transform me into a little Christ today, a carrier of Your antidote to sin – perfect and selfless love. Let my heart be more synchronized with Your heart today and make me a magnet for You by allowing Your love to flow through me more openly. Increase Your presence in my life today for Your name's sake, for Your reputation.

According to the Spirit - Part 2

As I started to do a few days ago and got caught in Romans 8:28, I want to explore deeper what it looks like to live according to the spirit. It just makes sense that if this is the kind of life I want to live and enjoy then I need to fill my mind with the information, instructions and descriptions of what it involves. Here are clues that I find throughout chapter 8.

1 ...there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2 ...the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

3 (God did) what the Law could not do by sending His own Son – He condemned sin in the flesh,

4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 ...those who are according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

6 ...the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,

9 ...you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. (If one has the Spirit of Christ he belongs to him)

10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

12 ...we are under obligation, (but) not to the flesh,,,

13 ...if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" (Daddy)

16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

21 ...creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

23 ...we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

24 For in hope we have been saved...

25 ...we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good at a point in time, because of God's unfailing, totally selfless love, for those who respond to His invitation to be transparent before His presence from their hearts.

31 ...If God is for us, who is against us?

32 (God will) freely give us all things.

33 ...God is the one who justifies (us);

34 ...(Jesus is the one) who intercedes for us.

37 ...in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is a great deal of clues to sort through. I certainly can't process all of them at once, but I always find it very helpful to condense opposite ideas down to their simplest form so that I can see them more clearly and see the relationships between the various points made about one side.

I felt a confirmation this morning of the impressions and conclusions I have been contemplating the past few weeks about spirit vs. flesh being internal vs. external, heart vs. mind. While reading one of my devotional books I read the following statement.

Spiritual life is not nourished from within, but draws its nutrition from Christ, as the branch does from the vine. We are dependent upon Christ every moment; He is our source of supply. All our outside forms, prayers, fastings, and alms-giving cannot take the place of the inward work of the Spirit of God on the human heart....

One branch is not to borrow its sustenance from another. Our life must come from the parent vine. It is only by personal union with Christ, by communion with Him daily, hourly, that we can bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit. . . . Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness, all depend on our union with Christ and the degree of faith we exercise in Him. {SD 290}

I want to do much more than simply learn with my mind what it looks like to live according to the spirit. I want these things to stimulate and guide my heart into an intimate union with Christ to become a flaming conduit of God's passion. These emotions and desires are impossible to condense into mere words. That is why I need so much the intercession of the Holy Spirit who searches my heart and understands how to translate between my heart and God's mind. I want Romans 8 to not just be another chapter I read in the Bible but to be a vivid description my own experience. So help me God!

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Offensive God

I was just told about an interesting episode that has happened in Oregon. Some posters were put up in malls (with permission) inviting people to a conference in November about the character of God. The large picture on the posters was so provocative to some religious people who cannot accept the real truth about God's love that they demanded the posters be taken down.

Check it out yourself. You can see the picture as well as read the news story here.

Pulling My Chain by the spirit

It is becoming more clear to me that the bottom line, the underlying choice I have – that anyone has – is the direction that I choose to face in living my life. Success or failure spiritually really is like the analogy of the chain. Naturally I am prone to think that employing force, even to myself, is the way to success. But using fear and force, gritting my teeth and depending on my willpower, utilizing formulas to figure out what is best for me even if I ask for help and wisdom from God to assist me, is pushing the chain in attempting to get spiritual growth.

But chains simply are not designed to be pushed anymore than humans have been designed to be pushed and forced. Through many illustrations God makes it clear that His ways are not to drive us to Him but to attract us to Him. The good Shepherd does not drive His sheep but leads them. And the main reason they follow Him is not from fear but because they know His voice and they are attracted to it. Any other model comes from the lies of the enemy.

Romans 7:25 clearly describes the arrangement of the life of a person who believes the Law of God is good, who wants to fulfill the requirements of the Law to please God, but is trying to “push his chain” to get to that goal. Paul identifies this arrangement as living in the flesh, serving the Law through the flesh. The way he is pushing the chain is by putting the mind ahead of the spirit part of his makeup. The problem is not because he is using his mind to serve God but is because he is trying to lead or control his life with his mind instead of allowing his spirit to be drawn to the attractions of Jesus. It is the direction of the internal relationship that is so critical here, the relationship between the mind and the heart. Whenever we are trying to operate our life by living more from the mind and intellect than we are allowing our heart to lead us, we are living in the flesh and are trying to push our chain to please God and become righteous. No matter how plausible or religiously correct or morally attractive it may sound, it simply does not end up with the results that we hope for.

Paul makes this even more emphatic in chapter 8. “Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:7-8) At first glance many assume that this is describing a person who is not a Christian, who is not even trying to serve God. But that is not the case. This is a description of anyone who is trying to push their chain to serve God, who is trying to lead their life with their mind to serve the law of God.

I think this becomes even more clear when one of the stories of Jesus is viewed in this light. “On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.'” (Matthew 7:22-23 NRSV) Notice that Jesus never denies anything that they claim they did for Him. In Paul's terminology they were serving the Law of God with their mind. Apparently they believed that if they performed correctly that they would deserve to get into heaven and enjoy eternal life.

But the real underlying problem, that they refused to believe, was that they were trying to please God by “pushing their chains” instead of allowing Jesus to “pull their chains” through an intimate attraction to His heart through a vital connection with their spirit. The “knowing” talked about in this instance is the kind of “knowing” that a husband and wife enjoy in their loving intimacy with each other. When we change the direction of our attention and our hearts are allowed to lead us instead of our minds, and Jesus is allowed to lead our hearts, then our chain can tighten up and we will begin to move into the intimacy required to find ourselves in the place described by the other group in Jesus story.

“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21 NRSV) If we fall into the trap of externalizing this “will of my Father”, we find ourselves right back into serving the Law with our mind while serving the law of sin with our flesh. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)

It only makes sense that to live in the presence of God for eternity it would be necessary to live in a way that pleases Him. After all, if we are not pleasing to God but are living in His presence, it would be an impossibility, for to be close to God and yet out of sync with His nature (the Law) is nothing short of pure torture and a description of hell itself. Hebrews says that to please God we must have faith.

But this faith is not the kind of artificial faith that is produced by working very hard with our mind to believe something not willingly embraced with our heart. That is serving the Law with our mind – trying to lead ourselves with our mind instead of our heart.

Real faith is spontaneous and is a result of a growing intimacy of the heart and spirit with the heart and Spirit of God. Faith is simply the natural trust that happens inside of anyone toward someone they have come to know well enough to realize they are worthy of trust. The most obvious exhibition of real, mature faith is found in Revelation chapter 5, one of the glorious worship services indulged in by everyone who sees the real worth of Jesus and responds to the attractions of His love for us.

I choose today to reorient my focus on what is the leader in my makeup. I want to pay much more attention to the condition of my spirit and stay in connection with God's Spirit while containing my intellect to its proper role as supporting advisor. I want to learn by experience what it means to live from my heart with my spirit being led by the Spirit of God. “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!'” (Romans 8:14-15)

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According to the Spirit - Part 1

I started out this morning looking for what it means to set my mind on the spirit mentioned so many times in Romans 8. As I scanned down through the verses picking up clues and bits of information to form a description, I came across the very popular text of Romans 8:28. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” I remembered some people's comments about some of the words not being in the original so I decided to look back at the Greek and see what insights I might find there.

I was startled when I carefully examined the Greek words behind this text and saw a very different picture of what it says here. Here is an alternative wording of this verse from what I find in the definitions of the Greek words from Strong's.

But we perceive that all (things, people, the whole gamut daily) cooperate (mysteriously) at a point in time – because of the totally selfless love (agapao) of God – for the benefit of those who accept the invitation to focus their mind on the Spirit by exposing themselves before God (like the shewbread in the sanctuary).

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