Plateaus – Part 1

2 Timothy 4:1-2 “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:  Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”

What is the “Big Idea” of the Christian life? There is a quintessential purpose and over-arching goal that we keep before us at all times. What is it? This last week, I was watching an old video lesson by Dr. R.C. Sproul. He was unpacking the answer to this question, which the root objective and aim is to live a life of love, joy and peace, which is pleasing to God. Sproul explains that we listen to Sermons, watch videos, read the Holy Scriptures, and dig into Theology, but long for the opportunity to cut through all of the participles and fine points of Christianity and get down to the “core” essence of what life is all about – discerning the “Big Idea.” The sixteenth century Reformers had to crystallize, define and declare the essence of what Christianity was about and out of the process of doing so, came the Latin phase “Coram Deo” – meaning “before the face of God.” The Christian life means to live all of your life in the presence of God.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Sometimes, we behave and perform, not for God, but for an audience to see, and our behavior in private is different when we are in the presence of people whose judgment or approval we seek. Like the prodigal son, we go to a far away land where we are anonymous, where we don’t feel like we have to live under the scrutiny of somebody who might disapprove of what we are doing. But, we should live our whole lives, not as people seeking the cover of darkness, where we have a secret life that is hidden from the gates of authority, but that our lives should be lived openly in the presence of God … before the face of God, practicing a kind of consciousness of God, our Maker, from moment to moment; in the presence of God and under the authority of God, to the honor and glory of God. That’s what it’s all about.

John 14:23-24 Jesus answered and said unto him, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”

This means that if you want to please the Lord, you please God by doing what He has commanded us to do. Though, realistically, in our frailty of our fallen flesh none of us can actually live every moment as if in the constant sense of being in the presence of God, and nobody is so righteous that what we do is done in submission to His honor and glory. Sproul explains honestly that we can say it religiously and define it theologically, but this side of heaven to put that into actual living practice is not a simple thing to do. We can get excited and emotionally moved, having spiritual experiences when we promise and vow to give our heart and life to God, but through day to day activities and the pressures that come upon us that zeal and excitement begin to fade and we fall back into our patterns where we live in the absence of God, in defiance of God, and in our own glory. Sanctification is a process, in a general sense is to be cleansing, purifying and making our lives holy. To separate from sin, set apart from that which is not pleasing in the sight of God and appoint our life to a holy, sacred or religious use. It means to purify our life, to prepare for divine service, and for partaking of holy things. To ordain and appoint our life to the work of redemption and the government of Christ’s church. To cleanse our heart, mind and soul from corruption; to purify from sin; to make holy be detaching the affections from the world and its defilements, and exalting them to a supreme love of God. The judgments of God are the more welcome, as a means by which His mercy has sanctified so to me, as to make me repent of that unjust act. At the core, sanctification is the lifelong process of consecrating and sanctifying the saints (Believers) in obedience to God, to make free from guilt as we sanctify God; to praise and celebrate Him as a holy Being; to acknowledge and honor His holy majesty, and to reverence His character and laws. So, what it means to please God is not simply to make a commitment or a vow, but to “press forward” through those moments and times where we are stalled on plateaus and frustrated in our spiritual growth.

We continue this thought on the next post.

Blessings in Christ, Brian