Does Jesus Really Live in Our Hearts?

Lisa Spencer2 Comments

heart with crossI hope I approach this delicately since I know this is common language used to describe the relationship Christians have with Jesus Christ. To be honest, I don’t know how this terminology originated but I believe it is a more recent phenomenon. While I know this to be a widely embraced concept that relates the presence of the Lord with us, I want to reconcile how this fits with in terms of the nature of God, and specifically how this relates to the Christian’s union with Christ.

It is essential for Christians to understand God’s character and works according to his triune nature. God is one yet operates at all times interdependently as three distinct persons. All activity of God is according to the Father’s will. The Father sent the Son so that God could be fully revealed to humanity (Colossians 1:19; 2:9). The incarnate Son of God took on humanity such that he was fully God and fully man and gave himself as a living sacrifice so that the righteousness of God may be imputed onto those who believe in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:21-26).

Prior to his death, burial and resurrection, he informed the apostles that he was going away but that he would send the Advocate, who would be with them just as he was (John 14-16).  After the resurrection, he ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 12:2). Union with Christ occurs because the believer is given the Holy Spirit who baptizes us into the kingdom (Galatians 3:27; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14).  The Holy Spirit enables us to accept God’s truths and turn our affection towards him through belief in the Son. The filling of the Spirit (cf Ephesians 5:18) means that the Spirit influences us to live lives of obedience, trust and worship of the one true God. But Christ himself is with the Father. Continue reading →

Transitions, Trust and Trying Something New

Lisa Spencer1 Comment

door_ajarToday was a bit of a milestone and one that I’ve looked forward to for quite some time. I registered for my final semester of seminary, or at least the ThM program (meaning there may be a possibility for the PhD program). Well, I still have to complete everything: this semester, thesis and the remaining 5 classes that will be taken this coming summer and fall. But it signifies that the end of something is near and the transition to a new chapter is on the horizon.

As I’ve wrote about in Cracking the Door to 2013, I approached the flip of the calendar with much hesitation. Unbeknownst to me during the celebratory zeal of my acceptance and preparation for the move to Dallas in 2008, I had no idea how personally trying the next 4 years would be.  Nothing could have prepared me for the intensity of personal trials and stark contradictions. No need to rehash but I think I’m in a far different place then I was that first day in August 2008.

I have suspected for some time that 2013 would mark a transition in multi-faceted ways, a time to turn the corner. Aside from wrapping up the ThM program, I don’t really know much in the way of details. But I’ve suspected that it also meant an employment transition. When I found out I was accepted to seminary, I kind of carried my profession with me. God really opened that door for me to have a good part-time position with a good mission to address the root causes of poverty and placed me among some wonderful people. Continue reading →

When Scripture is Not Enough

Lisa Spencer7 Comments

Frame_Doc of Word coverAs I’ve started my master’s thesis process, I’ll probably be posting time to time on thoughts that arise as I go. I’m addressing how God speaks today and making a case for him speaking sufficiently through Scripture. Of course that doesn’t negate the subjective experiences that we have but puts them in a framework.  Now I know just saying that raises the hackles on some folks. But I think a lot of confusion exists because when we see God speaking to folks in Scripture is not adequately seen through the broader spectrum of his self-revelation. Anyways, like I said, more to follow.

John Frame’s Doctrine of the Word of God is a staple for this work. I really liked what he said here:

Believers often wish that God revealed more to them than he has revealed in Scripture. Often, Reformed writers will respond to this need by simply telling people to read their Bible and more carefully. Charismatic writers often suggest that the troubled believer should listen for a fresh revelation from the Spirit. But both of these solutions are essentially intellectualistic. Both of them urge that we resolve our unease by seeking further propositional knowledge, either from Scripture or beyond Scripture. But Scripture itself tells us that often our need is not for more knowledge, but for spiritual growth, spiritual perception, the revelation of Ephesians 1:17. (236)

What he is getting at is our need to absolve tension of uncertainty. Whether it’s relying on the knowledge of Scripture or supposing that God speaks beyond Scripture, the quest is usually born from a need for more information thinking that will take care of whatever it is we grappling with. Why? Because uncertainty has a way of making us squirm. But maybe God wants to do something in the not knowing and use that so we turn to him with trust in the completed work of Christ.

Consider the passage that Frame cites – Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

What is the spirit of wisdom and revelation? Read in context of what Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:1-16, it’s concerning the Christian’s identity in Christ and what we have by virtue of that identity. This is the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer that enables to accept the truths of Scripture and be secure in this identity. By doing so, we learn to rest in Christ and being found in him (Philippians 3:9) even in the midst of uncertainty. That is the place where we grow, in the place of dependence upon him. Its a journey that is not easily resolved by more information but by transformation over time.

When Love Stands Alone

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princess bride_priest“Love, true love” as the priest in the Princess Bride proclaimed in the marriage (mawwege) ceremony.  Many of us want that. There is something in us, to varying degrees that longs for that deeper connection with another. As a Christian, the reality of love can be even more piercing as we are illumed with understanding that the source of love is God. Not only does he give us the picture of what it means to love but also gives us the ability to do so.

Being in love can be a wonderful feeling. But it can also be deceiving. The real stuff of love is in the giving of it. Debra Fileta over at Relevant Magazine exhorts the readers with this article, Does Marriage Have to be Hard? concerning two things: 1) that floaty, fluttery feeling of being in love is not a sure foundation on which to base real love and 2) marriage takes commitment and the intentional choice to love. She writes;

That’s the thing I learned about the “feeling” of love—it was never meant to stand alone. It was never intended to be used as a noun: an object, a thing, a feeling, an idea. To do so is to do the concept of love a grave injustice. To do so is to reject the very definition of how God has asked us to love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). The most dangerous part about the myth of falling in love is that it is based on a definition that has no sense of predictability or control. It offers no guarantees. If you can fall into it, you can surely fall out of it. It’s no wonder our country’s divorce rate hovers around 50 percent, with divorce among Christians tagging right along.

The truth is, love was never just intended to be, it was intended to do. DC Talk had it right when they wrote the song “Love Is a Verb” (or rather, “luv”). That’s the truth.

Frankly, it’s the hardest verb you will ever do. It’s a verb that requires a selflessness and altruism beyond any other experience on earth. It’s a verb that is not always felt but must always be chosen. It is a commitment to do what is right, even though the one standing before you may be entirely undeserving. Continue reading →

Should Christians Rejoice in the Death of Another?

Lisa Spencer2 Comments

funeral celebrationWell, here’s a bit of a dicey if not morbid topic.  I bring it up because  I find there is a tendency when Christians learn that another Christian has died, to have a celebratory response to death. Why? Because that saint has gone home to be with the Lord, which is a widely expressed statement regarding death of a Christian.

However, in consideration of the overall context of death, I’ve actually begun to question the appropriateness of it’s celebration. In fact, I think it may not be appropriate at all. I hate to rain on this popularly held parade but I believe it’s important to see the whole picture. We must have a holistic perspective of death.

One one hand, there does appear to be scriptural support for celebration. One of the main text that supports this joy is found in 2 Corinthians 5:8, where Paul says “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”  There’s also Paul’s statement in Philippians 1:21-23;

For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. And if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet, what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

Well, before get too excited about these passages, there’s some other factors to consider as it doesn’t really provide a complete picture.  Regarding this statement specifically, note what he is comparing – living in the pains of this world vs being with Christ. He is not so much rejoicing in death, but indicating that to be with Christ is better. Continue reading →