Explore more
Sign up   |   Login
 
 
 
Paul Yanchek
Paul Yanchek's blog
 188stars  |   16readers
View profile|View all posts| Follow this blog
Chosen to Be Blameless
5 stars|5 comments|November 02, 2007|1080 reads
 
1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

We have been chosen in Christ before the creation of the world for what?  That we should be holy and blameless in His sight.  Have we been chosen in Christ to have peace?  No, although the fruit of the Spirit includes peace.  Have we been chosen in Christ to have joy?  No, but it is also part of the fruit of the Spirit.  Have we been chosen in Christ to have purpose in life?  No, though serving Christ does give us a purpose.  We have been chosen in Christ before the creation of the world to be HOLY and BLAMELESS. 

Why have we, then, dismissed the need for holiness?  We just live however we want and do our own thing as we "love" Jesus.  What about holiness?  I think much of the problem comes in the presentation of the Gospel.  We tell people, "Pray this prayer and you can have peace" or "Ask Jesus into your heart and you will have true joy" or Rick Warren's, "Believe that God created you for a purpose."  What in that presentation establishes the need for holiness?  The Gospel calls for repentance of sin and trusting in Jesus Christ to save us. 

I used to scratch my head when I would hear people say, "Christianity doesn't work."  This statement is based on someone who did not discover peace or joy or purpose.  becoming a Christian means you see that God must punish ALL people for their sins in hell unless they forsake their sins and trust in Jesus Christ.  When we surrender to Christ, He forgives us our sins, gives us a new heart, and prepares for us a place in heaven.  If we try to get people to come to Christ any other way they will not truly be saved (Luke 13:3) and they will then fail to experience the fruit of the Spirit.  They will be left wrongly thinking that Christianity does not work.

12:14 Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:


In Christ, holiness is bestowed upon us.  Now, may we live in accordance with that holiness.

3:11 [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness,


What we need more than peace, more than joy, more than purpose is HOLINESS.  To be holy = set apart from the world and dedicated fully unto God.

 
To add a comment to "Chosen to Be Blameless"
     Already have a MyChurch account?
     Log in here
Paul Hospodar
 Paul Hospodar
November 02, 2007
I think people often look for the fruits before they have accepted the 'seed'.  Just as a tree cannot blossom and produce fruit before it has been planted and grown, neither can a person produce fruit, or have the fruits of the Spirit bestowed on them. 

BUT - the biggest pushback I've gotten when sharing my faith in the Biblical way is that, as you said, too many people want the results without the commitment.  Kindof like most diet fads - make me thin and healthy without any change to my eating habits or exercise.

And much like diet fads, when you're not given proper diet and exercise instruction (prayer and scripture), you'll fail and turn back to your sinful ways. (fall off the wagon when the magic 'pill' doesn't work). 

The modern message says you'll get the fruits of the spirit GUARANTEED, and all you have to do is pay some lip service to God.  'Pop the pill' and you'll get the results, no muss, no fuss.

Funny thing about those pills, those 'magic diet' ads...ever read the fine print? 

RESULTS NOT TYPICAL.

So it is with the modern message....sure, some may come to Christ through this methodology, and eventually even STAY in the faith, and learn the truth of being Christian, but RESULTS NOT TYPICAL!

(I think I got an idea for a gospel tract!  lol)
Jess Stuart
 Jess Stuart
November 02, 2007

When we surrender to Christ, He forgives us our sins, gives us a new heart, and prepares for us a place in heaven.  If we try to get people to come to Christ any other way they will not truly be saved (Luke 13:3) and they will then fail to experience the fruit of the Spirit.  They will be left wrongly thinking that Christianity does not work.

I agree with this to a point, but I see another dynamic working as well.  Some people have so much emotional baggage it keeps them from showing God's love in their actions and attitudes.  In James 5:16, it mentions that we should confess our sins to one another that we might be healed.  That indicates we need to do something after salvation to experience healing.  The healing that comes from such confession is primarily emotional baggage (although I'm sure some physical healing could come about from being at peace with myself and others).

The emotional issues I'm referring to are things like unforgiveness, bitterness, selfish jealosy, self seeking.  These things are sins of attitude.  God's word says in Galatians 6:7-8 we should not be decieved about the fact that sowing these things in our hearts will hurt us.

 

Scriptures I used (Amplified translation):

James 5:16
Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

Galatians 6:7-8
7  Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap.
8  For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Mike n Laura
 Mike n Laura
November 13, 2007
Outstanding!
Aaron Jalovec
 Aaron Jalovec
December 01, 2007

I totaly agree that how one preaches the gospel has a big affect on a true convert. There is to much emphasis on purpose of man and not enough on the holiness of the Almighty Creator and the holy calling that we as Christians have on our lives of being seprate from sin and the world but also to GOD; as it says "come out from there midst and be seprate" 2 Cor. 6:17.This a calling to be everything that is of GOD and not of the world, to deny the flesh and the work of the evil one.

As we press on toward the goal may we point people in the direction of the Lord Jesus by way of the scriptures through the power of the Spirit. 

Mike n Laura
 Mike n Laura
December 01, 2007
I came back and reread this, w/o realizing I'd already done so. Still love it. There is a part of me that wants to completely indulge in self-gratification, wants simply to be happy, wants pleasure!! BUT... that part of me shrinks each subsequent day that I wake up and give my life to the Lord!! Thanks for the awesome reminder of the importance of HOLINESS!