The Fruit of the Fire

            "… for our 'God is a consuming fire'."

           

-Hebrews 12:29, Deuteronomy 4:24

            Will I allow myself to be consumed by the Fire? Will I take a step into the "brightest kind of flame" and become engulfed? Will I decide to live in the Fire? Hold on… living in a fire? That would be painful… awful!… that would be like… well, like death!

            One does not have to hang out with church-going folks for long before he hears the classic Christian cliché: I'm just on fire for God! What does that even mean? No, I want to say sometimes, You're not on fire… I'm looking at you right now and you are clearly not singed or anything. I mean, what does it mean to truly be "on fire for God?" Why do people say that? Does that mean that there are Christians who are extinguished, then? Are there two kinds of "saved" people…? … people who are kind of saved… they've sorta been cleansed and halfway refined?

            When I'm not thinking facetiously I understand what they're getting at, but it makes me wonder why people say that and what, then, is the fruit of the Fire? That is, what changes?

All throughout the Bible God is described and illustrated as fire. There is a fascinating correlation between the two mysteries. To start at the beginning, Abraham's covenant with God was initiated by a "smoking firepot with a blazing torch" (Genesis 25:17). Moses had an amazing encounter with an angel of the Lord personified as a "fire within a bush" (Exodus 3:2). The book of Leviticus records God's command of Moses to offer burnt sacrifices and requires that the "fire on the alter must be kept burning; it must not go out" (6:12). Elijah was taken into heaven by a chariot and horses made of fire (2 Kings 1:11). The prophet in the book of Isaiah wrote of God's "burning anger" and described his tongue as a "consuming fire" (30:27). The Lord described himself to the prophet Jeremiah likewise: "Is not my word like fire?" (23:29). Daniel had a revelation in which he had a vision of an angel of the Lord and described him as having a face "like lightning" and "eyes like flaming torches" (Daniel 10:4-6). There are several more depictions of God as fire in the Old Testament alone, but I think you get the point. God is fire… not only like fire… He is fire. It is mentioned enough to make it undeniable… unforgettable. We can't read the Bible without constantly being reminded, from start to finish, that God is a consuming fire. Therefore, we must investigate why God would liken himself as such.

             See, I have come to find that being a Christian requires that we are metaphorically "on fire." Telling someone I'm on fire for God is as if I walked up to someone and told them that I'm alive because of life… I'm so alive for life! It's stating the obvious. The fundamental difference between someone who is a disciple of Jesus and someone who isn't is that we've allowed ourselves to be burned up according to the scriptures above; we're swallowed up by the Fire of God in order that we may be refined and used by Him. Therefore, all believers are "on fire for God."

            So, the question is not Am I on fire for God? Instead it becomes What is being produced through this Fire? See, Reader, the difference that happens when we truly live for God (or should I say die for God?) is that we are changed from the inside out by His flaming power. It sounds frightening. It sounds painful. Yes, but see Reader, we must be willing to accept Christ's judgment and allow His purifying torch to bring light to the darkness and refine our sin-scathed bodies. Paul wrote to the people in Corinth: "If any man builds on this foundation [he's speaking of the foundation of belief] using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work" (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). Before that, John the Baptist spoke to the Pharisees and Sadducees when he said, "every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." He went on to say, "'I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:7-12). His prophecy later came into fruition: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them" (Acts 2:1-4). There is great power in  the Fire of God.

            So, which is it, Reader… Are you sitting by the fire? Are you allowing yourself to get a little singed? Or are you being completely consumed by the Fire?

            For those of you who are consumed by God's Fire, I have some thoughts:

            -What is your fire producing?

            -What is it burning away?

            -What is it illuminating?

For because of His love, we are able to love. We can burn because He burns for us. 

God's Gifts

            Dear Reader, the closer I come to understanding God's love for me the more I realize that everything I have is a gift from Him. There is not one good thing in this life that I have "achieved" or bought through my own toiling. All that I have that is good, whether it be tangible or of another realm, is from God. The only thing I've accomplished through my own work is fear, emptiness, sin, and confusion…  those things are not "things" at all… they are the lack of Something. Fear is the lack of faith. Sin and emptiness is the lack of God. Confusion is the lack of vision. See, God gives us all that has substance. God is our Sustainer and our Provider. Sometimes in defeat we say with our shoulders shrugged and our eyebrows peaked, "He gives and takes away…" (Job 1:21). But, I think differently… I think God only gives. If something is "taken" from us, it is only because it has been replaced by what God gives us. Sin can't really be taken away because it is nothing… sin is the lack of God. That is why sin is described as darkness; darkness is nothingness; it is the lack of light. When He enters into our lives, He gives us substance. He gives us light. He gives us all we need.

           

Remember, God gave his one and only son.

           

I think sometimes as Believers we forget about what God has given us. We walk around confused and ashamed. We carry our fear as if we don't have the living God inside of us whose perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). I have recently been intrigued with the idea that God has given and will continue to give us everything that we need to face any struggle. I don't know about you, Reader, but I don't walk in that everyday. I want this entry to be a reminder to you and to me that God did not give us anything that is bad… On the contrary, He gave us all things that are good. His precious blood was spilt on the cross so that we could inherit the glory of God.

           

Check this out:

           

"For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.

                        He gives us grace and glory.

The Lord will withhold no good thing

                        from those who do what is right.

O Lord of Heaven's Armies,

                        what joy for those who trust in you."

                        -Psalm 84:11-12         

"So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him."

                        -Matthew 7:11

"And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself and having given them right standing, he gave them his glory."

                        - Romans 8: 3

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

                        - 2 Timothy 1:7

           

            The important part of all this is not the reading of these verses… the important part is walking in it. Reader, don't simply read these passages and continue in fear. God gave us everything that we need. I have several more verses written down that I could've listed in this entry, but I'm not going to. The Bible is full of information about the gifts that God has given and will continue to give us. As you read God's word and continue through your day, look for those good things that God gave you. Look for those gifts and promises that you are ignoring. We should never be afraid… we should never fall into parasitic sin. God gave us better things than that. He gave us the spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15). His gifts are infinitely better than anything the world gives us. Walk in it!

            

With Ears To Hear

            Last fall I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a retreat for college-aged men and women from my church. I drove my clanking old Jeep up through the spiraled road to Winter Park, Colorado wherein some of the most beautiful pieces of scenery reside. The camp ground was the idyllic location for a weekend getaway. Aaron Stern, the pastor, and the rest of his staff felt compelled to make this weekend a special time designed for quietness. All of the sermons and teachings were written around one word: Solitude. The second day there began with an insightful teaching on what solitude looks like on a day to day basis and expressed the necessity of quietness before the Lord. At the end of the teaching, Aaron encouraged us to leave the chapel and to spend time alone in silence with God.

            I left the chapel and walked directly down the grassy hill and into my lodge. I sat on the edge of my bed and asked God to speak to me. After a few moments, I laid back into my bed. I didn't open my Bible. I didn't speak. I didn't move. I simply waited on God in solitude. I tried to make myself available to Him. It was my expectation to hear a strong, thunderous word of revelation. I waited to hear an answer to the many questions I had at the time. I expected maybe to see a vision or hear a small sentence by which I could live my life everyday. Instead, Reader, I heard Him in a very gentle, inaudible whisper say, I love you.

I love you.

With my eyes closed, I could not stop the smile from crawling across my face! Inexpressible joy came over me like bath water. The whisper was spoken with such empathetic tenderness. It came from the same context as a father who holds his crying baby: He hushes and bounces his child as if to say, I am here… you will be fine. I love you… I'll take care of you… you don't need to cry.

            You see, Dear Reader, God chose not to speak to me in anger or frustration despite my perpetual proclivity to sin and my furiously impatient questioning. He didn't choose to speak with big words or in a prophetic shout. I was searching for answers… He did not provide them. I was waiting to hear words of wisdom… He did not provide them. I wanted just a glimpse of my future or a tangible reference piece… He did not provide that either. Instead, in my quietest moment, God chose to remind me that He loves me. That was all I needed. He filled me with inexplicable love. See, that's the kind of God we serve. That is the essence of His greatness… In His love, we receive the answer to all of our questions. In a strange sort of way, I got what I was looking for. His boundless love holds all truth, assuredness, grace, and prophecy. Our lives begin and end with His love.

            I challenge you, Reader, to have a ears to hear God's love all around you. Listen for the kinds of words He uses. Watch for the kind of scenarios He dresses them with. Be attentive to the instruments he uses and the gloves He wears. I promise, when you choose to open yourself up to Him, He will undoubtedly be revealed. But be prepared… it might not sound like the words you want to hear; it might not look like the picture you wanted Him to paint. No matter, though… He knows best. Receive His body. Receive His love.

Renewal, Part II: Transformation

"Do not conform any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. "

                        -Romans 12:1

Dear Reader, I cannot express to you in words how phenomenally enlightening God's transforming power is. Not long after we are seduced and wooed by the grace of God, we find ourselves in a new world. Our sky is no longer a painting that rests on an easel but is an infinite realm of space fit for clouds, stars, and planets… our one-dimensional landscape turns into miles and miles of oceans and hillsides that teem with life. Trying to explain what life is like before God is like explaining to an unborn child what music sounds like; the child wouldn't even know what words are, let alone what they mean or how they are put together in description. This drastic renewal comes not by anything we can do, but by what God does in us. All we can do is surrender in meekness to His power.

One of the big parts of our lives that changes in the believer's heart is in the area of our finances. Our money becomes His money. Tithe, the first ten percent of our income set aside for God's purpose, is often misconceived by believers and unbelievers alike. We often think of this practice as God taking ten percent of our income. However, the transformed believer who now sees money as an instrument, understands that it as God allowing us to have ninety percent! This necessitates stewardship. Financial stress is lifted off because it is not our money to begin with and we know that He will always provide for us. Our level of success is not defined by money. Our hope and joy does not rest in money. We work for the glory of God and He receives all of our proceeds. Why do we try to trust our own feeble minds to manage our money? Why do we get depressed at the thought of a recession? Because we think we're living in a make-believe dollhouse world where Monopoly money actually has value. We forget that the Kingdom of God is not of this world.

            Our social interactions are given purpose by the Holy Spirit as well. When the believer realizes that he is simply a glove that is filled by the hand of God, the words he chooses to speak to colleagues, family members, best friends, and everyone around him are carefully articulated. James said, "If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check" (James 3:2). James suggests here that our tongue controls our entire body. What we say and how we say it is more crucial than we tend to think. Those around us hear the words we say. It would behoove us to be mindful of what we say and to leave space where space is needed. Dear Reader, I am certain that you and I have both been in situations where we absentmindedly let our tongue spew what's on our minds. We must be more disciplined than that. Our words, and the attitude behind them, hold much weight! When we envision what the Holy Spirit would say in our stead, better words (and less of them, I might add) come out of us. With His help we enter into pure conversations and exit from ones full of gossip, slander, and lust. With His help we speak up when we need to confront. With His help we speak with sincerity and confidence. With His help we speak to others with respect, consideration and encouragement… We begin to treat others better than ourselves. Remember, when a Pharisee asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is he responded with, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matt. 22:37-39) We should treat everyone around us with love… only love… because He first love us. This is a completely foreign task to the unbeliever.

            Our careers and jobs take on a new meaning as well. The stress of finding the best career path falls in the shadow of our greater purpose: to lead others to the saving grace and unending love of Jesus Christ. This recently became a reality to me. For almost a year now, I have made my living by playing the drums. It was only a few months into it when I realized that, like my job at the department store, playing drums was only the "means of transportation", if you will, to complete my real "job." Yeah, playing drums is what I do, but when the Holy Spirit conquered me, I understood that the importance and value in what I do comes from the interactions with the people in the audience and the other bands we might play with. The true mission comes to life when I deny myself and let God speak through me. Otherwise, I am simply playing parts… I am simply a chair with no legs… a garden with paper flowers.

            Perhaps the most important renewed definition we receive from God is that of sin. The transformed believer understands sin as the separation from God. That is the worst scenario he can conjure up! To be separated from God is to lose consciousness of the truest reality. The Holy Spirit teaches us to see sin as the common ground between all of humanity. We are all sinners. See, Reader, when we realize that sin is separation from God and that we have all sinned, we gain a clearer understanding of salvation. Our old sin life is not forgotten, but it is now held closer than ever before as it is provides the testimony of the saved. The forgetting is God's work, not ours. We must never forget the miry, putrid past from which God lovingly spared us. With this new definition of sin, we get to the point where we hate sin. We as believers come to loath anything that looks like it might lodge it's nose between the Lover and His beloved. Our salvation is what gives us life. With a misunderstanding of sin comes a misunderstanding of God's power and the unforgettable beauty of our salvation.

            I could write for days and days about all of the things that change when we encounter God, Reader, but I will leave it at these four areas. As I said, everything changes. Our very lives take on new meaning. God transforms the way that we think until "we have the mind of Christ." (1 Cor. 2:16)

            So, Dear Reader, let the power of God envelope you. Let Him captivate your thoughts. When He enters in, nothing can stand in the way and you will see the power of renewal and transformation. We spend hours and hours debating with one another about who God is… God's definition. Let us instead allow God to define us. Look no further for explanation because the Spirit wants to explain to you who you really are. I promise, when you begin to see who you are in Christ and see the world as He does, your life will radically change. No longer do we need to pace around on a stage with actors and memorized lines. This is not a play… God in all His power is the truest form of reality. 

Renewal, Part I: Instrumentation

Once the Spirit of Jesus Christ envelopes us and becomes King of our lives, everything takes on a new name. It is as if we finally realize we've been wandering around on an abandoned stage; as if we've been driving a Matchbox car through a train-set town to a particle board place of work and speaking to plastic mannequins. Before Christ, there is no definition. His resurrection gave our world meaning and tangibility.

For three years I worked at a department store in Colorado Springs. My first year there was spent behind a cash register. Some may contest that a "cubical job" is more mundane than cashiering. At my job, though, I had cubical walls, too. They were made up of people. Yeah, my walls could talk, but they were still walls, nonetheless. I would walk into work, step behind my register and stare at the walls decorated with mutual fake smiles and heartless greetings. I did not want to be there and our customers didn't really care if I was there or not. I just needed to make money. I just needed to get a check so I could pass it on to those I owed. Otherwise, I would be doing something more meaningful… right?

I am not quite sure when it happened, but it happened. There was no particular "mountaintop experience" that brought me out, but something changed. I found myself at a place in my relationship with Christ where work became an instrument. I remember reading the Apostle Paul's words to the church in Colossi: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…" (Col. 3:23).  Gradually, I started working for the glory of God. That sounds strange because a department store does not constitute a typical place of worship, but even though there was no organ playing and no choir behind me, whenever I entered into that store, I began to worship! This department store became my mission field. I began to look for ways I could show my coworkers how much God loves them. I began to speak to our customers differently… not because of some company policy, or because I would lose my job if didn't treat them right, but because of the love of God. I desired to serve my coworkers and customers because the story of which we are a part is not about me… it is about our loving Savior who died to serve us.

In every other area of our lives instruments or tools are used as a means of necessity. We use instruments not because they look interesting or because we want to, but because we must.  They are the easiest means by which something may be fixed or made. Likewise, God will use various instruments to renew us. In fact, everyone and everything becomes an instrument used by God to transform us. When we open our hearts to God He draws us near to Himself (John 12:32). In fact, we become instruments as well… used to minister to the other human instruments. God moves among humanity like a breathing, brooding fog. He is incalculably and unfathomably expressive. He is intuitively and intrinsically involved in our everyday lives. The Believer must keep this in the forefront of his mind at all times. God is constantly at work. He pushes us and pulls us into righteousness. If we are not aware of His tools, it becomes easy for us to overlook the Kingdom He's building with them. When we aren't mindful of the instruments He's using, we are simply wandering around on an empty stage with cardboard houses and voiceless dolls.

So, when we open ourselves up to be used as "instruments of righteousness" (Rom. 6:13) it is to build the Kingdom of God. The Spirit of God takes over. Everything takes on new meaning. Everything takes shape. Everything comes to life. In the second part of this entry, I would like to explain some of the many ways of life that change for us when our eyes are opened by the Holy Spirit to the truest reality.

Life is Simple, Part II: Do Not Fear

To be completely honest and transparent with you, Reader, I've been a very fearful person for as long as I can remember. It has only been within the last year or so that I've defeated my fears and placed my trust in the Lord. Let me tell you, it has been the most liberating year of my life! Over the years of wrestling with anxiety I have come to realize some key elements. The conclusion I've come to is, as the name of this post suggests, very simple: Fear is the result of pride. Pride will always lead to fear and vise versa.

To fully understand fear, we must first ask where it comes from. Why do we fear? Fear comes from within ourselves. What do we fear? Well, this can be answered in millions of different ways as it depends on each person. As for me, I fear the future, I fear past mistakes, I fear that I won't live up to a certain standard, I fear my weakness, I fear my musical ability. I fear that I am incompetent. I'm afraid when I'm not comfortable. I fear I'll be exposed for who I am. I'm afraid to fail because it'll make me look weak… my list of fears could go on for a very long time. I'm sure you have a list of fears yourself that look similar to mine. This is important… follow me on this… The reason we fear is because we place the burden back on ourselves. We take on our issues. No matter what your fears are, I guarantee they scare you because they begin and end with your self. Yet again, pride gets in the way of you and God. Think about it, of course you'd be afraid of those things that you think you're in control of! We are human. We aren't inherently capable of anything. You aren't intended to carry those burdens. Remember… it's not about you. I have to constantly remind myself of that. Every time I feel anxious I have to stand up and tell myself, Kyle, it's not about you… God does not exist for my comfort. Only then can I finally shut out the Devil's voice.

Fear is not only a side affect of pride, but it is also a sin in and of itself. I would define fear as the outright, deliberate denial of God. When we are afraid, it's because we deny God's power. And, as I said, of course we should be afraid when we count God out of the equation! Do not allow your flesh to creep in through your fears. Nothing is impossible for our God. He is in control of all things.

Pride through anxiety has devastating effects. Sometimes, the way it hurts those of us in the Church (ministers included) is when we are trying to preach the gospel. I am inextricably saddened when I see or hear of fellow Christians forcefully and angrily "preaching the gospel." You may have seen these people around. They're commonly referred to as "bible thumpers." This is tragic. These people, from what I can gather, have not surrendered to God, but they've surrendered to themselves. They fear they can't reach enough people or quickly enough. This fear comes out in anger and bigotry. Their hateful tactics are a direct result of their fear. I hope, by now, you see the reason they are afraid is because they are putting the pressure of the gospel on themselves. When we do that, we dismiss the mighty power of the Spirit of God. And again, our flesh gets in the way of us and God. It is completely contradictory to what they are trying to get across to unbelievers! They might scream at the top of their lungs, Trust in the Lord! Repent! Lean on Him! Ironically, they lack the faith to do such themselves. Terrible.

So, how do we defeat the sin of fear? I believe there are many ways, but there are two that come to my mind right now. For one, we must take the focus off of ourselves and give your cares to Him (1 Peter 5:7). Scripture reminds us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take" (Prov. 3:5). He died to take care of you. He longs to hear you surrender your fears to Him. In His endless love, He will offer you peace and walk with you. "Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matt. 7:7-8). Everyone!

The second way to defeat fear is to use it to your advantage. I believe many of us, especially those of us who grew up in the Church, run from our fears and rarely do we face them head on with confidence. Risk becomes anticipated failure rather than an opportunity. It is as if we hold on too dearly to our lives and too loosely on God's power. How much more could we accomplish if we would live in a constant state of risk? After all, didn't Jesus Christ risk all He had for us? When I see the possibility of defeat, I now want to run into it… I want to take God by the hand and boldly, wisely seize the opportunity. I recently heard a beautiful song by Sara Groves called The Long Defeat in which she poetically articulates this idea:

"I can't just fight when I think I'll win

That's the end of all belief

And nothing has provoked it more

Than a possible defeat"

See, Dear Reader, without the possibility of defeat, without the risk, there is no reason for belief. There is no reason for faith. If we were certain about every scenario in our lives, why should we believe in a God at all? Why we put our trust in a god? I urge you, Reader, to use your fears as Sara Groves prompts us, to provoke belief. Let it inspire you to rise to the challenge. When we know that God posses our situation, we can walk with certainty that He will be at the end of it. He is the beginning and the end. Let Him be the beginning and the end of all your fears, too.

So, fear not, Reader. God is capable. He is the Lord of all. Place your trust in Him and walk in His authority. Do not be afraid. "So You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children" (Rom. 8:15). Read that verse again. Feel the freedom in that? He didn't give you a spirit of fear. That means we no longer have to abide by the law of the flesh! Walk on under His might and with His Spirit because, when all is said and done, it is not about you. It is not about me. Life is about what God has done and what He is continuing to do in and through us, His servants. In that, there is no fear whatsoever.

Life is Simple, Part I: Not You!

Last April I moved to Portland, Oregon from my home in Colorado Springs, Colorado to play drums for a band called Above the Golden State. Never before have I been stripped of so much in my entire life. A dear friend of mine and I drove roughly eighteen hours to reach my new home. The first couple weeks were fun. It was finally a new city for me. After a couple of weeks passed I started to break down. For me, Reader, comfort is a vice and Portland was anything but comfortable. I remember becoming overwhelmed with discomfort and the pain of missing the very things I intentionally left only weeks prior. It was then that I realized what God was doing. He was breaking me. I was completely exposed before Him. It was just me and God. The first month into my move was slow for the band and was more or less set aside for me to get settled in. It was a month (or more) of solitude… bold, sharp and painful solitude. I had time to myself, time to think. Now that I had time and space to look inward, God began to reveal those areas of flesh that were eating away at my relationship with Him. He showed me every struggle that I was pushing under the rug back home because I was busy, and frankly, it was easy. He would find a spot that hurt, push into it until the pain was so unbearable that I had to die. See, Dear Reader, that was His intention all along. He longed for my defeat! He wanted me to die to my self and live in Him. Had I not moved, He knew that it would be much harder for me to understand.

Pride is the root of all sin. No matter how we look at it, every sin when it's broken down to its smallest form is pride. I can't tell you how much this has simplified my life lately, Dear Reader. Look at this way, if we know the root of all sin and death, then we can know the opposite… the root of all praise to God, the root of true life: self-denial. When we die to our selves and allow Christ to be resurrected in us, we defy the Flesh, the World, and Satan. There is no match. Our war has been won. As I said, this concept has changed the way I live. Last Spring I read A.W. Tozer's God's Pursuit of Man. Tozer embellished on this idea much better than I ever could and it changed my world. He says, "The degree of blessing enjoyed by any man, will correspond exactly with the completeness of God's victory over him." He goes on to explain the story of Jacob, the guy who wrestled with the mysterious God-man (Gen. 32:22-29). If you haven't read that passage, you should, because it's remarkable! Tozer said, "It was only after going down to humiliating defeat that [Jacob] began to feel the joy of release from his own evil strength, the delight of God's conquest over him." I want to experience God's full blessing. I think we all do. First, we must allow God to be victorious over us.

See, when I realized the fact that God, in a very loving way, wants to defeat us, I finally understood the idea of redemption. In a weird, sort of backwards way, He wants us to be crucified. We must wrestle with Him (Gen. 32:22-29). We must pass through His fire (Isa. 30:27, Duet. 4:24). We must spend three days in the belly of a fish (Jonah 1:17). We must endure His judgment, His discipline (Heb. 12:11). We must be led into the desert by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 4:1, Luke 4:1-2). Only then will we catch a glimpse of His love for us. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERESTIMATE THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST. His love is always greater than we think. We cannot grasp His mighty love for us. There is no escape. The more we hold onto our flesh, the less we see God's love. What is that called when we hold onto our flesh? Selfishness. What's another word for selfishness? Pride. Every piece of darkness exists because of the shadow cast by our pride.

When I truly understood God's intention behind His "conquest" over me, I was able to set my self down (all the way down… to Sheol) and allow God to live in me. What else could we ask for as Christians? That's the whole point! It is not about our comfort. It is not about our success… in fact, it's not about us at all. God's story, His plotline, is about the absence of pride. It's about NOT us… the lack of human nature and the substance of God's perfect nature. So, as I was tossing this idea around in my head about a year ago, I got to the point where I said to myself, That's it? I have to simply put the concern for my wellbeing aside and love God and love others? That's it? It truly is that simple! This idea radically changed every decision I had to make. It changed the way I handle my money (or lack thereof!), it changed the way I see people, the way I handle confrontation, the way I worshiped, the way I planned for my future, the way I see my future wife, the way I view sexuality, and most importantly it changed the way I see myself. Everything changed. I realize now that I am simply a vessel for Christ. I am a glove. The thing that makes gloves work, though, is that they are empty…! I need to be empty in order to be filled. God, fill me! As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, that is our role as humans… to submit to the will of God. That should be our goal in life… that's our life's purpose. Let there be more of Him and less of me. Period.

Pride leads to all sins and one of pride's side affects is fear. I'll explain more about the problems and characteristics of fear in part two…