62 Gift and Giver
If Gt cl heard E1ij‹ih when he rectuested c)n›ught or rain, the text declares, we who also› serve God can trust him to hear our prayers.
Sometimes I have seen God answer prayers like Elijah's. One morn- ing our campus ministry had scheduled a march in Livingstcane College’s homecoming parade, but we feared that the downpour outside was going to “dampen” our witness. So a student from the chapter of New Gener- at icon Campus Ministries at North Carolina A fi T State University decided to lead us in prayer for the rain tc› stop. It couldn’t hurt, I thought, though the college administration was at that moment in the process of calling off the parade. Yet no sooner had the student prayed than the rain became like the dripping of a faucet just turned off. Within a few minutes the rain had stopped entirely, and it did not rain again that day. I marveled at the faith of the students eager to witness, who did not pause t‹ doubt whether God could control the rain. When I spoke at the cam- pus church the next day, I spoke from James 5 and pointed out that God had fulfilled this passage in our midst the day before.
When James makes Elijah’s faith a model for ours, why shouldn't we be able to trust God for miracles / The Holy Spirit gives us boldness to ask for things in accordance with God’s will because we walk in his desires for his work in the world rather than our own agendas ( 1 John 3:21—24; 5: 4— 5)
One more text may support the use of Elijah as a model for the church's ministry. Although any suggestion on the Book of Revelation will be controversial, some scholars suggest that Revelation 11:3—6 may portray God’s church (or some of its evangelists) as experiencing the kind of miraculous power exhibited in the ministries of Moses and Elijah. The angel describes two witnesses to John in language taken from Zechariah 4:2—3, where the words refer to a king and a priest leading God's work in Zechariah's day (Zech. 3:6—9; 4:6-14). In Revelation, however, all Gc›d's people are a kingdom and priests ( 1:6; 5:10; see Exod. 19:6). Fur- ther, by calling these witnesses “lampstands” ( 11:4), Revelation may sug-
gest that they symbolize the church ( 1:20, though see also Zech. 4:2, 11 ).' If this suggestion is correct, the church performs miracles like Moses
and Elijah in Revelation 11:6. Whether one concurs with this interpre- tation will depend largely on how one reads the Book of Revelation as a whole, but those who do agree would find here another case in which New Testament writers saw Elijah as a model for the church. At the least, we learn more about evangelists whose message God promotes through signs.
The Spirit Emp‹›wers Us for Evangelism 63
Practical Im9licotioris o{ Elijnh’s Model
The biblical portrayal of Elijah and Elisha challenges us in a variety of ways. Although Elijah and Elisha were miracle workers, they hardly look like many modem “prosperity” preachers who claim miraculous power. God provided for Elijah, but eating from ravens’ mouths and drinking from a brook ( 1 Kings 17:4) is hardly luxury. In response to Gehazi's pursuit of moderate resources, Elisha explicitly repudiated the valuing of material pos- sessions (2 Kings 5:26—27). Moreover, Elijah’s ministry required him to con- front hostile officials, to live outside the conhnes of his own society, and to risk death for the honor of the one who had called him ( 1 Kings 17-19). Unlike many, probably most, other prophets (Num. l2:1; 1 Kings 13:l1; 2 Kings 4:1; Isa. 8:3; Ezek. 24:18)—but like Jeremiah (Jer. 16:2 ), John, Jesus, and Paul—the call of Elijah and Elisha apparently forced them to remain unmarried.
That Jesus calls us as disciples to even costlier commitment than Old
Testament prophets (Luke 9:61—62; compare 1 Kings 19:19-21) indicates the seriousness of his call. A Spirit-filled life like Elijah’s or Elisha’s does not mean homelessness in all circumstances (according to 2 Kings 5:9 Elisha had a house), but it does mean that we must value nothing so much that we cannot readily surrender it for God's call. I suspect that too many of us, for all our claims to be people of the S›pirit, are so in love with our worldly comforts, resources, and pursuits that if God is calling us to give them up for the gospel's sake, we cannot hear him.
Lest we think Elijah too holy to provide a model for us, we must also pause to remember that Elijah was human in the same way we are (James 5:17). This is not to deny that Elijah was exercising a faith nurtured by years of an intimate relationship with God, but this faith depended on God's power, not Elijah's (the apr›st1es also recognlzed this for themselves; com- pare Acts 3:12-13). Elijah dared wr›rk his miracles only at God's command (1 Kings 18:36)
Presumptuously seeking to declare God)'s purposes or work miracles ‹an
one’s own will lead only t‹a public embarrassment for oneself and God's people (crampare Lam. 3:37-38), and one who has not learned sensitivity to God's Spirit should not step out on presumption. Had Elijah himself been deciding what Gc›d should do, he undoubtedly would have gotten his food somewhere besides ravens, but Elijah’s authority came ‹only from God's commission. Unlike scenic of us, Elijah was forced to remember that he was God’s servant, empowered c›nlv to do G‹ d's will.
Gift and Givcr
But Elijah was so confident that God had spoken that he was extriivagant in proving that the fire wc›uld have to be a miracle. Although water was a rare commodity In this time of drought, he had the people pour water around the altar (1 Kings 18:33-35). After the miracle, Elijah was able to take vengeance on the prophets of Baa1 for the blood of his fellow prophets (18:40), many of whom may have been Elijah’s own disciples (compare 18:13).
Yet despite what appeared to be an initial turning of the people to God, Elijah’s feeling of climactic success was short lived. Jezebel was neither per- suaded nor weakened in her throne but forced Elijah to become a refugee again ( 1 Kings 19:1—2). Fire from heaven should have brought Israel to revival, but instead it simply seemed to increase the opposition. Many of us have labored in God's work and finally seen the fruit of our labors only to experience what seem insurmountable setbacks. Given the opposition against the gospel, we recognize that our own gifts and works for the king- dom can never accomplish all of God’s purposes, unless he intervenes by his own power. Elijah, who was a person of flesh and blood just like us, became discouraged ( 19:3—5). The Spirit's power does not stop us from being human or facing discouragements.
Once we realize that the power and the orders come from God rather than from ourselves, we will be ready fear God to send us and use us the way he sees fit. We should pray for God to grant signs to his church for its work of evangelism (Acts 4:29-30); we should also be ready for the life of faith God asks of each of us—with signs, suffering, and sufficiency in him alone. The ultimate objective goes beyrand signs, and even beyond evangelism and church growth; the goal to which these other activities lead is presenting people who are mature in Christ (Col. 1:28). Although God will not empower mc›st Christians individually with the same gifts to the same degree that he empc wered Elijah, all of us may learn frc›m Elijah's example ‹ f faith, perseverance, and faithfulness. We may also pray for Grad to raise up men
***d ‹amen of Gc›d with those kinds of sp iritual gifts fear ccur generatir n.
Satan d‹ es not mind trotting forth his p‹ wer. If the wc›rld is tc recog- nize that God's power is greater, God's representatives must believe it and act accordingly.‘ Sometimes we have no choice. During my first year in Bl)le college, I was preaching at a street mission when a demon-possessed man began shouting that he was “Antichrlst” and “Lucifer.” (Leave it to a demean to take Scripture out of context; neither title in the Bible referred t‹ a demon. Lecturing the demo n c›n elementary principles of biblical inter- pretat lon, however, wt›ulc4 not have been ‹i helpful ‹ippro‹ic1i t‹ the situa-
tion ) I haul always assumed th‹it I was spiritually prepared to cast out a
The‘ Spirit Empt4$$'crS US ft3r EVan elism 65
cleinon, but remembering the story ‹ I the seven sons of Sceva, I found myself toe› scared to attempt it. What if the man jumped on me and began ripping my clothes of(, as in Acts 19 / Other workers escorted the man out, and I finished my sermc›n as best I could. The man might have come to the mis- sion for deliverance, but we cast out the man rather than the demon. Ashamed at my failure, I realized that most of the “demons” I'd tried to cast
‹but in prayer previc›usly weren't real demons at all and that I did not have
enough faith for the real thing. I resolved to become a stronger man of faith,
and some months later I was tested again.
This time I was visiting a recently converted widow whose daughter was experiencing some serious problems. As I was praying for them outside, the Spirit suddenly led me back into the house to a door that opened to a stair- well, and down the stairs toward another door in the basement. I found myself unable to approach that door, however. An evil presence radiated menacingly from that room, and it felt like it was the ghost of the widow's husband. Knowing that “ghosts” are merely demons impersonating deceased pec›ple, I prayed upstairs and then marched down the stairs again, my strength renewed. I threw open the door and in Jesus' name commanded the spirlt to depart, never to return. Instantly it was gone. As I rejoined the widow, she informed me of three matters I hadn't known: ( l ) the basement room was directly beneath her daughter's bedroom; (2) her former husband had been involved with the occult, and his be1onglngs were stored in that room; and (3) a man she had dated a year before, who claimed to have psy- chic powers, had tried to confr‹ nt the “ghost” of her husband in that rod m, but it had chased him away instead.
Although it is most convenient for me tc share my ‹own, firsthanc( testi-
monies (because I know int›re ‹ f them), many r›thers who are involved in frontline ev angelism have far more clramatic accounts of the need for the Up irit's po w'c r. (a ivcn wh‹at we ‹it’s= up ‹4p‹a inst in tour cit i es ‹ind in in any une s ante heed re Mi‹›ns ct the w‹›r1d t‹ ct.i), 1 ‹tin conv incecl that n‹›thing
Gilt and Giver
in‹iy currently need metre pr‹ phets like Jeremiah to shake uS from ccur com- placency aha ut God's mission in the world. Let us pray that God's Spirit will give us the vari‹ us voices we need most to reach our generation for Christ.
The Spirit Equips Us to Suffer in Doing God’s Work (Mark 1: 7—13)
As a ytiung Christian, I witnessed in some situations in which suffering was likely. Two weeks in a row 1 had led someone to Christ on Sunday night in a particular part of town; the third week I decided to try it again. Unfor- tunately, the first person I spoke to was not in a pleasant mood; he descended on me immediately with anger, pummeling me with his fists and kicking me. 1 managed to get away, with him cursing that he would kill me if he saw me again. On some occasions when I was beaten, the physical pain remained for several days after the beating. Once, however, the Lord mer- cifully caused me to feel nr thing, though my hair was being torn out and my head was being slammed repeatedly against the Hotar.
I have not found such occurrences to be commonplace in the United States, but my friends in other parts of the w‹arld have recounted more examples. One Nigerian professor told me that he had been on Campus Crusade staff during some extremist lslamic riots a decade ago. Although the riots appeared to be spontaneous, the radical Muslims had, in fact, mapped out where all the Christlan ministers in that town lived. They went to one house after an‹ather, murdering the ministers and their families. My friend and his wife huddled beneath a table w ith their baby as rocks were thrown through their windows. They escaped death only because a mod- erate Muslim neighbor with whom my friend had shared Christ went tout
‹inc3 in Arabic insisted th‹it this was a “house of peace.” More recently, close
N iberian friends ‹ f in use lost ministry colleagues anal relatives as hundreds
‹›f pcs Ie u erc inassacrccl (on berth sides of the ensuing conflict). Around the world, thc›usands of Christians are martyred every year, and events in
€.“oluinbine Hiyh Schoc 1 and elsewhere indicate that such events may
bcc‹ilnc increasingly common here.
Equipping us to suffer for Christ's name is part of the Spirit's missic›n to
»" The €4ospcls tell us th It Jc›hn the Baptlst annc unced that Jesus would ' )8!8'i )CtJ) C IU the fiplf lt. We will exam inc this rrom ise in greater detail ill Milttlicu' 1‹a ter in this look, but here wC t Lim to Mark's account. The
‹»pe1 or M›irk c›i(ci s us the most cc nc lse sununary of this story, because
T he S p irit Empt3sver8 is fts r E vii ride lis ni
Mark iricluclcs thi9 account in his intron uction, and intro ductic ns were sir[apc sefl t‹i be short and to the point. Thus, Mark inc1uc)es only the most relevant points and uses their to intrc›duce the major themes of his Gospel. Mark mentions the Spirit only six times in his Gospel, but three of these times are in his lntroduction. This suggests that the Spirit is considerably metre important for Mark than one might guess from the few times he men- tions the Spirit later—lntroductions typlcally prepare the reader for what will follow. Mark builds three successive, concise paragraphs around the topic of the Spirit: John announces the Spirit-baptizer (1:8); the Spirit descends on Jesus (I:10); and the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness for
conflict with the devil ( 1:12).
The progressic›n of these three paragraphs means that the promised Spirit- baptizer himself is the model for the Spirit-baptized life, and the Spirit-bap- tized life is a life of victorious conflict with the devil's kingdom. The rest of Mark traces the continuing conflict: Jesus defeats the devil by healing the sick and freeing those possessed by demons. The devil strikes at ]esus through the devil's religious and political agents. Jesus finally dies but con- quers death itself in the resurrection. This is the model for Spirit-filled exis- tence: A Christian must be ready to display God's power but also to pay the price of death for doing so. The Spirit who inspired the Scriptures (Mark 12:36) and empowered Jesus to do miraculous works that skeptics reviled (Mark 3:22—29) will also anoint Jesus' witnesses to speak his message in times of persecution (13:11).’
Mark was “charismatic” in the sense that he emphasized the power of the Spirit for doing God's work. But he was quite different from the kind of charismatics today who emphasize only the blessings of serving God. Mark recognized that the Spirit empowers us to do exploits fear God but also to suffer for his he nor. As in the Book of Acts, irrefutable signs of God's activity lead not only to conversions but to active hostility and persecu- tion (for example, Acts 4:7; 5:16-17; 14:3-6).
S›ome scholars think that Mark wrote his Gospel for the suffering church in Rome, where Paul had written a letter a few years earlier. In that earlier letter Paul said that the Spirit joins the present suffering creation in groan- ing with birth pangs for a new era to come and invites us to “groan” with him (Rom. 8:22-23, 26). Thus, God works our trials for our good; prayers by the Spirit allow him to conform us tc› the image of his Son and to pre- pare us for our role in the coming age (8:26-30). In short, the Spirit makes the present bearable by reminding us that we live for another world because
Oift and Giver
we belt ng t‹ ‹another world. We are here, not as citizens of this age, but cis
its invaders called t€J be faith(u1 to the LC)rd of the wt3rld t€0 come.
Conclusion
If we wish to evangelize our world today, we dare not seek tc› do it in our own strength. As Dawson Trotman once observed, the early church lacked all the equipment that today we assume we need to get the job done: They lacked Christian literature, mass communications, rapid transportatlon; they acknowledged that silver and gold they had none.'° But because they had a radical dependence on the power of God, they turned their world upside down. God does not call all of us or equip all of us to witness in the same ways; even in Acts, different ministers were equipped to minister in different ways. Apollos could debate ( 18:28); Peter performed signs (5:15-16)¡ other Christians—probably the majority, though not the focus of Acts—carried the good news of Christ as they traveled (8:4). But each of us is called to witness, and Gcad's Spirit will not fail us if we learn to depend on him.
Sometimes God is just waiting for us to pray (compare Matt. 9:38; Luke 10:2). During my doctoral work, some friends in InterVarsity helped me recognize how strategic it was to reach international students from less open areas and prayed with me that God would open doors and help me to rec- ognize the doors when he opened them. That very day I was able to wit- ness to two students, one a leading scientist from China. From then on God began opening doors to share with doctoral and pr stdoctoral researchers from less evangelized parts of Asia, the Middle East, and elsewhere on a regular basis. Are we ready to trust God to open the doors and believe that he will empower us to do what he has called us to do /
The Spirit and How We Live
have seen miraculous healings and other extraordinary signs of God’s kindness, but the greatest miracle I have witnessed is meeting a Chris-
t tian from a very different background whose heart reveals the same character that God has put in me. Committed Christians have different personalities and gifts and come from different cultures and church back- grounds, but when we meet, we often can still recognize the same image of our Father.
As the first two chapters emphasized, knowing God's voice requires that we recognize God's character. When we begin to recognize his character, we are transformed as sharers of that character. Moses saw God's glory and thus reflected his glory (2 Cor. 3:7—16). Someday we will see and reflect God's glory fully ( 1 John 3:2), but already we are being transformed into his likeness and glory by his Spirit as we get to know him better (2 Cor. 3:17-18; 4:6, 17).
This chapter addresses that process of transformation. For many people
today, hearing God's voice, Spirit-empowered evangelism, and spiritual gifts are exciting topics. Oftentimes we do not consider the fruit of the Spirit to be as exciting or supernatural—as if we cc›uld manifest them on our own! But nca matter how much purely human works may look like the
69
O ift ii nt] Clive r
cli fe rcnt. Other copI c arc more c-x cited ‹ibr ut v .mious ethical questions rn r ur lay, but, vit‹i1 aS these are, ultimately we w ill never purify the church e tla ically and mr rally ivith‹ ut the p‹ wer of G » ’» r irit work ing in his
church. For that matter, we will never achieve victory ln ccur c›wn stru-
glee if we cJ‹o not learn to depencl on what God in Christ does in us by his
Elsewhere in this b‹ r k I address other aspects of being “Spirit-filled.” Here, h‹ wever, I focus on the deep work ‹ f the Splrit within us: The Spirit makes us new people in Grad's image; the Spirir bears the fruit of his char- acter in our lives; the genuinely Spirit-filled person ser› es others; and the pr›wer of Pentecost creates a new way to live.
The Urgency of Spiritual Renewal in the Church
The revivals of Acts 2 and 4 challenge not c nly North American Chris- tians' Enlightenment anti-supernaturalism (our culture’s skepticism about miracles) but also our materialism (2:44-45; 4:32—3 7). Do Jesus and the needs of his people matter to us more than anything else / The issue is not asceticism (as if possessions were bad) but priorities and sacrihce.
I will return to the example of Acts 2 at the end of this chapter, but in the meantime, several contrasts between the early church and North Ameri- can Christianity may offer some perspective. (Here 1 will employ some cyn- icism, as biblical writers sometimes do, to drive home the point of how inat- tentive we often are to eternal matters. My language may be strong, but I d‹ not think it even reflects fully the tragic waste of the resources God has given us in the face of a lost world's need.) Early Christian forms of self- sacrifice sometimes could border ran asceticism, which is not what 1 am rec- oimending for today. At the same time, however, the zeal of such ascetics to sacrifice for Christ puts to shame our fre‹quent unwillingness to incon- venience ourselves.
- Entertainment: Second-century Christians refused to go to amphithe- aters with non-Christian neighbors to watch people get butchered or mauled by gladiators or animals.
- Stewnrdsbib: Early Christians sacrificed their resources to care for the poor so much that upper-class pagans mracked them for their lack of discernment. Meanwhile, the church was converting the poor of the
The Spirit and How We Live 71
Empire who saw the Christians' leave fear them. Later, Anth‹ ny heard Jesus' wt›rds in the Gospels t‹a forsake everything and committed him- self to follow this command literally.
- Ernngelism: Christians often laid their lives on the line and sometimes died for their witness.
- Justice ministry: Some members of the early church bought slaves, empowered them with skills, and freed them,
- Trnditiunal spiritunl disciplines: Christians valued prayer, learning the Bible, and fasting; some later monastic Christians spent most of each day pursuing these disciplines.
Modern Western Christians, on the rather hand, reflect a different reper- toire of cultural values.
- Entertainment: Instead of going to amphitheatres to entertain our- selves with other people's suffering, we bring such entertainment into our living rooms via television and videos. We claim we watch such movies and prc›grams only to relax and that even though we spend hr›urs watching violence or sexual immorality, we do not actually enjoy it. (Certainly, we insist, we do not enjoy our hours of daily tele- vision as much as we enjoy studying our Bibles, though we rarely pick up the latter.)
- Stewardship: The average North American Christian tithes 2. 5 per- cent ‹ f his or her incc›me. We may, cif course, explain that given the strength of the U.S. economy, our 2.5 percent goes farther than Anthony's 100 percent.
- Evangelism: We try to be at least as nice r s non-Christians, sc› that if anyt)ne Clisct)vCrs wC cIrC ChriSti‹1nS we will not h‹4ve beclA a )r4c) wit- ness, in case that perscn4 ever figures out what Christians belies c and decides tr› become one.
- Jits nice ministry: Whenever we experience unresolvable conflicts with
rather Christians, we sue them.
- T’rnditionn1 s irituai disciplines: We pray before tneals, and with such great faith that u e can fl‹, s‹, c‹ancisely. We hra›'e rnorc Bibles than the early church d ie), but aftcr five hr›urs of TV. we may not have much t lrne to read them. Occasionally, htiwever, we meet ltate tin ider4s tha t are bilolical and qut›te Bible verses, even if they are ‹but ‹›f context We fast between meals, at least when we are on diet pr‹ prams to lose
Gift and Giver
the weigh I we ac‹quired by ctinsrnning resources that cr,uld better ha e served children in famine-stricken parts of the world. Happily, we do iee3 the hr›ineless in our country on Thanksgiving and Christmas, which, we assume, should tide them over for the rest ‹ f the year. (Christians who have made their peace with social Darwinism may further take comfort in the idea that starvation could be God's way of weeding out people and nations less ht for survival.)
Nominal Christians have done a remarkable job of making Christian- ity acceptable tr› ‹our culture (though barely different from it). Such nom- inal Christians might invite a more relevant title than “Christian,” such as “people of North American fairh,” or, “Norrh Americans who happen to have some affinities at the doctrinal level with ancient Christend‹ m.” Of course, there is a wide range of Christians between those who are nominal
and rhc›se who are strr›ngly devoted. But to the extent that our priorities
are not eternal, ccur habits should give us pause.
When Rome fell in A.o. 410, pagans complained that it was judgment from the gods due to the spread of Christianity. Augustine responded that it was instead judgment for Rome's centuries of wanton sins and that the faith caf the Christians in R‹ me had been too shallow t‹ stay God'» judgment (com- pare 1 Peter 4:17). I have talked with Christians from other parts of the world who b‹irely escaped death and saw unarmed Christian friends and family members butchered. In many cases these Christians were more faithful wit- nesses fear Christ than are most No rth American Christians. If suffering should crxne tc our nation, are we ready fear the test! And if not, are we willing t‹ bepln preparing ourselves and c›ur fellow Christians in advance /
Born and Created New
1‹›u1cl be ‹our first nature! Everyc›ne knows rhat children sh‹ire genetic traits w'ith their parents and that all c matures bear after their own k incl. In the t f tic Title th»i tcac he to i irtttf (oC,l. l .1 1-12, 21, 29-2 5),
The Spirit and How We Live
his creatir›n (Gen. 1:26-28). Adam fathered a s‹ n in his own “image,” Le., who bore his genetic traits (Gen. 5:3). In the same way, God created men en3 women to be his children, in his “image” (Gen. 1:26-27; 5:1). Graven images cannot reveal his glory, but in a limited way, his children can.
Humanity's sin marred God's image in us, but in Christ we have been “created” new in God's image (Eph. 4:24). It is not withr ut reason that Paul speaks of us as a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). As a new cre- ation, we are the vanguard of God's coming new world (2 Peter 3:13-14; Rev. 21:1). We are also a new creation in the sense that what God did through Adam, he has done better through Jesus Christ, the new Adam (Rom. 5:14; 1 Cor. 15:22, 45).
God promised that someday he would place a new spirit and heart within his people (Ezek. 36:26), when he would give them his Spirit so they could d‹ his will (Ezek. 36:27). We received that new spirit when we were born again through God’s Spirit (John 3:6). When we are born from God (Gal. 4:29; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18), we are born with his new nature, just as we are physically beam with a genetic nature (John 3:6). Thus, Peter speaks of becoming “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). As Christ’s body, we are his members; in modern terms, we share his moral genes. Shar- ing God’s divine nature does not mean we become part of the Trinity, raf course. Rather, by sharing God's moral character, we are renewed into his image ln Christ (Rom. 8:29), who is God's supreme image (2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3). As we look at Jesus and learn of him, we are transformed into his image (2 Cor. 3:18; 4:16—18; Col. 3:10), and someday we will see him face to face and take on his character fully (1 Cor. 15:49; 1 John 3:2—3). Do we want to reflect God's glory in our lives nowt As we learn to know Jesus mr re intimatelv, and like Moses spend time with God on the moun- tain, we will begin to re(1ect his glory more thoroughly (2 Cor. 3:3—18).
The New Testament takes the claim of a new birth farther than sim- ply the beginning of ccur Christian life. Conception and birth begin life; God conceived and birthed us into a new and “eternal life” (J olin 3:3—5, 16). Depending ‹ n how we translate the phrase, Paul might even have meant that believers share the “life of God” (Eph. 4:18); we c)epend on him for what we are nc w becoming (Gal. 2:20). Likewise, it is because we are btirn from God that we, as his children, can trust our lnheritance in him ( l Peter 1:3-4).
Having his new nature ln us does nr t mean we can be passive aha ut our transformation. Paul tells us to put off the old and put on the new creation in hls lmage (Eph. 4:22-24). Thrc ugh a life ‹ f c bedience (Eph. 4:25-32),
we contr›rij tc› the tunnel anal irn‹ipe of God in Christ (Er h. 4:32-5:2), and the new nature becomes ink re and inr›re a part of the way we live. Peter says that we purify ourselves by obeylng the truth, because God has birthed us anew with his w'ord, a seed that reflects his nature ( 1 Peter 1:22—25; com- pare Luke 8:11; James 1:21; 1 Jcahn 3:9). Peter then adds that like babies depending c›n their m‹ ther's milk, we continue to grow by continuing to imbibe God’s message ( l Peter 2:1—2).
Grad uses external trials to conform us to his image (Rom. 8:18—29; com- pare 2 Cor. 4:10-11, 16—lb), but he especially works through his Spirit in us. Discipline can help us cooperate with the Spirit (compare 1 Cor. 9:24—2 7; 2 Tim. 2:3-5), but we must trust God to transform us into Christ's image. Paul claims that it is Christ himself working in him who accom- plishes his ministry (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 13:3—6; Gal. 2:8; Col. 1:28—29). He also claims that it is God working in us, and Christ living in us, that brings us to maturity ( 1 Cor. 12:6; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 3:20; Phil. 2:12-13; com- pare 1 Thess. 2:13). Do we dare to believe these claims!
The Spirit’s Fruit (Ga1. 5: 16—25)
If conversion (ice chap. 7 in this book) applies to believers the saving work of Christ, the continuing work of the Spirit causes us to grow in his character. It is no coincidence that Paul wrote about the fruit of the Spirit to the church in Galatia. They were struggling to achieve righteousness on their own, instead of accepting it as God's free gift in Christ. Righteous- ness is a glft at the moment of conversion, but living out righteousness daily is also part c f that gift (Eph. 2:5-10).
Whot the Lm Cou1dn’t Do
The- law was a pond standard fear ethics, but by itself it could not save an cone. Although Gc›d had given his people a good standard by which to live, from the start, Israel repeatedly failed to keep the law. God knew his per ple would keep the how only if it were written in their hearts (Deut. 30:11—IQ). God thus promised a new covenant through which he would 8Ccta inplish j ust that (J er. 31:31-34). Ezek ie1 explains h‹aw this moral
einrowcrinent would w'ork: Grad would cleanse the spirits cif his people
0tJc) FlCc his own Holy Spirit within them (Ezek. 36:26-i 7). Paul regu- lars ec la‹›es this t roinise: The Spirit transforms us to live God's way (Rom. 2—10; 14.1 7, Gal. 5.1 3-6.10, compare Gal. 2. 20 with Gal. 5.2d—25,
s 3g Erh. s.?3—3? Phil. ? 1 Cel. 1 6 1 Th » 4 8: 2 13: »'•'
1:›, 22; i J.›hn 3:6, 9; 5:1 a).
Old Testament law, like laws in all cultures, dealt w ith people on the outside, dut Jesus demands more than mere c›utside observance. The law warns, “You shaft not kill”; J esu.s demands, “Yc›u shall not want to kill.” The law warns, “You shall not cc mmit aclultery”; Jesus de maFlÜS, “YOU $bR l2Ot want t‹a commÎt adultery” (Matt. 5:?1—28). Mere human effort cannot trans- form our hearts; it can lead us r nly to denial, a scart of pretend righteous- ness, whether wc are deceiving others or merely ourselves ( 1 John 1:7—10). Jesus came to save us and give us his Spirit. He came te› make us new on the inside so that we wc uld want to d‹ what is right. Rules have their place in restraining sin, but it is Christ living in us that transforms us. As Paul points out in the context of the fruit passage in Galatians, one cannot be
tic religion depends on the flesh; Spir it-filled religic›n depends on God ‹ind the power of his grace.
nesh Ond SQirif th Qalatinn Chri5tianity
{n/alti„notcxcryoncshartJEauÈsunJt'stn#"g'# °# 8'" t'“
Jesus. Some Jewish Christian “missionarics” in Galatia were trying ter impose
]ewish customs on Paul's Gentile converts. Th e Froblein was not that these customs were Jewish. The prciblem Was that no customs can save us, and n‹a culture, even one forined in many respects by the Bible, shrauld be mixed up with the san ing gospel. Throughc ut Paul's letter U the Galatian
tians, he refutes the cl‹iims of these false missie naries. Whercas human
pion a eal, at belt to the acccatn{o1ishmentS elf t C “flesh,” salv"t*"n
(The N lV's “sinful nature” leavcs the wrong impression if we think ‹ f an evil nature in our soul, an idea that may stem from laten GtC0k 9l4i1t1SC*9 ¥ and Gnosticism.) the Old Testament contrasts human or crcaturely frailty
ish penylo (such s t*c)6uwho w o‹c thc deel
ui gives us victory. Thus, instead r›f struggling with sin by lleshly means, we
taccd t‹ cl,ire t‹, trust (Christ's ( rcsence and hardship and let him live his character through us.
Paul w urns his Galatian readers that love is the true fulfillment of the
1» (5:13—14) but that “fleshly,” human religion leads only tc spiritual com- petitir›n and anitnosity ( 5:13, 15; compare 1 Cor. 3:3). Jewish people often spoke c f “walking” according to Gc›d's commandments and so fulfilling them. Paul likewise c3eclares that if we “walk” by the Spirit, we will not ful- fill Ileshly passions. In Greek, Paul's words are especially forceful: You can- not do the Spirit's will and at the same time d‹ that of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). Paul then offers the reason for this incompatibility: The gc›als of the Spirit and the flesh are mutually exclusive (5:17).
Some Greek philosophers said that a wise person needed no external law. Here Paul declares that those whom the Splrit leads are not “under the law” ( 5:18). Paul undoubtedly meant that believers led by the Spirit would fulfill the mc ral principles of the law, such as love, because the law was writ- ten in our hearts (Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:27). He c‹ ntrasts this Spirit-led lifestyle with a life fueled by mere human power, no matter how religious such a life might appear ter be outwardly. Hypocritical religion pretends to be righteous while providing only a thin veneer to disguise its sinful pas- sion. Using the stancdarcJ ancient literary dev lce of a vice list, he declares that the “works” of the flesh include all manner of sins (Gal. 5:19—21). Because Paul has been complaining about human “works” in religion throughtiut his letter to the Galatians, they would probably recc›gnize that he implies the inadequacy of human religion here.
Instead of dependence on “llcshly w‹ rks,” Paul calls believers to pr‹aduce
the “fruit” c f the Spirit. Jesus said that one would know a tree by its fruit; a tree produces according to its nature (Matt. 7:16-20). lf we depend ‹ n h lin, Jesus said, his life within us will cause Els to bear much fruit (J ohn 15:4-5). Paul, w'1io declares that Christians are new creatures in Chtist, expects t1i‹it r›ur very nature and the presence c›f Gc›d's Spirit within us will
‹af themselves pr‹aduce bond fruit, unless we by sinful choices deliberately repress them. The behavior of Christians she uld flow from our new iden- tity, and our identity is determined not by ccur past but by our destiny with (Christ (Rom. 6:4-5).
Palll iS nt3t Fe Hint us that we will always $C°C new but th‹3t we should
‹accept the reality c›f our newness by faith and live accordingly (Rom. 6:11). Neat flesh, not human effort on its own, but the transforming power of Christ
*incl his Spirir pre duces kneel w‹ rks. And since we re‹illy belong to the Spirit
›***cl n‹"t t‹ the flesh, Paul goes on to say, we must live like it (Gal. 5:2d—25).
The Spirit and Ho* We Live
Jesus savec) us fr‹rr sin by grace; in the same way we can n‹ w mrs like we
arc saved from sin—by faith in Christ's finishecl work (Ga»1. ?.zo, 1.z4;
6:14), by reckoning ourselves dead” (Rom. Ö:11). While I believe it is m isguided ft r Gelieve rs to go around “confessing” new cars and other desires, Scripture does invite us to tenaciously remind ourselves what God has recreated us to be in Christ. The same Spirit who made us new in Christ (Ga1. 4:29; 6:15) empowers us to recognize our new identity in Christ—one determined not by feelings, nr t by our past, not by our cir- cuinstances, but by Christ (Gat. 5:16, 25; sCe also Rem. 8:13). Although Paul emphaslzCS this point t‹a the Galatians, he teaches other churches in the same manner: Every goot work the gospel prt duces in uS tS “ftutt”
(Phil. 1:10-11; Co1. 1:10), which comes from understanding how to love
(Phil. 1:9) and includes je yful endurance (Col. 1:11 ) because of our future hope ( 1:12).
Other Jewish people in Paul's day stressed the Spirit's work in mc›ra1
purification and especially in prophetic empowerment but rarely if ever claiined that the Spirit enables us to share God's m‹ rat character. Paul stresses the fruit of the Spirit not because his cc›ntemporaries did so but because it was part c›f the reality he and other early Christians experienced
in Christ.
(Note By Blogger: Due to the length of the book which this content is from I have broken it up into a short series of blog posts.)
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