Suffering and the New Life

Dr. Ron Williams spoke at Living Water Foursquare on May 24^th. If you have not heard Ron Williams’ testimony, I suggest that you hear it some time. God truly moved in Ron to bring about extraordinary healing in him that saved his life. God increased his life as Dr. Williams referred to God increasing the life of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:6). One of the things Dr. Williams said (which I will paraphrase here) was that with the terrible/tragic events that happen to us we end up asking the question, “Why is this happening?” When perhaps we should ask, “What can I learn from this?” This is the topic that I will reflect upon, that is, suffering and what God wants us to learn from it. Not only this, but God brings new life through our suffering. When I see Dr. Williams, I see God’s new life breaking in. This is because of the physical and spiritual work that God has done in him.

We as humans naturally ask the question, “Why?” But as we come to worship the Lord in our lives, we come to realize that our suffering has a purpose. Dr. Williams mentioned Romans 5:3-5 which states:

We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Dr. Williams discussed how suffering produces endurance (consistency), character produces hope and so on. I could see how he believed this was true in his own suffering. God had truly done a work in him not only physically but God had made him more spiritually mature. He said, “Real men don’t cry but they have heart attacks, and ulcers” but he learned that through his suffering that this was not how to be a “real man” or truly human. Men as well as women within the Christian community are to be there for each other through the good times and hard times. They are to rejoice and mourn with each other (Romans 12:15). Suffering producing a mature person is also discussed in the book of James 1:2-4 which states:

My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

These two passage in particular deal not with the “why” question but with the “what” question. God wants to move us from our “fallen self” to a “complete self” or a person who is truly who they were meant to be. So instead of dreading difficult times (persecutions, trails, suffering, or whatever), a person should consider it joy because a person becomes the “complete self” that God wants for them through their suffering. If however a person does not "consider it nothing but joy" they become more like the “fallen self” that God saved humanity from through his son, Jesus Christ.  

This is the new life God has for us. As Jesus suffered and died, and rose to new life, so we too must suffer and die to gain a new life (Romans 6:1-11). This is done for us through the dying and raising of Jesus, which enables us to do the same. This new life is not just when we are literally raised to new life but this new life breaks through now, as with Dr. Williams. The challenge is laid before us, as Christians. Do we embrace suffering for what it can produce in us? Or do we shrink away from it and thus shrink away from the “complete self” God wants for us?

Thanks for reading.

Marcelino

A Reflection on Works, the Christian Life and Reflecting the Image of God

Last Sunday Pastor George spoke on “Reflecting the Image of God.” He asked what image we were reflecting. Is it our own, the worlds, or God’s? He appealed to those who were there to not see the Christian faith as merely “fire insurance.” It is much more than that. God has made us a new creation to reflect his image. I have been thinking about works in relation to the Christian life and this sermon has caused me to reflect even more on this.
Tom Wright says, “Human beings were made to know, worship, love, and serve the creator God. That always was and always will be the way to healthy fruitful human living.” By doing this, we learn how to reflect the image of God not only back to God but to the whole world. When Christians see works in this way, it does not become burdensome. Because Protestants believe in justification by faith alone, some can at times be afraid of hearing the word “works” in relation to our faith. However, works are a necessary part of the Christian life and dare I say without them, there is no Christian life. Christianity is not “fire insurance” as Pastor George said. Perhaps, if Christians focused more on the salvation of the whole person, instead of saving souls from hell, that may help to dissolve the misunderstanding of this “fire insurance faith.” New Creation as Pastor George mentioned, is a step in the right direction. We “are” a new creation in Christ Jesus created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:9). This implies that we “are” new creation so that we may “do” new creation. We are a new creation, a new humanity and are learning a new way to be human. We are saved to “do” something. As Paul says after explaining the climax of new creation being the resurrection of our bodies, he says that we are to “do” the work of the Lord for our faith is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15).
What is interesting and also amazing is that our life, humanity, and works are very closely tied to the image of God. Humans have always been meant to reflect God’s image (this goes back to Adam) and though we have missed the mark on this, thank God for the one who is truly human, Jesus Christ. Now humans can begin to learn what it means to truly be human, which is to reflect the image of God. This requires humans not to be God’s puppets controlled by the Holy Spirit but God has enable us by the Holy Spirit to finally be his new creations and new humans, who are able to think, choose, and do the work of the Lord.

Thanks for reading,

Marcelino

A Comprehensive Immigration Reform

At Fuller Theological Seminary Cardinal Roger Mahony at Fuller's All-Seminary Chapel. He spoke on a comprehensive immigration reform. I have to say I do not know much about this topic myself, but the Cardinal has helped to open my eyes to this pressing issue and the Churches part in it. The Cardinal said,"the Scriptures teach us to have unrelenting compassion, even in a difficult economic time, for those seeking new hope for their lives.” He is looking at this issue through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He makes a good point that "the economy is for the people and the people are not for the economy." He stressed the value of human life and that all our welcome at God's table. He proposes a comprehensive reform that he details in his message. I put up the message for you to watch.
I am always moved to see the Church, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox, seeking to "do" the mission of God/Church or as I said in my previous blog "do" new creation.
Marcelino

Where will amazing happen?

It has been quite awhile since I have blogged. Seminary has kept me very busy. I have been learning a lot and I have been challenged both academically and spiritually. I am glad to say that I am going to pick up blogging again.

The NBA has been advertising all year that their league is "where amazing happens", which I think has been a successful slogan. Now that the playoffs have started they have shown past clips of spectacular plays of the playoffs of past years. They have asked, "Where will amazing happen this year? To find out the answer fans need to watch this seasons playoffs. I asked myself, what if we ask this question outside the sports or basketball world and ask the Apostle Paul this question and then leave the question to Christians?

"Where will amazing happen?" 

The answer to this question is wherever God's new creation breaks in! The Apostle Paul says that Christians will be raised to newness of life and will be restored along with God's creation. God will raise believers from the dead and restore his creation (see Romans 6, 8). This is what we are look forward to. But Paul does not leave it there. Christians are to do the "work of the Lord" and Paul says some how our work will not be in vain but will be affirmed in God's new creation (1 Cor 15). Paul also says that we are new creations even now and it is everything (Galatians  6:15). So though this new creation will happen in the future it is happening even now. It happens when people come to faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and it happens whenever and wherever the Church of Jesus Christ does the work of the Lord. "Amazing" happens among those people that "are" new creation and "do" new creation.

So as I prepare to watch the Lakers tonight, I won't be looking for what is truly amazing, instead I will look to God and is church for "amazing" or "new creation". I am remind of N. T. Wright's appeal to "dream the dream of God's new creation". What would it look like? To quote Kanye West "Amazing!" I never thought I would quote Tom Wright and Kanye West together! Anyway, I am encouraged to ask this question and then as Paul would say go out and "do the work of the Lord!" I hope you are encouraged as well.

God Bless,

Marcelino