Live Like You Are Chosen

This is an excerpt from a book by John Frame, Salvation Belongs to the Lord. Frame provides a unique perspective on the doctrine of election. Just thought it offers a fresh view on what it means to be a believer and belong to God.

Effectual calling, sometimes called the internal call, is this: God sovereignly , efficaciously summons (John Murray's word) the elect into fellowship with Christ. That word summons brings out God's sovereignty. You might be able to refuse an invitation, but you can't refuse a summons. A summons is an offer you cannot refuse....You see, a lot of people in the world are elect but not saved. Before you believed in Jesus, you were in that situation. You were elect, chosen of God before the foundation of the world, but you lived as an unbeliever, without any faith in Christ. How did God change you? The first phase, the first event, is effectual calling. Note the characteristics of effectual calling: it is the work of God the Father, summoning you into the fellowship of his Son.

Remember who chose you and live like it.

Prayer of Confession

Almighty God, we acknowledge and confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed; we have not loved you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength; we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. Deepen within us our sorrow for the wrong we have done, and for the good we have left undone. Lord, you are full of compassion and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy; there is always forgiveness with you! Restore to us the joy of your salvation; bind up that which is broken, give light to our minds, strength to our wills, and rest to our souls. Speak to each of us, and let your word abide within us until we are changed into your likeness. Amen.

Psalm 103:8-12
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide us, nor will He keep his anger forever.
He does not treat us as our sins deserve, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

We thank you, O Lord, for all the mercies of every kind, and for your loving care over all your creatures. We bless you for the gift of life, for your protection, for your guiding hand upon us, and for the many tokens of your love within us; especially for the saving knowledge of your dear Son, our redeemer; and for the living presence of your Spirit, our comforter. We thank you for friendship and responsibility, for good hopes and precious memories, for the joys that cheer us and for the trials that teach us to trust in you. In all these things, make us wise in the right use of your gifts, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen

The Heidelberg Catechism - Lord's Day 32

Today, the Catechism addresses this thought: If grace abounds, why must we still do good? What do our actions contribute to the kingdom of God?

86. Q. We have been delivered from our misery by God's grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it: Why then must we still do good?

A. Because Christ, having redeemed us by His blood, also renews us by His Holy Spirit to be His image, so that with our whole life we may show ourselves thankful to God for His benefits, and He may be praised by us. Further, that we ourselves may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and that by our godly walk of life we may win our neighbours for Christ.

The Heidelberg Catechism - Lord's Day 21

When we are struggling, sometimes it's difficult to discern the truth: Does God love me? What do I really believe? Is grace real?

Consider the words of the Heidelberg Catechism, adopted by the Synod in Heidelberg on January 19, 1563. Find assurance in these words of wisdom.

21. Q. What is true faith?

A. True faith is a sure knowledge whereby I accept as true all that God has revealed to us in His Word. At the same time it is a firm confidence that not only to others, but also to me, God has granted forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness, and salvation, out of mere grace, only for the sake of Christ's merits. This faith the Holy Spirit works in my heart by the gospel.

Find Out Her Name, and Ask

This is an excerpt from a post by Doug Wilson; the full essay can be found here. He discusses the economics of marriage and how men and women have been bamboozled into believing a lie not only about marriage, but the lie's effect on society.

So healthy culture is one in which testosterone is not regarded as a public enemy. A healthy Christian culture is one in which testosterone is not regarded as necessarily resisting the work of the Spirit in our lives. Now the effects of such a testosteronic revival (a great name for a band there, and you’re welcome) will be a potent force. There will be a high standard of morality, and there will consequently be a high incentive for entering into a state of matrimony—as soon as possible, not as late as possible. The women will not resent this because they know that this is the way the world is. They will know that it conforms to God’s creational intent, and that it does not conform to the ideologies of egalitarian feminism. And besides, it is lots better than being abandoned and stranded by the neutered brethren of the limp-wrist.

Chesterton once observed that free love was the first and most obvious bribe that could be offered to a slave. Those who want their “subjects” to be docile and easily manipulated (and I include both civic and ecclesiastical leaders here) do not want to encourage the formation of molecular units that might be resistant to the requirements of the broader collective. This helps explain the friendliness of the state to porn and pot. Whatever other problems might arise, governing the lotus-eaters is an attractive proposition to a certain kind of corrupt ruler.

In short, a band of tightly-knit families is much more difficult to lead than dissolute men are. If the men are leaders in their homes, and are intensely loyal to their wives and children, then they are going to be that much more difficult to lead. At the same time, it really needs be remembered that such a collection, such a society, is the only kind that is really worth leading. They are the only ones who are going anywhere.

Lazy leaders do not want molecular families—they much prefer atomistic individuals. They will pay you to stay by yourself. They will entice you to stay by yourself. They will tell you all kinds of lies, lies driven by their socialistic and leveling envy. They want you to be an enervated and spent force. That is what lies behind all their bribes, all their blandishments, all their downgrades, and all their allowances for your pocket to be an electronic portal for porn-on-demand.

So if you are an unmarried young man, out on your own with a legitimate job, then you need to seriously contemplate joining the resistance. Find out her name, and ask.

Calvin on the Scripture's Call to Christian Living - Final Words

Of course, none of us is capable of running swiftly on the right course while we remain in the earthly confinement of our bodies. Indeed, most of us are so oppressed with weakness that we make little progress - staggering, limping, and crawling on the ground. But let us move forward according to the measure of our resources and pursue the path we have begun to walk. None of us will move forward with so little success that we will not make some daily progress in the way. Therefore, let us keep trying so that we might continually make some gains in the way of the Lord, and neither let us despair over how small our successes are. For however much our successes fall short of our desire, our efforts aren't in vain when we are farther along today than yesterday. So let us fix our eyes on the goal with sincerity and simplicity, aspiring to that end - neither foolishly congratulating ourselves, nor excusing our evil deeds. Let us press on with continual striving toward that goal so that we might surpass ourselves - until we have finally arrived at perfection itself. This, indeed, is what we follow after and pursue all our lives, but we will only possess it when we have escaped the weakness of the flesh and have been received into His perfect fellowship.

Calvin on the Scripture's Call to Christian Living - Part IV

I'm not saying that the conduct of a Christian will breathe nothing but pure gospel, although this should be desired and pursued. I'm not, in other words, talking about gospel perfection, as if I were unwilling to acknowledge or recognize a man or woman as a Christian who has not obtained perfection. If that were the case, everyone would be excluded from the church, since we do not find any in it who are close to be perfect. Indeed, we find many in the church who have progressed little toward perfection, but who, nevertheless, it would be unjust to reject as Christians.

What I am saying to this: Let us fix our eyes on the goal and sole object of our pursuit. Let that goal, toward which we must strive and contend, be established from the beginning. After all, it's not right to barter with God regarding what we will and won't undertake from those things He has prescribed for us in His Word. God always commends - as of utmost importance - integrity as the principal part of His worship (1 Kings 9:4-5).

And by the word integrity He means sincere simplicity of heart, free from pretense and deceit, which is the opposite of duplicity of heart. In other words, right living has a spiritual basis where the inner affection of the soul is sincerely devoted to God for the nurture of holiness and righteousness.

[Tomorrow, I will have some final words from John Calvin.]

Calvin on the Scripture's Call to Christian Living - Part III

Something must be said about whose who want to be called Christians but possess nothing of Christ except the title and appearance. They arrogantly glory in His holy name. But only those who have gained a true knowledge of Christ from the Word of the gospel have a relationship with Him. And the Apostle denies that any have rightly learned Christ who have not learned that they must put off the old man, who is corrupted by deceitful desires, and put on Christ (Ephesians 4:20-24). Such nominal Christians demonstrate their knowledge of Christ to be false and offensive no matter how eloquently and loudly they talk about the gospel. For true doctrine is not a matter of the tongue, but of life; neither is Christian doctrine grasped only by the intellect and memory, as truth is grasped in other fields of study. Rather, doctrine is rightly received when it takes possession of the entire soul and finds a dwelling place and shelter in the most intimate affections of the heart. So let such people stop lying, or let them prove themselves worthy disciples of Christ, the teacher.

We have given priority to doctrine, which contains our religion, since it establishes our salvation. But in order for doctrine to be fruitful to us, it must overflow into our hearts, spread into our daily routines, and truly transform us within. Even the philosophers rage against and reject those who profess an art that ought to govern one's life, but who twist that art hypocritically into empty chatter. How much more then should we detest the foolish talk of those who give lip service to the gospel? The gospel's power ought to penetrate the innermost affections of the heart, sink down into the soul, and inspire the whole man a hundred times more than the lifeless teachings of the philosophers.

John 10:28-30

"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”

Ephesians 4:20-24

But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Don't Give Up the Fight

This is an essay from Ed Welch on fighting sin. It's a battle in which we all are engaged, but the intensity of the battle ebbs and flows for most of us. Regardless, God wants us to fight and persevere. In the end, the battles and war will be won, of this we can be assured. But when we are in the middle of it, we often get tired and want to give up. Please don't.

*********************

God highly prizes those quiet warriors who battle with sin even when it hurts. Though they might not get much media coverage, they are heroes of the faith. But even heroes can get tired. And sometimes heroes even say things that seem less than heroic.

This is what the wicked are like—
always carefree, they increase in wealth.
Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been plagued;
I have been punished every morning. (Psalm 73:12-14)

Why does everyone else seem to have it easier? While everyone else goes about normal life, I fight a war every minute. When do I get a break?

"You have said harsh things against me,” says the LORD.
“Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’
“You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.’” (Malachi 3:13-15)

So, a few words to fighters…

First, if you think a little fatigue takes you off God’s ‘highly honored’ list, you are wrong. Fatigue means you have been in battle, and it makes you kin to people like Elijah (1 Kings 19:4). Be encouraged; you are not alone. There is an army of fatigued strugglers who walk among us. Ask around, tell your story and you will meet some of them.

Second, all those folks who act as if life is fine? No troubles? Prosperity galore? Those folks don’t exist. Behind every happy person is a sad person. Behind every human being’s persona is a combination of good, bad and really hard. You would definitely not want to be the “prosperous” people who are referenced in these passages.

Third, the battle is worth it. Your Father knows every second of your battle. The challenge is that you need eyes that see past today and see something bigger than your immediate struggle. That is a message that your Father gives you. The beauty of your struggle, in which you fight by faith, is that it has eternal implications (1 Pet.1:6). Its beauty will some day be apparent for all of us to savor.

Fourth, you, perhaps more than anyone else, can have confidence that you are a child of God (Heb. 12:4-6).

Calvin on the Scripture's Call to Christian Living - Part II

More from John Calvin from "A Little Book on the Christian Life":

To prompt us toward righteousness more effectively, Scripture tells us that God the Father, who has reconciled us to Himself in His Anointed One, Jesus Christ, has given us in Christ a model to which we should conform our lives. You will not find a better model in the philosophers--in whom many expect to find the only correct and orderly treatment of moral philosophy. They, while doing their best to encourage us to be virtuous, have nothing to say except that we should live "according to nature." Scripture, however, draws its encouragement from the true fountain. It teaches us to contemplate our lives in relation to God, our Author, to whom we are bound. And, having taught us that we have fallen from the true state and condition of our original creation, Scripture adds that Christ, through whom we have been restored to favor with God, is set before us as a model whose form and beauty should be neglected in our own lives. What could be more effective than this? Indeed, what more is needed than this? We have been adopted by the Lord as children with this understanding--that in our lives we should mirror Christ who is the bond of our adoption. And truly, unless we are devoted--even addicted--to righteousness, we will faithlessly abandon our Creator and disown Him as our Savior....

Christ has engrafted us into His body. We, therefore, who are His members must be especially careful not to fling mud or filthiness on the body of Christ (John 15:2-6; 1 Cor. 6:15; Eph. 5:23-33)....

We, therefore, must strive upward--keeping ourselves pure and incorruptible until the Day of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:23). These are the most holy foundations on which to build the Christian life. Nothing like these can be found in the philosophers, who in their commendation of virtue never rise above the dignity that natural man can achieve.

Calvin on the Scripture's Call to Christian Living - Part I

The following is from the "A Little Book on the Christian Life," an edited work of the writings of John Calvin, specifically, "The Institutes of the Christian Religion." This section is on the Scripture's call to Christian living. This post is the first part of a four-part series.

There are two main parts to the instruction from Scripture on the Christian life....The first is that a love of righteousness - to which we are not naturally prone - must be implanted and poured into our hearts. The second is that we need some model that will keep us from losing our way in our pursuit of righteousness. Scripture contains many arguments to encourage us on the path of righteousness....

To begin with, what better foundation can Scripture give for the pursuit of righteousness than to tell us we should be holy because God Himself is holy? Moreover, when we are scattered and wandering like sheep, lost in the maze of the world, God found us and gathered us to Himself. When we contemplate this relationship between ourselves and God, let us remember that holiness is the bond of our union with Him. Not, of course, because we enter into fellowship with Him by the merit of our own holiness. Rather, we first of all cling to Him, and then, having received His holiness, we follow wherever He calls us. For it is characteristic of His glory that He has no fellowship with sin and impurity. Holiness is the goal of our calling. Therefore we must consistently set our sights upon holiness if we would rightly respond to God's calling. To what purpose did God pull us out of the wickedness and pollution of this world - wickedness and pollution in which we were submerged - if we allow ourselves to wallow in such wickedness and pollution for the rest of our lives?

Furthermore, if we count ourselves among God's people, Scripture tells us to live as citizens of the holy city of Jerusalem, which He has consecrated Himself: "For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come." (Hebrews 13:14)

It's shameful that the citizens of the holy city should pollute it by their impurity. Thus, we read that there will be a dwelling place in God's tabernacle for those who walk blamelessly and pursue righteousness. It's not right that the sanctuary in which God dwells should resemble a filthy stable.

Ephesians 2:8-10 We Are His Workmanship

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

There's No Magic Answer to Sin

"Here’s an old metaphor about how a Christian fights against darkness. Envision your mind as a room. When sin reigns, that room is filled with dark thoughts, dark actions, and deceptive people who mean you no good. So how do you get darkness out of the room? There are two ways that you fight. First, you stand up to the darkness, expelling it from the room, learning to directly say no to evil. And second, you fight the darkness by filling the room with light. There’s no room for the darkness when the room is filled with worthy actions, true thoughts, and constructive people. When Christ enters the room, he is patiently committed to teach us to say no to what is wrong and yes to what is merciful and good.
....

"Christ comes with mercy for people who know their sins. His mercy leads to doing simple things that consistently head in the right direction. Do you feel discouraged and defeated by your struggle? Don’t let anyone kid you that there’s some magic answer and somehow you missed it. There are no magic answers. But a Person full of light is willing to walk with you in the direction of the light. He is willing to walk with you the whole way home."    - excerpts from an essay by David Powlison

Divine Priority

"In considering the rationale for God-centered worship, we must begin with the realization that worship is the number one priority of the Church. Jesus' famous statement in John 4:23 that the Father seeks worshipers is unparalleled, for nowhere in the entire corpus of Holy Scripture do we read of God's seeking anything else from a child of God. God desires worship above all else.

"Thus, every man who calls himself a Christian must understand that worship is the ultimate priority of his life. Worship is what God wants from you and from me. Jesus hallowed and substantiated this in His chiding of busy, frenetic Martha, who was so critical of her sister's sitting at Jesus' feet: "Martha, Martha...you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10: 41, 42).

"A look at the massive emphasis on worship in the Old Testament reveals God's mind on worship's priority. Exodus devotes twenty-five chapters to the construction of the Tabernacle, the locus of divine worship. Leviticus amounts to a twenty-seven chapter liturgical manual. And the Psalms are a spectacular 150-chapter worship hymnal. Divine worship has always been the occupation and sustenance, the priority, of the believing soul." 
              - from Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes

Working at Transformation

"Here we can finally sort out our initial thoughts on sloth. We are right to think of sloth as resistance to effort - but not only, or even primarily in the sense of being physically lazy or lazy about our work. Rather, it is resistance to the discipline and transformation demanded by our new identity as God's beloved children, created and redeemed to be like him. The slothful like the comforting thought of being saved by love, of being God's own, but balk at facing the discomfort of transformation - the slow putting to death of the old sinful nature - and the discipline it takes to sustain that transforming relationship of love over the long haul." - from Glittering Vices by Rebecca DeYoung

For a Person Who is Hurting

This is an excerpt from an essay by David Powlison. If you are hurting, feeling lonely, or overwhelmed with life tonight, this may provide some comfort.

What words can I say to you when your life is hard and you are hurting? If we were face to face, I probably wouldn’t start with words at all. I would want you to talk when you are able. I want to know you, what you are going through, what it is like for you, and how you are doing. Simply being present and conveying that tears, heartache, and confusion are valid would probably be more helpful. Many wise Christians have commented that Job’s counselors did well until they opened their mouths (Job 2:11-13), and I certainly don’t think there is some magic word that will make everything better.

But when it comes time to say something, I might say this: Jesus is a most sympathetic friend, fellow sufferer, and Savior. He has walked a hard road. He has felt his own anguish and crushing pain (Isaiah 53). He understands. He is compassionate toward you. By the comfort of his presence and sympathy, he intends to draw you out and draw you to Himself.

I encourage you to go to him and speak to him. There is something about our ability to find words to express what we’re experiencing that makes a genuine difference. A wise Christian of many centuries ago said, “To open one’s heart to one’s friend—it doubles our joys and cuts our griefs in half.” I have found this to be true. Sharing a joy really does double the joy. And of course, sharing heartache never takes it all away — but there’s something about speaking to someone who truly cares about you that soothes your wounds. You are not alone.

For anyone reading this and who knows me, you can always reach out to me.

Titus 3:1-6: A Reason to be Grateful

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Perseverence in the Faith

O God, who in your loving kindness does both begin and finish all good things; grant that as we glory in the beginnings of your grace, so we may rejoice in its completion; look on us, and have mercy upon us; that we, who by your grace are following the path of your will, may never turn aside from the ways of life and persevere through Jesus Christ our Lord. - Amen

Confessing Sin

[The following is an excerpt from Disciplines of a Godly Man, by R. Kent Hughes]

While understanding that confession should happen spontaneously, our discipline of devotion ought to involve systematic confession as well. First, we must confess what we are, the ontological reality that we truly are sinners. Romans 3:9-20 is the text I have found most helpful on this point, for it repeatedly affirms that we are sinners -- that, in fact, our entire being is tainted with evil. It is most important that we regularly make this confession because, as regenerated men who are making some progress in spiritual growth, it is sinfully natural to falsely suppose we are rising above our condition -- a delusion which testifies to our very depravity.

Second, we must confess our specific sins. I would suggest making a list of our sins, for the act of writing them out helps materialize this personal reality for us. C.S. Lewis said, "We must lay before him what is in us, not what ought to be within us." This done, we should confess each sin by its ugly name, and then thank God for his forgiveness through the blood of His Son.

The importance of confession for the devotional life cannot be overstated. "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened" (Psalm 66:18; cf. Proverbs 28:13). Unconfessed sin makes the heavens seem like brass. But confession not only opens the heavens, it also enhances our intimacy with God, as Francois Fenelon urged:

Tell [God] all that is in your heart, as one unloads one's heart to a dear friend....People who have no secrets from each other never want for subjects of conversations; they do not...weigh their words, because there is nothing to be kept back. Neither do they seek for something to say; they talk out of the abundance of their heart -- without consideration, just what they think....Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved intercourse with God.  

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, Paul writes:

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Paul's call to sexual purity is earnest. In his commentary on sexual sin, New Testament scholar writes:

The man who carries on an act of impurity is not simply breaking a human code, nor even sinning against the God who at some time in the past gave him the gift of the Spirit. He is sinning against the God who is present at that moment, against the One who continually gives the Spirit. The impure act is an act of spite against God's good gift at the very moment it is being proffered....This sin is seen in its true light only when it is seen as a preference for impurity rather than a Spirit who is holy.

Buying Our Identity - Part 4

Here is the last installment from David Burns about how many individuals are looking to the marketplace for their identities. Here he explores whether freedom of choice is really freedom at all.

In the past, when identity was primarily conferred through external channels, most individuals found themselves greatly constrained in the extent to which they were in control over their identities. This scenario forms the basis of several movies based in small, rural towns where young adults are lured by the prospects of the big city where they can "find themselves," "prove themselves," or "be their own persons": in other words, where they can possess increased control over their identities. Yet, is the ability to construct one's self through one's own choices a freeing experience as it is commonly depicted? Some argue no. [Some], for instance, suggest that the contemporary self, based on choice and consumption, remains empty. Indeed, basing the self on consumption appears to be more enslaving than basing it on traditional means.

The ability to construct oneself...involves a significant amount of personal responsibility -- one must be adept at self-construction. A suboptimal choice can have potentially devastating effects on one's self, particularly "as consumer culture also speeds up and dislocates, through the fashion system, planned obsolescence and so on, any sense of what a 'right choice' might be today as opposed to last week or next week."

In the end, the self itself becomes a salable commodity. It is produced in the marketplace, and it is sold in the marketplace as a means to intimate relationships, social standings, jobs, or a career. Consequently, "In the rush of modern industrial society, and in the attempt to maintain our image as successful persons, we feel that we have lost touch with a deeper, more profound part of our beings. Yet, we feel that we have little time, energy, or cultural support to pursue those areas of life that we know are important."

I know I spent a lot of time on this, but, obviously, I think it is important to consider. As covenantal people, we are bound to God and one another and that covenant does - and has the right - to form us. We are no longer slaves to anything but Christ who is conforming us into his image (Romans 8:29). If we want to know who we are, we shouldn't look to the marketplace for that answer, but to our Father:

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified with him. (Romans 8:14-17)

May God's peace be with you. 

Prayer For Faith

Almighty and everlasting God, who not only gives every good and perfect gift, but also increases those gifts you have given; we most humbly ask you to increase in us the gift of faith, that we may truly believe in you, and in your promises; and that neither by our negligence or infirmity of the flesh, nor by grievous temptation, may we be driven from faith in our savior and Lord Jesus Christ. - Amen

Buying Our Identity - Part 3

This continues from yesterday, bringing David Burns words to emphasize how individuals can "buy" their identities:

Constructing one's identity through consumption activities affords individuals considerable freedom of self - freedom not typically available when the self is conferred by family, community, and religion. As opposed to a self based on external bases, a self based on consumption activities can be relatively easily adapted or changed at will. Indeed, an individual can often choose between a number or different possible selves. In order to change one's self, an individual need only add to or subtract from their accumulation of material goods and/or change their shopping activities. Individuals today, therefore, are faced with a heretofore unimaginable amount of freedom to select and construct what they would like their selves to be. Such freedom, however, is not without cost.

We'll finish this tomorrow.

Killing Sin

Taking a short break from the identity series...

Our pastor presented this to us on Easter Sunday: a multifaceted approach to killing sin. Emerging from an exposition of Colossians 3:5-8, the following steps provide the biblical essentials for mortifying sin. Sin will always be with us, but we should never settle for it in our lives. Go after it, find it, destroy it. Pursue righteousness.

A. Repent Confession

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

B. Watch and Pray

Matthew 26:41 - Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

C. Starve and abandon sin, i.e.,flee temptation

Genesis 39:12 - She caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me!" And he left his garment in her hand and fled and went outside.
[Compare with...]
Proverbs 7:6-9 - For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.

D. Seek the help of others

Hebrews 3:13 - But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

E. Put on the "new self"

Ephesians 4:28 - He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

F. Remember that old you is dead; a new you was raised with Christ (Rom. 6)

Romans 7:17 - As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but sin living in me.
Romans 6:12-13 - Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.

Buying Our Identity - Part 2

Continuing from yesterday, here is more from David Burns on the influence of the consumer culture on our identity:

A key to the role of consumption activity in self-construction involves establishing a point of difference from others: to establish one's self as a distinct, independent entity. It is not sufficient merely to "keep up with the Joneses"; instead, it is necessary to be different from the Joneses, or in other words, to possess a self unique from others. Self-construction via consumption then not only concerns the quantity of goods consumed but also the extent to which the goods make "physical visible statements about the hierarchy of values to which their chooser subscribes." As a result, desires are often not for any particular product or quantities of products but for products that are "different." Indeed, [studies suggest]that "[s]hopping appears to have undergone re-skilling, from a management task defined by the shopper's ability to select "bargains" (or quantity at low cost), to a creative task defined by the shopper's ability to locate unusual, unstandardized, or personalized goods."

[In one study] it was observed that when given a choice of possessions, behaviors, and social activities of actual students, 84% of observers chose possessions as their initial cue when evaluating student's personalities. Furthermore, the observers who based their assessments on possessions produced more accurate assessments than those who used alternative cues. Within a consumer culture, through the avenue of symbolism, consumptive activity has seemingly become the primary avenue through which individuals evaluate their selves and others.

In other words: We are what we buy and we buy what we are. And in a postmodern culture where objective truth and meaning is dismissed for subjective truth and meaning, this should not be a surprise. If the only means of defining ourselves is through constructing that identity ourselves, then why not buy it. This means that personal identity can change based on change in fashion, trends, or anti-trends. The marketplace always drives towards the center to capture the lion's share of the market. As soon as enough people start to buy the thing that makes you different (and they will), you will have to move on, and find the new product that will make you different, make you "you" and become the person you think you should be. Until everyone else becomes like you...and the search continues.
Another post on this tomorrow. 

Buying Our Identity - Part 1

This post may seem to be a bit off-track, but I don't think it is. We've been discussing identity and this builds on that conversation.

One of the challenges of youth - and maturity - is finding our identity and, as believers, finding our identity in Christ. But in this consumer-driven, post-modern society, there are forces that can challenge us to find our identity elsewhere. David J. Burns wrote an insightful article on this topic, Self-Construction through Consumption Activities. It's an academic piece, but accessible. For brevity and flow, I left out most of the citations, but if you are interested, you can read the full account in The Self: Beyond the Postmodern Crisis (Paul C. Vitz & Susan M. Felch, editors).

As you read this, consider how our surfing of the web, scanning Amazon.com, or clicking on pop-up adds reveals something about ourselves.

In a postmodern society, the new foundation of the self is arguably presentation activity. Presentation is a personal choice through which one's chosen self can be established through displaying it to oneself and to others. The most commonly used channel through which presentation is used to construct one's self is through consumption activities. As Slater (1997) states, "Individuals must, by force of circumstances, choose, construct, maintain, interpret, negotiate, display who they are to be or be seen as, using a bewildering variety of material and symbolic resources." The link between consumption activities, specifically the acquisition of possessions, and the self has been recognized for some time. (Indeed, even Shakespeare recognized this relationship as Job did - arguably the oldest book in the Bible.) The difference with regard to the postmodern self is one of degree. For many today, consumption activities have become a primary, if not the only, channel for self-construction. 

Think about this. We often buy things to show the world what we value. These are all economic choices that tell the world about us and present an identity to others. In days past, the family, community, and religion were foundational in forming our personal identity. Today, more and more, it's Amazon, Walmart, and Google.

Burns writes: "In such a consumer culture, material possessions do not merely provide comfort or satisfy physical needs. Instead, they act primarily as tools in the process of self-construction, and only secondarily as a means to satisfy physical needs."

To be continued.