If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1st John 1: 6-9
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Light and darkness cannot coexist within each other. Consequently it is impossible to say that fellowship with God can be found while living a life that is characterized by darkness. God, being light himself, cannot have any relationship with sin, which is darkness. (By this truth, shame exists. If light and darkness could co-exist than there would be no need to hide.) This is why God's only son Christ, who John tells, is light himself, was born into the world - to rid the world of darkness (John 1). Thank you Jesus...Merry Christmas. It is now possible to have fellowship with God because Christ hath shown his light on me. This is the gospel message.
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What makes the gospel special is that it allows unworthy people to have a relationship with a highly exalted God. What makes the gospel even more special, is that it not only reconciles man to God, but it allows people to be reconciled to one another! I love this passage because it reveals how to have fellowship with God and true fellowship with one another! Walking in God's light allows me and you to have fellowship with one another :)
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This causes me to ask the question: What in my life am I trying to hide? What are the dark areas that I want few to see. I believe the dark areas of my life are what rob me of better friendships and deeper relationships with people.
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As an outgoing person I love community. There are those times when I want to get a way, but if I had my options I would nearly always choose to spend my time around people. In fact I believe all of us were created for community. However community is not always a comfortable place, even for people that generally enjoy being around others. That's why at large gatherings some people hug the wall as if it were falling and others tell incessant jokes 'to ease the tension'. You know loud, outgoing people can get lonely and sad too.
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So what creates a comfortable community? ...
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Humility
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The perfect community is one where there is not one person that sees them self better, more worthy, or more important than another. The perfect community is people living out the truth that each life has significant value, not only to God but to each member of the community. Humility is walking in the Light of Christ. Humility is walking in the understanding of who Christ is and what He has done for ALL people.
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The reason some christian communities are uncomfortable, is that there are too many of us hiding... Hiding behind the secrets and comfort of our habitual sins. Hiding, afraid people might find out the truth about us. Hiding, worried that someone may actually know what we are thinking. We are a people afraid of being vulnerable to the truth that each of us are busted, bent-up, messed-up people. Or they are uncomfortable because we are to arrogant to believe any of this applies to us.
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Yet there is Great news! When there is less hiding, there is more genuine community. When we step into the light (repentance) the bible says that Christ will cleanse us from all of our sin, allowing us to have true fellowship, not only with him but also with each other. Now THAT'S AWESOME! Its really good news for me, because I know I need your help to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord (Ephesians)
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Have you ever been struggling with something...a thought or action; you know it's sinful; and when you ask God to forgive you, the first thoughts that pop into your mind are: "Did it work?" "Did you really forgive me?" "I feel no different" Yet when we tell a brother or sister of faith, hear their encouragement, and receive their prayers... all of the sudden the grace of God becomes real and almost tangible... ? While we don't need the brother or sister for God's forgiveness to be true, isn't encouraging to know God has given us community as a place to help us work out our salvation and be picture of His grace.
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This is why I have titled my blog: my life's open book. I don't want there to be anything separating us from having the true fellowship. I try to live my life as an open book. One of my ways of stepping into the light is by freely acknowledging to you upfront that I am messed up, can be weird, voice my opinionation, and say really stupid junk sometimes... I imagine if you read this blog enough times, you'll know exactly what I mean!
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Again, as stated in my last post. I have no desire for the conversation to end here. If it does, I think I will stop blogging.
"Has the gospel transformed you? I hope it will influence the way you look at other people. They need a savior. And now race, class, and caste are not a big deal. We are all one body in Christ Jesus."
Ajith Fernando - at Urbana December 2006
3 comments:
Jeff, that was an insightful post.
I find that when I stop hiding from God, I stop hiding from people.
PIcture Adam and Eve in the garden, hiding from God. Why did they feel naked? Because they knew they had lost God's approval, His unconditional love for every inch of them. There's only one answer to that - and it's something God says over and over in scripture - humility. If I, shamefully naked, humble myself to accept His payment for my sins, then I experience the greatest joy imaginable.
I put on Christ. God killed animals as the first sacrifice in Genesis to make coverings for Adam and Eve - symbolic of the sacrifice of Jesus that would not be temporary, and cannot not be taken off. When I accept the sacrifice of Jesus, my shameful nakedness has been clothed in His love - I am no longer feel naked because I once again have his unconditional approval and love for every inch of me. (note: to make this more understandable, think of a married couple - why are they comfortable being naked around each other? because they are clothed in the love and approval of each other.)
When I am clothed, I no longer feel "naked" or ashamed in front of my fellow man - I am free to love them with all of the love that I've been loved with.
"While we don't need the brother or sister for God's forgiveness to be true, isn't encouraging to know God has given us community as a place to help us work out our salvation and be picture of His grace."
dude... ive never seen that before. that is an incredibly comforting truth! i think that most everyone in a given community is afraid of their community because those in that community are people just like they are, with feelings and opinions and facial expressions just like they have. we are afraid to lay our junk on the table because it might hurt someone's feelings or make someone think negatively of us. but we need to realize that the (true) community as a whole has willing ears to listen and has no condemning looks. community, among many other things, can be a type of Holy therapy where people can cleanse their souls by confessing to their community.
holler
Good thoughts, Jeff. Your comments about how we need to get past the surface and expose ourselves to fellow believers reminds me of something I heard Derek Webb say, in talking about his song I Repent.
He said the best thing that could happen to us would be to have our sins exposed on the 5:00 news, so that we could stop hiding behind these smoke screens we have set up. Just as God fully knows our sins and still grants us his grace, how much more could we show Christ to others by offering that same grace to them, despite knowing their darkest issues.
However, there is a lot to be said for sharing your darkest secrets and being shunned by people, as that teaches you to cling to God...
Anyways, keep the deep thoughts coming :) -Lauren
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