Regeneration, Faith, Love: In That Order

Blurb from Regeneration, Faith, Love: In That Order, by John Piper:

That is the summary of all the tests of life in this book: Believe on Jesus and love each other.

But the order of causality is crucial. The reason it’s crucial is this: There is going to come a day when you do not love as you ought. What will you do if your heart condemns you because you know that love is a sign of the new birth? How will you fight the fight for assurance at that time?

Jesus Has Never Failed in Loving Others

Here is one crucial way to fight for your hope at that moment, and it depends on a clear distinction between faith in Christ and love for people: Go to 1 John 2:1 and read, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin [that is, fails to love others as you ought], we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” John assumes that even when you fail—even when you sin, when you do not love as you ought—you have an advocate before God. And this advocate is called “the righteous.” That is, he is perfect. (See Romans 8:33-34.)

Even if you have sinned, he has never sinned. Even if you have failed to love as you ought, he has never failed to love as he ought. And this one stands before God and advocates for you—not against you, but for you. Precisely because you have failed. “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate . . . the righteous one.”

The emphasis falls on his righteousness—his sinlessness. His perfectly doing what we have failed to do. The reason this works for us is that faith is what receives him. And when faith receives him he is everything that we need before God. He is our righteousness and our perfection and our perfect love. This is the bottom of our hope before a holy God.

Keep Bleeding Love...

Here's a blurb from the song Keep Bleeding Love (not a Christian song):

My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love

I really should love when it hurts or is tough or when I notice particular characteristics/behaviors in people (who are not my good friends) that wouldn't necessarily be on my 'good friend criteria list' (such a list doesn't exist though if you asked me I could probably tell you what I like in good friends).

Tonight at Bible study in response to the question "Explain what 'loving your neighbor as yourself' means to you", I think someone said that it means "wanting the best for others"...I like that theory. It seems to coincide with Matthew 7:12. Indeed, we should treat others as we'd like to be treated. We should love our enemies (Matt. 5:44).

In practice I should extend the same grace (even if it's just in my thoughts) that I'd like to be given.

I should let love be the band aid that covers the wound of sin (which might include negative thoughts and internal judgment). Somehow, "love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). Doesn't excuse our personal sins, but it might be the frames of the grace glasses through which we can view others to love them over their sin or potentially sin-tainted quirks.

Note: I'm not saying we should neglect the issue of sin, especially if it's deeper or intentional sins, but often times it is natural to neglect 'little' sins we see in others. Don't think it's necessary to call people out on every single sin. Whew. Would we ever get anywhere? :)

Security in Christ

From Sunday's church bulletin is this blurb from the song "Pensive, Doubting Fearful Heart" (Words-John Newton, 1779; Music-Wendell Kimbrough, 2004): Yes, ultimate security can be found in Christ. The foremost goal should be to honor God and find refuge in Him rather than seeking man's praise. I've heard something like this: "If you wonder what others are thinking of you, they aren't." They aren't!...Right. (Well of course people think of people, but...you get the idea.) They have their own worlds. I have mine. Sometimes they mutually intersect; often they don't.

Yes, there is the command to "strive for peace with everyone" (Heb. 12:14). But also we are to strive "for the holiness" (same verse). Striving for peace might not always mean reaching a state of mutual affection. A peaceful state might not equate with a state of admiration. Obtaining peace doesn't mean casting on people high hopes and expectations that will only disappoint. Ultimate security should not come from the comfort of knowing we are liked. In the letter to the Thessalonians (I), their aim was "not to please man, but to please God" (2:4). They did not "seek glory from people" (2:6). The instruction is to love even "enemies and pray for those who persecute" (Matt. 5:44). In the context of life where active persecutors seem to be absent, those who stir jealousy or those who disappoint or hurt might suffice (in counting as our 'enemy') to serve as objects of prayer and love. If only every time I felt hurt by or jealous of another I'd ward off the feeling-induced poison by directing my thoughts to prayer for them.

Transformation should come from Christ's work within; and, consequently, hopefully people will like that transformation. Proverbs 16:7 says, "When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him." So the first goal should be to please God, and then peace with man can follow. However, the proper order of the first goal and the following result should not be reversed. Even though I know that in my head, the selfish part of me I think over-desires affirmation from others. I want people to positively reciprocate, respond, react, encourage, and love. I can get disappointed or hurt by reactions or lack thereof.

My world is pretty me, me, me, when it should be: HIM, HIM, HIM. I *know* HE is where my refuge should lie. So why do I consistently seek refuge or happiness elsewhere?

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24-25a)

Taking an Interest in Others...

Note. It can be noticeable when people take an interest in someone's life. Tonight I gave a ride home to a co-worker, and she asked me about Malaysia (perhaps specifically). Interesting. I told her about how I felt Cameron Highlands was one of the most beautiful places, and about an interaction we had interacting with a random family on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I told her about this picture you can see in this blogpost. A picture of diversity. I told her about how a picture was taken of a Muslim woman and I, and that I was supposed to send a copy to her (or was I supposed to write to her?) but never did. I could have told her about how my travelmates and I had followed an Asli man to his home in a jungle.

Most people don't ask me about my past travels. Perhaps they don't all know. It's possible I may be asked about Japan from time to time. It seems to be common for people to not actively take an interest in asking about people's travel stories or in seeing pictures. My co-worker went on to tell me about how she hosted a couple of parties so that she could share about Japan. The attendance was low at one. But she mentioned that someone asked about how her parties went, or something, and then told her that she (my co-worker) had asked to see her pictures when coming back from somewhere. I think something about this experience made her understand the power of words.

Might be a good thing that I'm not often asked to share stories, though, because I don't have a story-teller's heart, as you might be able to tell by my insecure parenthetical insertions and style of writing. I'd do better if I felt free to adlib.

Excerpts from "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael"

"The girl from the Irish village on the North Sea, standing in the pouring rain beside her pile of luggage on the shore of Japan, laughing. 'All this was part of the going forth unto a land I knew not, and everything was just right, and if things went wrong it was so much the more fun. I knew they would come right in the end. And they always did.' So with the charming lightheartedness of faith she only wondered, What next?" (p. 68)

"During the few days' wait for the lady who was to meet her Amy walked one day along the seashore, talking with one of the Shimonoseki missionaries. A casual remark was dropped which elicited an astonished question from Amy. 'You don't mean to say,' the missionary replied, 'you think all missionaries love one another?' Precisely what she had thought. How coiuld it be otherwise? 'No faintest foreshadowing of the purposes of God was mine that morning,' she wrote, 'but I remember the thoughts that rushed through me then. What of 'See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently'? Was such a life of love lived nowhere?' It was a gray day, with a gray sea, a gray drizzle, and gray thoughts. But it spurred her to prayer, to an earnest beseeching that the Lord would enable her to love as He commanded us to love." (p.68-69)

Love never fails

Basically, I guess love should override things such as perceived narrow mindedness. Like, today, I think an enthusiastic reaction popped out of me when I found out that someone was involved with something. While that 'something' might be interesting for me to watch, and it's interesting that she's involved with it, I don't think I'd like to get too involved for religious reasons. She invited me to come on Thurs. or Fri. Even if I was free (doesn't look like I will be, but I didn't tell her it doesn't look like I'll be free), I guess it's possible I might not have to directly get involved. But if I was invited to participate, I don't think I'd feel comfortable. Basically I think it's a Japanese dance - maybe a practice - at a Buddhist church or something. While I find going to temples and watching cultural performances interesting, I don't think I'd feel comfortable participating in a dance that may have religious roots. That being said, I think there are customs here in America that may be rooted in pagan or other non-Christian beliefs that I may not feel uncomfortable with.

In general (not only in reference to this situation), perhaps I should not feel the need to have to have certain reactions or mask certain beliefs. That doesn't mean I necessarily need to proclaim all my beliefs and feelings, though. But I guess if there's ever a time when I share an opinion that differs from the mainstream, I should feel that even if I'm perceived to be narrow minded, if my comments or reactions are respectful, loving, or not cold or disrespectful, then things should be okay...

Current Motto-Hope

If I could have a motto-hope #2, (I think motto-hope #1 SHOULD BE something like: in everything, may God be glorified), I think it would be something like a mixture of this verse:

Luke 10:27: "...'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' "

and part of the prayer of Anna Waring's, which I posted in 2004:

"Wherever in the world I am,
In whatsoever estate,
I have a fellowship with hearts
To keep and cultivate."

Unfortunately, I'm not often not good at doing this, but, growing friendships and acquaintanceships are special...

In Memory of Grandma (1922-2006)

The Love of God (Lehman, Nahorai)

The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell;

The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure - The saints' and angels' song!

When years of time shall pass away And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,

When men who here refuse to pray, On rocks and hills and mountains call,

God's love so sure shall still endure, All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam's race- The saints' and angels' song.

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure - The saints' and angels' song!

Could we with ink the ocean fill And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill And every man ascribe by trade,

To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Tho' stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure- The saints' and angels' song!