August 29, 2000
We planned to take our holidays one of two weeks in July; either to Boston when the tall ships sailed into that harbor or to Halifax the next week when they arrived in eastern Canada.
A wedding on the first Saturday kept us home that week. A family reunion the next weekend reduced our view of the ships to our television set. Yet even on a small screen, the sight of those majestic vessels sailing into Halifax harbor brought a thrill to our hearts. One by one they came, a stately display of power and grace, a triumphal procession of victory over the sea. I tried to imagine what it would be like to be on one of those ships. Those on the shore were moved and excited but what about those who were in the procession!
The idea of a triumphal procession triggered a memory. A Bible verse uses that same phrase to describe those who follow God. 2 Corinthians 2:12 says, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ.”
When the New Testament was written, this phrase was not about ships. It described a display of strength after a victorious battle. The general or king came home, leading a procession that included both the plunder taken in the fight and the enemy survivors who had been captured.
Being taken in battle as a slave sends shivers of revulsion down our spines, but being held captive by Jesus Christ has entirely different connotations, at least to those who belong to Him. We consider ourselves slaves, but as Bob Dillon says, “You gotta serve somebody” and Christ is a far better ‘somebody’ than what we used to serve.
While we may have thought we governed our own lives, our real taskmaster used to be sin. That is, whatever we did, we did it apart from God. We didn’t ask for or want His help nor did we think we needed it. Sin is more than stealing and murder — it begins with this attitude of independence. The Bible says “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all.”
So we were slaves doing our own thing but God “captured” our hearts and brought us to Himself. That verse about the triumphal procession depicts Him as the conqueror yet the Bible says we are also “more than conquerors” because we have forgiveness and victory over sin plus eternal life in Christ. Being a slave of Jesus is a glorious thing because we are free from sin and its power, free to follow our Creator and Redeemer.
As we are led in this triumphal procession, God intends to use us. The last part of the verse adds: “. . . and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”
When the tall ships came in, the crowds on the shore were in awe at their majestic beauty. God wants people to look at the Christians in His procession and also be in awe, not so much at us but at the wonder of God who could take sinners and transform their lives.
At least it should work that way, but the next verses say: “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?”
Some people look at God’s parade of victory and see the glory. To them, we are the fragrance of life. Others see only a rag-tag line of defeated people who no longer can do what they want. To them, we are the smell of death.
Some cannot see the beauty of being in God’s triumphal procession, but that beauty is not merely in the eye of the beholder. Seeing the glory of it is definitely easier if you yourself are in the parade.
Showing posts with label victory in Christ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label victory in Christ. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Monday, May 29, 2017
More than a Conqueror ................ Parables 594
April 28, 1998
Napoleon once said, “Battles are won, not by men, but by a man.” Considering his reputation for arrogance, he must have said that before Waterloo.
Winning a battle against many takes more than one man, even a man like Napoleon. However, he was partly correct; some battles are won by one person.
In struggles to overcome bad habits, lose weight or conquer an addiction, one person does most of the fighting. Family and friends offer encouragement but the ultimate decisions belong to that one person. Winning depends mostly on their determination. No one can do it for them.
Socially, the struggle against moral decay is also fought by individuals. The person who wants to maintain a virtuous life in a moral pigpen fights a serious enemy. Although he or she may have support from others, the decision to try to live a clean life is made alone.
In that moral and spiritual realm, we may agree about how to live and group effort is helpful. Nevertheless, an enduring victory eludes us unless we rely on the one person who has already won the battle for us. He calls us, not to do our own fighting but to join Him in celebrating His victory.
To illustrate this, the Bible uses a scene common to the readers of that day. If a leader went out to war and defeated his enemies, he displayed his victory by returning home, leading those he captured in a triumphal parade. With that celebration in mind, the Apostle Paul describes how God won our battle against sin and moral failure. He says, “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ. . . .”
Picture Jesus as the conquering hero. He defeated the power of sin (He never sinned) and sin’s punishment, death (He rose from the dead). In that battle, He not only destroyed sin and death but also “the power of the Devil who held people in bondage through their fear of death.”
Jesus won the war. He is leading His spoils of war toward their eternal home and an everlasting celebration. The spoils are His people, set free from the bondage of sin and its ultimate outcome, death. No longer do we fear dying or being separated from God forever. We now belong to Christ and are the evidence of His enduring victory.
The illustration show how one man, the God-man, won the battle for us. No longer in the grip of sin, Satan and fear, we are truly free, even as His captives. This freedom is not the same as being able to do whatever we please. That would bring us back into the bondage of sin. True freedom is being released from the tyranny of selfishness to be cared for by God, to become all He intended when He created us, and to follow Him home.
With this hope and in this freedom, we share in His victory parade. As a child at a football game can jump up and down shouting “We’ve won, we’ve won!” — we too can rejoice in a victory with which we associate ourselves. We did not have to overcome our enemy. All we needed to win was to put our faith in the One who won it for us.
As we commit ourselves to Him in love and gratitude, we more fully realize what He did for us nearly 2,000 years ago and with joy, we can also shout, “We’ve won, we’ve won!”
Napoleon once said, “Battles are won, not by men, but by a man.” Considering his reputation for arrogance, he must have said that before Waterloo.
Winning a battle against many takes more than one man, even a man like Napoleon. However, he was partly correct; some battles are won by one person.
In struggles to overcome bad habits, lose weight or conquer an addiction, one person does most of the fighting. Family and friends offer encouragement but the ultimate decisions belong to that one person. Winning depends mostly on their determination. No one can do it for them.
Socially, the struggle against moral decay is also fought by individuals. The person who wants to maintain a virtuous life in a moral pigpen fights a serious enemy. Although he or she may have support from others, the decision to try to live a clean life is made alone.
In that moral and spiritual realm, we may agree about how to live and group effort is helpful. Nevertheless, an enduring victory eludes us unless we rely on the one person who has already won the battle for us. He calls us, not to do our own fighting but to join Him in celebrating His victory.
To illustrate this, the Bible uses a scene common to the readers of that day. If a leader went out to war and defeated his enemies, he displayed his victory by returning home, leading those he captured in a triumphal parade. With that celebration in mind, the Apostle Paul describes how God won our battle against sin and moral failure. He says, “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ. . . .”
Picture Jesus as the conquering hero. He defeated the power of sin (He never sinned) and sin’s punishment, death (He rose from the dead). In that battle, He not only destroyed sin and death but also “the power of the Devil who held people in bondage through their fear of death.”
Jesus won the war. He is leading His spoils of war toward their eternal home and an everlasting celebration. The spoils are His people, set free from the bondage of sin and its ultimate outcome, death. No longer do we fear dying or being separated from God forever. We now belong to Christ and are the evidence of His enduring victory.
The illustration show how one man, the God-man, won the battle for us. No longer in the grip of sin, Satan and fear, we are truly free, even as His captives. This freedom is not the same as being able to do whatever we please. That would bring us back into the bondage of sin. True freedom is being released from the tyranny of selfishness to be cared for by God, to become all He intended when He created us, and to follow Him home.
With this hope and in this freedom, we share in His victory parade. As a child at a football game can jump up and down shouting “We’ve won, we’ve won!” — we too can rejoice in a victory with which we associate ourselves. We did not have to overcome our enemy. All we needed to win was to put our faith in the One who won it for us.
As we commit ourselves to Him in love and gratitude, we more fully realize what He did for us nearly 2,000 years ago and with joy, we can also shout, “We’ve won, we’ve won!”
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Ending the gender war .................. Parables 421
May 17, 1994
Dr. Donald Joy says women have minds like computers. A computer searches through bits of data scattered all over its hard drive then brings together all related information. Dr. Joy says this is an excellent parallel to the way a woman’s intuitive reasoning works.
He also says men think in a logical, line-by-line order. While this type of reasoning can be slower, there is greater opportunity to spot flaws in the process. However, men often become frustrated when women solve problems in what seems a random fashion, especially when correct answers appear without any explanation of their origin.
Furthermore, some research indicates boys are generally better in mathematics, while girls excel in language arts. Men are supposedly more aggressive and women more emotional. Research in this area also says the left side of the brain controls logic, analytical ability. Because of some changes in the brain caused by male hormones, boys are born with a tendency to use that side more than the right.
In contrast, women are generally inclined to being right-brained. This side controls feelings, imagination, speech, relational faculties, etc. Since girls do not experience the same hormonal changes, they are more adept at simultaneously gathering data from both brain hemispheres. While not everyone agrees with Dr. Joy’s simplified explanation, it certainly describes some commonly observed differences between men and women.
If it is true that men and women think differently, then comparing intellectual skills and mental abilities is unfair. In the battle of the sexes, each tries to make the other feel inferior, but both miss the point of being different.
According to Genesis, God made the man first and gave him a job to do; he had to name all the animals. Without a modern zoologist’s classification system of families, orders, and species, giving names to thousands of variations was a gigantic challenge.
Even though Adam was able to do the job, God observed that “it is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Then God added, “I will make a helper suitable for him.” Various versions say “a helper corresponding to him” or “a companion for him, a helper suited to his needs.”
Some might think the term “helper” is demeaning to women, describing them as second-class citizens. Not true. This word is used elsewhere ONLY to describe God Himself. He is the “helper” of His people. If being a helper makes women slaves, then God would also be understood as subservient, but He is not. Further, the Bible never speaks in a demeaning manner about anyone who helps others.
When God created Eve, Adam was delighted. He was no longer alone; he had a companion to help him. Most important, God designed her so she would perfectly complement the way God designed him. Each had their own strengths. Together they were a terrific team.
Unfortunately, sin entered the picture. Eve blamed the snake, Adam blamed Eve, and God put them all out of paradise. The mess has multiplied ever since, which is no surprise. God said it would. He told both of them to expect hard work and difficulties, but He also said because of sin the man and woman would fight each other. The woman would “desire the man” which if carefully compared to Genesis 4:7, says she will want to rule him. He then adds, “but he will rule over her.”
The good news is that the battle between the sexes does not have to continue. Those who find victory over sin through faith in Christ experience a reversal of this curse—instead of competition and fighting, they are given the ability to appreciate the difference and begin to truly complement one another.
Dr. Donald Joy says women have minds like computers. A computer searches through bits of data scattered all over its hard drive then brings together all related information. Dr. Joy says this is an excellent parallel to the way a woman’s intuitive reasoning works.
He also says men think in a logical, line-by-line order. While this type of reasoning can be slower, there is greater opportunity to spot flaws in the process. However, men often become frustrated when women solve problems in what seems a random fashion, especially when correct answers appear without any explanation of their origin.
Furthermore, some research indicates boys are generally better in mathematics, while girls excel in language arts. Men are supposedly more aggressive and women more emotional. Research in this area also says the left side of the brain controls logic, analytical ability. Because of some changes in the brain caused by male hormones, boys are born with a tendency to use that side more than the right.
In contrast, women are generally inclined to being right-brained. This side controls feelings, imagination, speech, relational faculties, etc. Since girls do not experience the same hormonal changes, they are more adept at simultaneously gathering data from both brain hemispheres. While not everyone agrees with Dr. Joy’s simplified explanation, it certainly describes some commonly observed differences between men and women.
If it is true that men and women think differently, then comparing intellectual skills and mental abilities is unfair. In the battle of the sexes, each tries to make the other feel inferior, but both miss the point of being different.
According to Genesis, God made the man first and gave him a job to do; he had to name all the animals. Without a modern zoologist’s classification system of families, orders, and species, giving names to thousands of variations was a gigantic challenge.
Even though Adam was able to do the job, God observed that “it is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Then God added, “I will make a helper suitable for him.” Various versions say “a helper corresponding to him” or “a companion for him, a helper suited to his needs.”
Some might think the term “helper” is demeaning to women, describing them as second-class citizens. Not true. This word is used elsewhere ONLY to describe God Himself. He is the “helper” of His people. If being a helper makes women slaves, then God would also be understood as subservient, but He is not. Further, the Bible never speaks in a demeaning manner about anyone who helps others.
When God created Eve, Adam was delighted. He was no longer alone; he had a companion to help him. Most important, God designed her so she would perfectly complement the way God designed him. Each had their own strengths. Together they were a terrific team.
Unfortunately, sin entered the picture. Eve blamed the snake, Adam blamed Eve, and God put them all out of paradise. The mess has multiplied ever since, which is no surprise. God said it would. He told both of them to expect hard work and difficulties, but He also said because of sin the man and woman would fight each other. The woman would “desire the man” which if carefully compared to Genesis 4:7, says she will want to rule him. He then adds, “but he will rule over her.”
The good news is that the battle between the sexes does not have to continue. Those who find victory over sin through faith in Christ experience a reversal of this curse—instead of competition and fighting, they are given the ability to appreciate the difference and begin to truly complement one another.
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