I was reading Philippians chapter 1 and I pray the following for you guys:
“it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
We need to love with knowledge and discernment so we can be pure and blameless. To minister we need the fruit of righteousness that we produce as we abide in the vine that is Christ. The glory and praise goes to God for His Grace that is showered in our lives. As we pursue God for the work of sanctification in our lives we need His strength to live as the men God calls us to be.
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WAH – Chapter 6 Notes
Page 99 – Eldredge describes a love of a challenge as he went to get a steer by himself. I’m sure he had a real experience of his “mannishness” but what about God? I know a guy who described a similar experience and told me that was how he knew he was initiated into being a man. He isn’t a Christian and it is just one more ornament from his sinful nature to be removed if God’s grace ever moves on his heart. There is no other foundation to lay than Christ. You can build with wood, hay, and stubble if you want but it will burn in the trials God will use to make your life holy.
Page 101 – Near the bottom of the page we find the statement that “Morality is a good thing, but morality is never the point.” Apparently the author has a crippled view of morality. I know of no more miserable man that a man who is not living according to his principals. In the end it produces a sad and bitter man who hates himself, hates his life, and hates those in his life that remind him of his failure. Living according to our values as God purifies us is a source of joy and happiness. Of course, we are still subject to the moral law but not for our justification before God. The ritual law ended with Christ. The statement that “Paul says the Law is given as a tutor to the child, but not to the son” is misleading to say the least.
Page 103 – It is remarkable that the discussion on this page takes place without a reference to justification and sanctification. If you read between the lines you may find it in the following sentence: “The history of man’s relationship with God is the story of how God calls him out, takes him on a journey and gives him his true name.” Well, alrighty then, how about using the same terms the bible uses so we can see what God has said in scripture.
Page 104 – In the middle of the page, the author seems to forget that Jesus knew that His Father in Heaven was the one whose business was His business from the time he was a child and was found in the temple when He was “lost”.
Page 104 and 106 – Sanctification (initiation) is a lifelong process. God will deal with area after area in out lives. We count it all joy when we find ourselves in various trials knowing that the fiery trial will produce steadfastness in you that you may be mature and a complete man. It can be a painful process but the end result is that the trash in our life is burned. Sometimes it is our favorite trash but we serve a Holy God and it has to go.
Page 108 and 109 – I am a little surprised not to see mention here of a general process that God takes us through. There will be a birth of vision, a death of vision and trial, and then a rebirth of vision purified by trial. God does this so that we don’t accomplish things in our flesh. For example, Joseph had a vision of his leadership of his family. Joseph’s vision died in his slavery in Egypt. Joseph’s vision was reborn as God put him in a position of great power to aid his family. This pattern is repeated in various ways in scripture and in our lives. In fact, the movie mentioned by the author is one of my favorites. In “The Natural” the Redford character has a birth of vision experience and seeks to become a pro player. He does so in the flesh and in the midst of the sins of the flesh is injured and sent to jail. He loses contact with his one true love and the best years of his life. He is too old to be a player and there is a death of vision. His vision is reborn as he begins to play again. The white purity of the love of his life returns and the last vestige of the faith in the flesh is taken from him when his bat shatters. At that point he has become a mature man, a complete man, and he knows that he only has to exercise his gifting. He knocks it out of the park. God had been working in his life from the beginning the bat was only the final step of purification.
Page 112 – Remember that your sanctification is accomplished by working together with God. It may feel like God is coming at you with a bulldozer. If so, hug the bulldozer! Embrace God’s work in your life. Do it early, do it often, do it with praise. You can do it the easy way or you can do it the hard way but you are going to do it.
Page 114 and 115 – God gives details on how to live with a woman. The Song of Solomon has a lot to say about romantic love. This section sounds a little bit like a woman can keep me from following God. This can only happen if I let it happen. Certainly God must be placed first in my life. The selection of words, “God in his humility gave us Eve” is odd. God in His grace gave us Eve. God created man in His own image, male AND female he created them. It is a natural thing to live with a woman. God has no problem with it. He does have a problem with the sorry excuse that Adam tried when he sinned and started his excuse with, “The woman that you gave to be with me …” If you start blaming the woman or blaming God then you are just showing that Adam is one of your relatives and expressing one of the first signs of mankind’s sin nature.
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