Hammer on Anvil '

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

I have been humbled by this wonderful Scripture more times than I can count. I have embraced it as wisdom for myself, and have used it to counsel brothers and sisters in Christ.

When you get to be my age, you have gleaned some wisdom -- not solely from God, but simply by virtue of the fact that life has battered and bruised you for decades. I am always honored when a younger person comes to me for mentoring, eager to learn and to grow in their walk with God. They seem to understand that dynamic about wisdom and age.
 
At other times, though, when I have confronted a brother or sister who was behaving in a less-than-Christlike manner, I was accused of being judgmental. I can't tell you how many times I have heard that verse ripped out of context because someone was prideful and defensive about being called on the carpet about their behavior. 

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that we are all accountable to each other. We are part of the Body of Christ, and are to exhort and encourage one another to be true to the faith. Sometimes that requires loving confrontation.

It's not about whether we are right or wrong. It's about whether we are honoring GOD in all we do. It's about remembering that we are not our own. Yes, we live in a country where freedom of speech is touted. And yes, we are free in Christ. But Paul exhorts us to not use that freedom to do what we please:

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).

Are you free to post whatever you want on Facebook, regardless of how crude and/or offensive it may be? Are you free to smoke weed or get drunk or overeat? Are you free to walk out on your spouse because you simply don't want to invest the time and effort it takes to save your marriage? Are you free to be in debt up to your eyeballs because materialism has become an idol?

The answer to all these questions is yes -- if you don't know Christ. Jesus says if anyone would come after Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. And the wonderful admonition in Philippians urges us to consider others better than ourselves (2:3). That means choosing not to post something on Facebook that could make another stumble. It means going to God to fulfill your needs, rather than self-medicating with marijuana or alcohol or food. It means cleaving to your spouse and exhausting every possible opportunity to save your marriage. It means being a good steward of your finances rather than spending irresponsibly.

Jesus left His throne in heaven to come walk among us. He was vilified, hated, and ultimately crucified so that we could be reconciled to God. If He can make a sacrifice that immense, should we not be willing to at least set aside our personal "freedoms" if they cause others to question our faith? If the fruit you bear does not bring glory to God, it's time to do some pruning.

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:1-2).

It's no secret that the Holy Spirit has been the source of many heated discussions in the church. Tragically, entire denominations have been formed around what people believe or don't believe about Him. And if you happen to attend a church where the third Person of the Godhead is virtually ignored, you may echo the sentiments of the disciples in the Scripture above: "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

The Bible is quite clear that we need the Holy Spirit if we hope to live as Jesus wants us to live. Remember Peter? Before the Holy Spirit came on him, he was weak and cowardly, ultimately denying Jesus. After the Holy Spirit, he spoke boldly and unapologetically about Jesus to anyone who would listen. He died a martyr's death because he wouldn't stop witnessing about his Lord.

The bottom line is that our lives with the Holy Spirit should look radically different than they did before. For many, though, "new life" in Christ has become formulaic:

• Life before Christ = drinking, smoking, drugs, sex
• Life after Christ = NO drinking, smoking, drugs, sex

We tend to focus on what we DO, but God focuses on who we ARE. Like Peter, we can go from fearful to bold, from powerless to powerful, from self-absorbed to self-crucified. It's not about whether we speak in tongues or not, folks -- it's about our bodies becoming the very temples where the Holy Spirit dwells in power.

Have you shied away from the Holy Spirit simply because you weren't sure what it meant to "receive" Him or be "filled" with Him? Francis Chan addresses this in his book Forgotten God. He has heard people say, "What if I pray for the Holy Spirit and nothing happens?"

It's scary to pray boldly for change or freedom from sin because if nothing happens, then doesn't that mean God failed? Doesn't that mean His Spirit isn't all we've been told He is?
I think the fear of God failing leads us to "cover for God." This means we ask for less, expect less, and are satisfied with less because we are afraid to ask for or expect more.

Chan is absolutely right. We make it so much about ourselves, and how we're going to "look" to other people. Some think they are more spiritual simply because they speak in tongues. Our focus is totally off what God intended when He sent His Spirit -- power to be His witnesses.

I have known people who speak in tongues and were mean-spirited and divisive. I have also been privileged to pray and walk with others whose countenances nearly shone with the Holy Spirit's love and power. May we all desire to be so completely His that we lay aside our preconceived ideas and ask for a fresh infilling of His Spirit today. Then let us "go and make disciples of all nations."

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:1-3).

In the ancient Roman world, little children were least important. But when Jesus came, old ways of measuring greatness were no longer valid. Jesus turned the world upside down when He told His followers they must become like little children.

To become like children, we have to know something about children. Here are some observations that came to mind as I meditated on this passage from Matthew:

• Children are marvelously simple human beings. They don't wake up in the morning and immediately start worrying about what the day might hold. They don't wonder what they're going to eat or wear -- those things are their parents' concern.

• Children don't lie awake at night and worry; their sleep is sweet.

• Children aren't concerned about what others think of them; that comes later, when society begins dictating how we should look and act.

• Children are joyful, and possess a delightful wonder about things. They are like sponges who crave learning to the point of saturation. Their needs are simple. They fall asleep when they're tired -- whenever and wherever that might be.

• Children forgive quickly and easily. They are not prideful. They don't sweat the small stuff.

• Children don't fear lack. They have implicit trust that their parents will meet their every need.

• Children are pure in heart, unsullied by the world.

• Children don't have an agenda; they look to their parents for direction and wisdom.

Our oldest son, Josh, and his wife, Bethany, are school teachers. Before Bethany took a sabbatical when their third daughter was born, I cared for our older two granddaughters full-time. When Evie (whose recent photo adorns this blog) was not quite one year old, she would wake in the morning, stand in her crib and reach for me with a huge grin on her little face. It's as if she was saying, "I'm ready, Grandma! What great adventures are we going to have today?" As you can see by the photo, she still embraces life with joy and gusto.

Imagine if WE began our days like Evie, excitedly looking to our Abba Father, breathless with anticipation about where He might lead us and how He might use us! This, I think, is the heart of a child: never losing sight of who our Father is, and that He is the source of all life. He created us, He leads us, and He equips us to do whatever He calls us to do.