2 Corinthians 5:16-21
(16) From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
(17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
(18) All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
(19) that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
(20) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
(21) For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This passage is so pregnant with meaning and application that a short blog post can't really do it justice. One theme of it is that we are new creations. Think about what that means for a minute. Psychologists would tell us that we are bound to our pasts. Of course the past does shape us, but it does not have to determine how we live today if we are in Christ. No, we are new creations. I may be wrong, but when I read that I take it to mean that we are fundamentally different.
When I went to college I really wanted to erase the baggage of my social status in high school. I was a geek and everyone knew it. Spaz may be an even better word to describe me. When I got to college I basically just wanted to find a girl and start having sex. I kind of did that when I was a freshman, but we broke up just as we started our sophomore year. My desire for hooking up was basically written across my forehead and I don't think the girls in my classes were impressed.
Then I got out on my own and I tried to erase that past. I never managed to find anyone to date until I met Amanda. Our dating, engagement, and marriage make for more stories, but suffice it to say that my base motives hadn't changed much.
Now they have. Christ set me free from bondage to pornography and self-gratification. He set me free from bondage to gluttony and laziness. I am a new creation in Him. My motives for living have changed. To be sure, there are still times when I live for myself, but overall I live with the goal of pleasing Him rather than myself.
Are you ready to die to yourself and live for Him? Are you ready to shed the baggage of the past? Come to the cross and repent of your self-sufficient ways and make Him the lord of your life instead. I guarantee that He will do a better job than you do.
Showing posts with label psychology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psychology. Show all posts
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Real Problem
We evangelicals are great at complaining about the state of the public school system. To be sure, there is much junk in there. Their proselytizing about evolution, sex education, and homosexuality are of course problems. However, after my counseling class tonight I can't help but think that there is a much bigger problem. Our kids are being fed the lies about self-esteem.
Scripture makes it clear that we must have a realistic view of self. We should not think ourselves too good (Romans 12:3). However, we can't function in society if we are always moping around about how we are not naturally good. Apart from the gospel there really isn't much else to do but to try our best to hang in there.
However, as Christians we have the gospel. We know that man is naturally sinful and desperately needs Christ. We know that any worth we have comes from our union with Christ. The problem I see is that we are fighting against schools telling kids how great they are. In a world where some math books refuse to present right and wrong answers for fear of hurting kids' self-esteem, this is definitely a problem.
Later, when people get out into the world there are psychologists to help them suppress any feelings of low self-esteem they may have. I just hope that they run into Christians who can share the gospel about how they do not need more self, but they do need Jesus.
Scripture makes it clear that we must have a realistic view of self. We should not think ourselves too good (Romans 12:3). However, we can't function in society if we are always moping around about how we are not naturally good. Apart from the gospel there really isn't much else to do but to try our best to hang in there.
However, as Christians we have the gospel. We know that man is naturally sinful and desperately needs Christ. We know that any worth we have comes from our union with Christ. The problem I see is that we are fighting against schools telling kids how great they are. In a world where some math books refuse to present right and wrong answers for fear of hurting kids' self-esteem, this is definitely a problem.
Later, when people get out into the world there are psychologists to help them suppress any feelings of low self-esteem they may have. I just hope that they run into Christians who can share the gospel about how they do not need more self, but they do need Jesus.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tozer on Self-Sufficiency
Enjoy today's Tozer. To me, this also really speaks to the error of psychology, particularly Rogerian.
The Holy Spirit: Wake Up the Lion In You!
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. --2 Corinthians 3:5
That is the difference between Christianity and all the Oriental cults and religions. All cult religions try to wake up what you already have, and Christianity says, "What you have is not enough--you will need the enduement which is sent from above!" That is the difference. The others say, "Stir up the thing that is in you," and they expect this to be enough.
By way of illustration, if there were four or five lions coming at you, you would never think of saying to a little French poodle, "Wake up the lion in you." That would not work--it would not be enough. They would chew the little fellow up and swallow him, haircut and all, because a French poodle just isn't sufficient for a pack of lions. Some power outside of himself would have to make him bigger and stronger than the lion if he were to conquer.
That is exactly what the Holy Spirit says He does for the Christian believer, but the cult religions still say, "Concentrate and free your mind and release the creative powers that lie within you." The Counselor, 142-143.
"Lord, in our self-reliance we're all too often guilty of digging deep for that inner self-sufficiency. Our New Age culture fosters that error. Teach us how futile; show us Your power. Amen."
The Holy Spirit: Wake Up the Lion In You!
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. --2 Corinthians 3:5
That is the difference between Christianity and all the Oriental cults and religions. All cult religions try to wake up what you already have, and Christianity says, "What you have is not enough--you will need the enduement which is sent from above!" That is the difference. The others say, "Stir up the thing that is in you," and they expect this to be enough.
By way of illustration, if there were four or five lions coming at you, you would never think of saying to a little French poodle, "Wake up the lion in you." That would not work--it would not be enough. They would chew the little fellow up and swallow him, haircut and all, because a French poodle just isn't sufficient for a pack of lions. Some power outside of himself would have to make him bigger and stronger than the lion if he were to conquer.
That is exactly what the Holy Spirit says He does for the Christian believer, but the cult religions still say, "Concentrate and free your mind and release the creative powers that lie within you." The Counselor, 142-143.
"Lord, in our self-reliance we're all too often guilty of digging deep for that inner self-sufficiency. Our New Age culture fosters that error. Teach us how futile; show us Your power. Amen."
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