sin(less)

sin has become a rather unpopular word. it’s one of those rigid, “absolute” words that takes some getting used to. but for someone committed to thriving in reality, words like “sin” must be used frequently. so, to relieve some the the mystery surrounding sin, here we go!

sin is an infection that we inherit at birth. this infection taints all aspects of life and its symptoms are as numerous as they are varied.

-it is universal
-it is terminal
- its very presence separates us from God
- it is not an excuse for not keeping God’s law
-it makes us unable to love
-it is punishable by death
-it is a prominent topic in our dealings with God but not the primary
-Jesus is the only known survivor and thus the only cure

the cure has been discussed at length by greater men then me, so i will take this discussion a slightly different direction. it would seem that sin currently exists as a hindrance to normal Christian life. While it is a common, immediate and harmful we should not overly concern ourselves with it.
the solution to the human condition has never been the reduction of sin. rather, it has always been the infusion of righteousness!

in other words, salvation comes by embracing and uniting with Jesus, not by rejecting sin! failure to embrace and unite with Jesus will absolutely result in the persistence of sin, while successfully reducing the presence of sin will not necessarily result in the embracing or uniting with Jesus.

our response must be an agreement with God about sin regardless of our feelings toward it or association to it. and we must not allow it to distract us from our real business of knowing and loving God by embracing and uniting with His son Jesus.

just in case you are confused about the next step, think about this. sin is temporary. it will cease to be. soon. on the other hand, we are commanded to set our minds on things above. think about eternal things more than temporal things. you will worship more and you just might sin less.

O)—

in the beginning….

faith is the beginning of life.

heb 11:6 tells us that without faith we couldn’t please God if we wanted to.  rom 14:23 guarantees that with out faith we die. thus, faith is the beginning of life.

for those who grew up in church, faith is an active, confident dependence on God’s character.

as heb. told us we can not hope to know or love God without faith and so, in order to worship (ie. fulfill our purpose in life) we must necessarily begin with faith.

practically lived out, faith will look like choosing and desiring the very best for others regardless of outcome or cost. it should also result in more grace flowing through my life and a more regular participation in the extraordinary.

O)—

O)—

worship is the meaning of life.

there.

i said it. i know the meaning of life.

or rather it was shown to me. as newton said “if i have seen far, it only because i have stood on the shoulders of giants.”

first a definition for those of you who don’t know what i am talking about.
worship is anything that causes us to know and love God.  love with out knowledge is idolatry; knowledge with out love is the epitome of pride.
it must be both. perhaps not in equal measure, but definitely both. intentional or not, knowing and loving God typically begins with an encounter of some kind.

worship can be described as beholding.

-seeing His creations
-seeing His character in scriptures
-thinking about Him and His revealed attributes
- listening to others talk about Him (discuss, expand, explain, teach)
- observe others in worship
-dreams and visions

or tasting

-enjoying His gifts and blessings
-experiencing His presence through practicing the disciplines,persecution and obedience
-speaking in tongues?

or projecting

-verbally praising Him
-singing
-talk about Him in a way that inspires others to love Him
- teaching about Him
-dancing
-visible or visual arts

there is probably more, but that’s all i have so far. i don’t plan on shelving this topic so there will be more to come.

O)—

faith, hope and love

working definitions for these are as follows:

faith- an active, confident dependence on God’s character

hope- an active, confident expectancy of God’s blessing in the future

love- choosing and desiring the very best for another regardless of outcome or cost. (this only works when we define the “very best” as God’s glory)

 

i spend a lot of time thinking about the definitions of things. i feel it makes them easier to apply them to my life and also to measure when i get around to applying.

ass kickery

as i look back on my life as a single male in america i can say with confidence that according to most standards i have lived a kick-ass life. 

but now, as i stand on the brink of marriage and bid farewell to the individual “dave wernz” i find myself increasingly mournful of the life i have told so many was a success.

in the years during and after high school up to the present day, i find my life marked not by progressive ground taking but of marginal victories and consistent defeat. struggle has been the defining characteristic of my life. the external trappings of a man moving toward maturity in christ seem puny and anemic when viewed alongside the ravages of an internal civil war. like fake flowers thrust into a rotting corpse.

silly and pathetic attempts as fending off lust and self indulgence made almost comical by their absurdity. the constant, overpowering stench of pride, tainting every aspect of being,  by-passing every deffense. an awarness of this and more only pouring fuel on the embers of guilt, shame, fear, doubt and dispair.  PUT OFF! PUT OFF! PUT OFF! keeps me clawing away myself but the typical result is just raw and oozing wounds.

and this does not even take into accont my inablity to cultivate a real, lasting desire for the things of God. the atributes of God and fruit of the spirit seem more and more like a small child’s christmas wish list of things he could never possess and wouldn’t know what to do with if by some christmas miracle they appeared.  growth occurs in starts and fits, if at all. while learning is a constant in only succeeds in widening the gap between theory and execution.  not only have i not become like Jesus, i have faild to adequetly promote and glorify his name. missed opportunities, squandered time and relationships are once again the pattern of my life so far. the gifts he has given me have been quickly pissed away on  my own whims. the relationships he provided to guide my journey and stimulate growth have been severed and carefully gaurded against.  his kindness abused and taken for granted. his favor assumed and often un aknowledged.  his blessing and protection demanded and left un thanked. 

here i stand, pitiful. 

what can i do but fall on grace? what can i say but Jesus save me?

his love is enough to give me hope.

Rom 5: 20 “the law was given so that sin would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more…”

O)—

conflict(ed)

i am a little frustrated with the view of conflict i am being presented with in my pre marriage counseling. i get the impression that any trouble my wife and i encounter will be “conflict”. i am not sure i agree with this view. in my world conflict is very different from trouble. i see trouble as an external event and conflict as an internal event. 

consider driving a car through a storm. high winds, hard rain, slick roads… trouble. now consider driving the same car and seeing the check engine light come on. or the gas light… external vs internal. consider now if we extend the picture to our own bodies. being hot is dif. from having a fever. 

obviously i see the connection between the external and the internal. but they are not the same thing. it is possible to have lots of trouble and very little conflict.

O)—

money, money, money…

andrea and i went over some finacial stuff tonight with a friend’s mom. i am surprised at how calmly she took in our financial lives. i guess she is used to seeing far worse but i am still a little disgusted by my own spending habits. it’s kinda like being reminded that you snore or have smelly feet. something you knew all along but don’t really think about that often except when it’s time to hide it again. 

i can’t begin to describ how excited i am about starting a new life with andrea! mostly i have never been this ready to change or had such a good reason to try. i am almost positive i will fail (often and sadly)  but it is almost as if i am glad just for the chance to try. who knows? maybe God will be merciful to us and the changes will be easy! i can not think of a better partner to attempt great things with…

the real question will be what happens if the theories on better spending work? what will we do with all the “extra” money?

is this the same as a diary?

i don’t think this is quite the same as a journal. at least i hope not… i have always sucked at journals.  what i can’t get over is my basic impression of people who blog. i have come to think of them as self-absorbed, whiners with too much time on their hands! well, this is not the first time (nor the last) i have joined the losing team on purpose! who knows, maybe my grandkids will get a kick out this some day…

O)—