Practical Answers to Theological Questions

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.  While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

There is so much happening in this event John records for us in the 9th chapter of his gospel we will only be able to touch on one point.  Jesus and his disciples come across a man born blind, an interesting subject on the question of sickness in the world.  "Where does it come from?" his disciples wondered.  How many of us have asked this same question throughout the ages?

A logical question for sure.  We look around the world and see imperfection: sickness, disease, deformity, and something inside of us says, "it should not be like this.  Something has gone wrong?"  Unable to fix it, we do the next best thing (at least in our eyes) we try to assign blame.  We ask, "whose fault is this?  This is not right, this is not the way things should be.  Who is to blame?"

Isn't this what the book of Job is all about?  Things were not as they should have been for Job (at least that's what he and his friends thought) and so they sat around trying to figure out who has to blame.  The friends thought it was Job's fault.  Job rejected this idea and thought he could come up with the answer if only God would give him an audience.  But to Job's many theological questions, God only had practical answers.  Actually, in this case he had some questions of his own, very practical ones.  They could be summed up, "Do you really think you can ask questions of me?"

The account in John is like Job all over again.  A man was born blind, whose fault is it?  The man's or his parents?  Somebody caused this, who was it?  

But to their theological question, Jesus only has practical answers.  They are like two heads of one coin: God's glory/ his work.  He states no one sinned.  Here is an opportunity for God to be glorified and after all- this is Jesus work.  But it is a work that he will not always be able to do.  His time "being the light of the world" is limited.  Then it will be up to them, and by extension you and me.  Even then, time will be limited.  Thus, the injunction, "Work while it is day."  

Discouraged when you look around the world full of sickness, disease, sin and pain?  Feel this is not what it should be like? Tempting to sit down and ponder whose fault it is?  DON'T. Instead, work.  Work for God's glory, while it is day, "for night is coming when no one can work."

Get Rid of Your Small Ambitions

The title of this posting was the theme of a missions conference I attended some years back.  The phrase came to mind as I read Galatians 3:4 today, "He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."

Abraham was a rich man without an heir.  The heart of men and women cry out for offspring.  I myself have walked the road of infertility and know the pain of unfulfilled desire.  This pain was the constant companion of Abraham whose longing to have a child was aggravated by the abundance of his possessions. Yet God made him a promise, not just an heir, but descendants as abundant as the stars of the sky and the sands on the seashore.  Wow, this would seem so much more than what Abraham had in mind.  And yet in comparison to Galatians 3:14, it is still small.

You see Abraham wanted an heir for himself, God planned an inheritance for all of humanity.  Abraham wanted biological offspring, God delivered the means to adopt sinners into His divine family.  In the interim: all the days, weeks, months, and years during which Abraham waited for God's promise to come to pass, God was slowly unfolding his eternal plan of salvation. He was setting in motion a way to bring "the blessing given to Abraham to the Gentiles," in other words, to all nations.

So of course I thought, "get rid of your small ambitions".  Abraham's desire, while great and his faith, which is to be applauded ("Abraham believed God" is a statement much repeated in the New Testament), pales and is minuscule in comparison to enormous plans the Father was working.  Not just redemption but the very presence of God restored to man ("so that we might we receive the promise of the Spirit").  It doesn't get any better or bigger than that.  God's presence indwelling man?  Now that's ambitious!

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?  What are you desiring?  What are you believing for?  Does it seem huge?  Does it seem impossible?  Does it take more faith than you currently have to believe for it?  Perhaps it is both huge and impossible (without God's intervention) and even difficult to believe.  Yet, after reading Galatians 3:14 doesn't it make you wonder if your ambitions may be tiny in comparison to some great plan our Father may be working behind the scenes, unbeknownst to anyone, including you?  I have to admit, that it makes me wonder. And so I hear again the challenge, get rid of your small ambitions. 

Holy Spirit Reliance

Belkis Lehmann

Everyone who dwells in this mortal body daily battles the struggle between their desire to live a life of reliance on the Holy Spirit and the flesh’s seemingly black hole attraction to rely on themselves.  Below are five encouragements I share with you, as I walk on this journey with you.  This list is by no means exhaustive but meant more to stimulate thought, and more importantly prayer.  Please take a moment and add your own thoughts and ideas by commenting on this article at the new Great Lakes Staff Facebook group   Let’s start a conversation to help and encourage each other.

1.       Live in the security of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life.  It does not matter the quality of building materials used, if the foundation is faulty.  The Holy Spirit is the restored presence of God for the people of God.  HE HAS COME.  He is here.  He dwells in you.  He works through you.  This is TRUE.   Embrace it and make it your foundation.

2.       Practice listening.  Listening is a large part of hearing.  We must listen to the Spirit’s voice in order to know what He desires.  His direction may be terrifying, but we can carry it out with confidence when we know it is His.  Practice is required for improvement. If you’d like to hear the Spirit’s voice clearer during a counseling session, an evangelistic opportunity, or a staff meeting, practice listening regularly every day.  The more you listen, the more you will hear.

3.       Embrace the cross.  In order to rely on the Holy Spirit, we must cease to rely on ourselves.  This is like trying to get away from yourself.  Everywhere you go, there you are.  Only the cross of Christ is able to accomplish this impossible task.  It is not ascetic self-denial, per say. It is the moment by moment decision to live out Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  Practically it means choosing others over ourselves, taking faith risks (we don’t need to rely on the Holy Spirit for that which is easy for us), and living by faith that God’s presence is with us.

4.       Fellowship with spiritual people.  The Biblical word spiritual means “of the Spirit” nothing more, nothing less.  This is how I use it here.  Spend time with people of the Spirit, people who challenge you, encourage you, and perhaps, even at times, rebuke you.  Most importantly those who cause you to desire a greater fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

5.       Cry. This may sound odd, but bear with me.  As I grow older I realize more and more God’s heart for humanity is one of compassion, kindness, love, and grace.  When that heart looks at this world, I think it weeps.  So crying for me (not for my own needs but for those of the world) has become a great way to fellowship with the Spirit, who laments in a way only an infinite, omnipotent, omniscient God can. 

What about you? How do you rely on the Holy Spirit? Continue the conversation here.