Change is not outside-in or inside-out. It’s outside-up.

To change internally through external acts can be flesh. But to change externally through internal devotions can be just as flesh-ly. Conversely, the external application of word and sacrament can have a wonderful effect internally. And an internal resolve to look away to Christ can brilliantly impact your externals. Neither outside-in nor inside-out is the [...]

Read Full Post »

Reflecting the Lord’s Glory [repost]

What’s this verse about? And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory…  (2 Cor 3:18) Is it about enjoying private devotional experiences with Jesus so that we become like Him?   That’s a popular interpretation.  And it’s half right.  But it’s really not the [...]

Read Full Post »

For God’s Sake Don’t Grow Up For God’s Sake

For God’s Sake Grow Up For Your Neighbour’s Sake . This is just a reflection on that saying of Luther’s: “God doesn’t need your good works.  Your neighbour does.” And Dave K’s observation that, post-resurrection, no-one summarizes the law with “love God and love neighbour” but only with “love neighbour”. . A friend recently told [...]

Read Full Post »

Being renewed after the Image of our Creator

Four simple questions and four (perhaps) surprising answers regarding Colossians 3:10: Put on the new self (the new man), which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 1) Who is the Creator referred to? In context you’d think it was Christ, who is the Creator Image of God (Col 1:15-17) 2) [...]

Read Full Post »

I’m baptised into Christ, Christ is fed into me

It’s important to rightly relate these truths – ‘I am in Christ’ and ‘Christ is in me’ (see this older post and this one). If I put “Christ in me” first then I fall for a Catholic doctrine of infusion.  God infuses His grace into me so that I begin to live the righteous life.  [...]

Read Full Post »

Two Ways to Pastor

In the last post I thought a bit about the dangers of Pharasaism re-producing itself. If you pastor out of the Pharisee’s mindset, here is how you will conceive the Christian life. Here the Christian life is about minimizing sins and maximizing performance.  You will keep your sins private and your righteousness public.  Of course [...]

Read Full Post »

I in Christ, Christ in me

You who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ  (Gal 3:27) I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you  (Gal 4:19) Christ put on me Christ formed in me . Christ surrounding me Christ birthed in me . Christ already Christ progressing . Christ: My status Christ: [...]

Read Full Post »

Time for a Spring Clean

… in the southern hemisphere anyway. But as the weather turns decidedly Fall-en here, I’m still thinking about Spring cleaning.  The reason being – I’ve just preached on Exodus 12 tonight.  In preparation I was thinking about the Feast of Unleavened Bread (I speak about it some more in my 1 Corinthians 5 sermon). Basically the [...]

Read Full Post »

Some thoughts on your ‘personal problems’

This is a long one but I won’t be posting for a while so read at your leisure…   1) This is the occasion for change not the reason for change. It’s great if you’ve come to some sort of crisis moment.  It’s good that you want to change.  But you ought to know that [...]

Read Full Post »

How to change – Mark 4

Some found my bible study on Ephesians 4 helpful.  Here’s another on Mark 4:1-20: Verses 10-12: Jesus promises that those who are outsiders to Him will never understand His word, only be hardened. Do you come to Jesus in dependence to understand His word?  Do you read it with Him at the centre? Meditate on [...]

Read Full Post »

Corrupted by deceitful desires

Some questions to ask of Ephesians 4:22-24 (and context) - preferably with a friend, preferably with some personal struggles in mind: 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; [...]

Read Full Post »

God is waiting for you to despair

From Watchman Nee’s Sit, Walk, Stand. “An engineer living in a large city in the West left his homeland for the Far East. He was away for two or three years, and during his absence his wife was unfaithful to him and went off with one of his best friends. On his return home he [...]

Read Full Post »

Reflecting the Lord’s glory

What’s this verse about? And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory…  (2 Cor 3:18) Is it about enjoying private devotional experiences with Jesus so that we become like Him?   That’s a popular interpretation.  And it’s half right.  But it’s really not the [...]

Read Full Post »