Christian Education « LifeBrook International

Toward a Methodology of Discernment

L.D. Turner

I strongly believe that one of God’s central purposes for this age in which we live is to bring humankind into a deeper and more widespread knowledge of metaphysical principles in general and the subtle laws which govern the mind in particular. I predict that we will see greater and greater awareness of the practical application of these sublime principles and, in point of fact, we are already witnessing this process to some extent.

Of course any time there is a move of God in a new direction, there is always the potential for mistaken understandings and bizarre extremes as believers on the spiritual frontier engage these themes. Yet we must be careful so as to not toss out the pearl of great value along with the refuse, or as they often say, throw out the baby with the bath water. This would be a huge mistake.

As the Holy Spirit gradually makes available increasing knowledge of these laws, we must use our God-given gifts of discernment to separate the wheat from the chaff and put into immediate practice the principles that are beneficial and biblically sound. This is especially true in these days in which we have witnessed a dramatic rise in those who claim the gift of “prophecy” and are seemingly able to pour forth prophetic utterances at the drop of a hat. The question is, as stated, one of accurate discernment, which raises another logical question: What criteria will I use in order to discern whether a teaching is accurate and acceptable or way off the mark?

Traditionally, there have been several approaches to evaluating a particular teaching or prophetic utterance. This trio of tools consists of Scripture, tradition, and Spirit. Interestingly, depending upon what denominational background you happen to be from, you might see one of these three emphasized at the expense of the other two. For example, Catholics by and large have turned to tradition as ultimate authority and this “tradition” is in the form of the Church. Most Protestants adhere to the principles of biblical authority and therefore turn to scripture as the objective measure of the value of a teaching. If a teacher comes forth with an idea, teaching, or spiritual practice that doesn’t agree with scripture, then it is considered unsound at best, heretical at worst. Within the Protestant fold, Pentecostal and Charismatic bodies tend to stress the validation of the Spirit. If the person feels the teaching is validated through the presence of and experience of the Holy Spirit, then it can be trusted. In all fairness, however, I must point out that many Charismatic and Pentecostal groups also point to the value of scriptural authority.

Two other groups deserve mention, as their methods of evaluating teachings and practices, although similar to those described in the preceding paragraph, differ somewhat. I am speaking of the Quakers, founded by George Fox in the 17^th Century and the Methodists, founded by John Wesley a century later.

The Quaker position is, at the same time, simple and complex. For the Society of Friends, the ultimate authority is the ‘Inner Light’ residing within each believer. According to Quaker founder George Fox, it is the source of all certainty for the Quaker and it is this Light Within that Friends seek when they sit in silence. Some Quakers equate the Inner Light with the presence of the Holy Spirit, which caused many Quakers to shake uncontrollably at times. Hence came the derisive name “Quakers,” because they “quaked.”

From a historical and also a contemporary perspective, I find the most balanced system of discernment within the tradition of my own denomination, Methodism. John Wesley, founder of Methodism, stressed using the matrix of what he called the “Quadrilateral” in order to determine the appropriateness of any theme or idea. The four guidelines of Wesley’s Quadrilateral are: scripture; tradition; reason; and experience. For Wesley, the first, scripture, always took precedence over the other three.

The Quadrilateral is not an historical artifact. This four-part tool of discernment remains in use today in the United Methodist Church, as well as other Wesleyan denominations. Although Wesley himself never used the term “Quadrilateral,” it is clear from his writings that he used this four-fold methodology as a means of not only guiding behavior, but as a tool for theological speculation as well.

The term Quadrilateral was coined by Methodist Albert C. Outler in his 1964 compilation of Wesley’s works. It has become traditional in the United Methodist Church, by far the largest and most influential Methodist denomination, to formulate the Quadrilateral as follows:

Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason.

In actual practice, contemporary Methodists vary greatly in terms of application of the Quadrilateral. Many members of this denomination use this methodology of evaluation in a very consistent and precise way. On the other extreme, there are probably a significant number of Methodists who are totally unaware of the existence of the Quadrilateral.

In my own experience, I must admit that I sometimes utilize a unique blend of approaches when evaluating new ideas and techniques. As I mentioned a bit earlier, I am a United Methodist and have been for the past 30-plus years, so the Quadrilateral is almost second nature to me. However, my upbringing was strongly affiliated with Quakerism, in both its liberal and evangelical flavors. These factors, along with my own study of comparative religion, has resulted in a theological methodology which, although strange for some, works quite well for me.

When evaluating any new teaching I first go before the Master in prayer, asking for guidance, discernment, wisdom and clarity. I then rest in what Friends often call “Sacred Silence.” It is in the context of this silence that the Spirit often speaks to me regarding a particular issue. Once I have an insight or revelation regarding the issue at hand, I then filter it through the matrix of the Quadrilateral. Finally, I also will often discuss the matter with a few of my most trusted spiritual friends. This way of doing things may not be universally applicable, but for the most part, it works for me.

As our culture progresses deeper into the ever-shifting shoals of postmodernism I find it increasingly essential to have some way of ascertaining truth. Postmodern thinking stresses the lack of universal standards of factual reality and espouses the sanctity of “relativity.” More than ever, ethics are situational. As many of my friends within the Emergent Movement are so fond of saying, “There is no such thing as absolute truth.”

Ironically, for them, that is the absolute truth.

Justification and Sanctification: Keeping it Simple (Well, Kind of…)

Mick Turner

Only a modicum of spiritual discernment is needed to affirm the fact that many Christians are living far beneath the standards of excellence called for by Christ in his teachings and exemplified by the manner in which he lived. This unfortunate reality points to yet another tragic fact: many Christians are not appropriating their reborn status as new creations in Christ and, as a result, are not bearing fruit.

This is quite understandable when we recall Christ’s teaching about the vine and the branches. If Christ is indeed the vine from which we draw our sustenance and our power, we need to be more firmly attached to him and one of the primary ways we strengthen that connection is through understanding and appropriating our reborn, justified, and sanctified status as children of the Father of Lights.

The renowned Evangelical Bible teacher and scholar Francis Schaeffer states that among the reasons that many Christians fail to bear the fruit of justification and sanctification in their lives is nothing less than ignorance. Schaeffer isn’t saying that non-productive Christians are stupid. He is, rather, saying that they just don’t have the knowledge they need to begin to walk in the ways in which they have been called by Christ. In his book True Spirituality Schaeffer, in his characteristically brilliant and cogent way, describes five sources of this ignorance:

The Christian may have been taught how to be justified but never taught the present meaning of the work of Christ for him.

He may have been taught to become a Christian through the instrumentality of faith, but then he may have been left, as though from that point on the Christian life has to be lived in his own strength.

He may have been taught the opposite; that is, he may have been taught that, having accepted Christ, in some antinomian way it does not now matter how he lives.

He may have been taught some kind of second blessing, which would make him perfect in this life when he receives it. This the Bible does not teach. And therefore, he just waits hopelessly or tries to act upon that which is not.

He may never have been taught that there is a reality of faith to be acted on consciously after justification. This last point is the point of ignorance of many who stand in the orthodox and historic stream of the Reformation.

When I first encountered Schaeffer’s quintet of reasons that might lead to a believer’s ignorance of who and what they are in Christ, I recognized many of my Christian friends who, during candid conversations, had made statements that would place them in one of the five categories. And, needless to say, I found myself in residence there as well.

The point is, when we wander about in a fog of confused identity we waste not only precious time, but also abort chances to use the gifts God has given to us to help establish his kingdom on earth. More depressing, as our sense of frustration and aimlessness deepens, we become vulnerable to the enemy toying with our thoughts and our feelings and more than a few of us drift into a spiritual malaise from which escape is impossible without divine intervention. Schaeffer describes this lack of awareness of our true identity as a constituting a Christian who does not “possess his possessions.” As a result, he or she misses out on the blessings God has intended for his children. The key to unlock this prison of despondency is first of all, knowledge. Schaeffer continues:

But when a man does learn the meaning of the work of Christ in the present life, a new door is open to him. And this new door then seems to be so wonderful that often it gives the Christian, as he begins to act upon the knowledge of faith, the sense of something that is as new as was his conversion. And it has been true for many of us that at a certain point, after we have been Christians for a long time, suddenly through the teaching of the Bible – directly or through someone teaching us – we have seen the meaning of the work of Christ and the blood of Jesus Christ for our present life, and a new door opens for us. So what is needed is the knowledge of the meaning of the work of Christ in our present life, for our present life, and then for us to act upon it in faith.

The “knowledge” Schaeffer is getting at here is the biblical revelation that there are at least two sides to the gospel – justification and sanctification. We are placed in right standing with God through the blood of Christ and further, we are given the power and the mechanisms to live the Christian life by Christ’s work on the cross. And then, Schaeffer points out the real crux of the issue for the prospective Christian. If we want to be able to walk the walk that Christ calls us to, we have to have more than intellectual information here. No, that kind of knowledge does not have the octane needed to propel the Christian life in all of its fruit-producing glory. We must have knowledge that we accept, take into our lives, and live according to by faith. It is a knowledge that spawns action.

The kind of knowledge that is called for is revealed knowledge, accepted in faith and wed to action that brings about transformation into Christ-likeness. Doctrine, important as it is, is never enough to bring about personal change and renewal of the mind. Let’s listen again to Schaeffer:

In the last analysis it is never doctrine alone that is important. It is doctrine appropriated that counts. We can see this in the case of justification. There are many men, unhappily, who have heard the gospel and know the gospel but do not take Christ as their Savior. In such a case a man has the knowledge, but it means nothing to him because he has not taken it in. It may be so with us in this matter of our present life. We may know the truth, we may have the knowledge, but it has not been appropriated, and so it will not mean anything to us in practice, and the fruit will not be born.

One other reason why we continue to walk in our old ways, even though scripture screams we are new creations, stems from the fact that either we don’t realize that we are new creations or we don’t believe it. Perhaps this needs a bit of clarification.

The Church as a whole has been expert at preaching the gospel of the blood and forgiveness of sin. Christ died as a ransom for many and, even though we don’t deserve it, we can now come into God’s presence as if we were spotless. As great a message as this is, it only half the story. Yes, Christ won our forgiveness but he also did something else. He won our victory over our sin and our sinful nature. Go back and review Romans 5-8 to get a true picture of all this.

By his resurrection and his ascension Christ has made possible, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, our sanctification, meaning, we are now operating under a new set of circumstances, with the Holy Spirit working inside of us. Many Christians are unaware of this reality for two primary reasons: first, the vast majority of believers are biblically illiterate. Recent studies by George Barna more than bear this out; and second, pastors typically preach more about the blood than they do the resurrection, the ascension, and our subsequent empowerment.

Other Christians are aware of the fact that they are new creations in Christ, but just don’t believe it. This is a tragedy because just the act of believing what scripture says about us goes a long way toward helping us to manifest this new reality in our lives. Look at it like this: we receive salvation by accepting Christ’s atonement by faith; why don’t we also accept the second half of the gospel by faith? Why don’t we, using our faith in all that Christ has accomplished, accept the gift of our own progressive movement toward receiving the “fullness of Christ?”

In essence, a big part of our problem as Christians is the fact that we sell ourselves short. We don’t understand who we are and what we are in Christ. Even more devastating, we don’t accept and apply our new identity to daily living and we end up only being marginally effective. Like the Tibetan Bear, we pace back and forth in the same old ruts, the same old worn out ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. If we continue to do this and expect results any different than what we have experienced in the past, we are sadly mistaken.

No, my friends, it is time for a change and that change begins with recognizing, understanding, accepting, and applying the blessed gifts of being “in Christ.” I encourage you to not put this off another day. Start today by taking a few minutes out of your schedule, sitting down and getting quiet and centered, and ask God to reveal to you the full understanding of your status as his child. Ask God to show you, especially in scripture, just what Christ accomplished for you in his life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, and his successful mission into this world.

Begin a personal Bible study in which you explore this whole business of being “in Christ.” Keep a notebook handy and jot down your thoughts, insights, and ideas. They may be useful reminders as you move forward in the process of appropriating your new identity.

In my own walk of faith, the breakthrough on these issues finally came when I realized that the same principles involved in my justification were also critical in my sanctification. The only seeming difference was that my justification was instantaneous whereas my sanctification, at least in the physical world, is an ongoing moment-by-moment process. Some would say that my sanctification is also instantaneous in the spiritual world. That may be so and Peter tells us that God has provided everything we need to live a godly life already. Still, making this spiritual reality a manifested reality in the physical, day-to-day world remains a process that occurs across time.

Through the teaching of the Holy Spirit it was if I saw a collection of key scriptures in a new and life-giving way. In either case, justification and sanctification, I realized that the key ingredient was faith. Just as I had accepted Christ into my life by faith, I should also accept his gift of personal transformation by faith. It really is as simple as that. So simple in conceptual terms, it is hard to put into words the actual experience that I had. It was, and remains, a personal epiphany. In terms of the mechanics of the process, I will again acquiesce to Francis Schaeffer:

In justification, we must see, acknowledge, and act upon the fact that we cannot save ourselves. In sanctification, we must see, acknowledge, and act upon the fact that we cannot live the Christian life in our own strength, or in our own goodness….In justification the instrument by which we receive the free gift of God is faith, which believes God as he has given us his promises in the Bible; in sanctification the instrument by which we receive the fee gift of God is faith, which believes God as he has given us his promises in the Bible. It is exactly the same thing. There is one difference between the practice of justification and sanctification. As justification deals with our guilt, and sanctification deals with the problem of the power of sin in our lives as Christians, justification is once for all, and the Christian life is moment by moment. There is a difference in that one deals with the guilt of my sin and the other deals with the power of sin in my life….Let me repeat: the only difference in the practice is that in justification it is once and for all, and the Christian life is live moment by moment. The Christian life is acting moment by moment on the same principle, and in the same way, as I acted at the moment of my justification.

As I became increasingly aware of the need to apply these spiritual truths to my life it was as if I had been sailing on a ship that had suddenly cleared a fog bank. Whereas before things were dark and murky, all of a sudden, by the grace and work of the Holy Spirit, I had eyes to see. As I applied these principles to my life I also began to see more clearly what Christ meant when he uttered those words about his yoke being light.

In closing, let me say that you can never underestimate the significance, the blessings, and the power that is unleashed when you accept the fullness of the gospel message, especially as it applies to you. In actuality, you become a point of spiritual light and potency. As you are gradually changed by the Holy Spirit your focus shifts from what God can do, and has done, for you and is directed more toward what you can do for God and for others. In a very real and tangible way, the more your life is inundated with the Holy Spirit and his work, you become a point of blessing for others.

There is no higher calling, privilege, and honor.

In its most fundamental sense, the process of fully appropriating your new identity in Christ is the greatest gift you can give to the world. Operating under you old identity, you were spiritually dead, cut off from the source of your true life. You were under the control of your lower nature, what Paul referred to as “the flesh.” Furthermore, you were held under the sway of both the world and the enemy. Living under the burdensome limitations of your old self, there was no way you could possibly approach the dynamic creativity and productivity of your God-given potential.

Now, however, by taking possession of who and what you are “in Christ,” you can discover your divine potential, find your spiritual calling, develop you personal vision, and grow into the best version of yourself. In Christ, you are reborn – you are spiritually alive and capable of making your own unique contribution to the world. When you become the best version of yourself, when you walk in your glory, you are in reality a gift of God to a hurting world.

Wise Words for Today

We’ve all known them – those times when the wind seems to go out of the sails of our spiritual lives. Our time in the Word of God is unexciting and unfruitful. Prayer is a struggle. Worship never quite satisfies. Our devotions are either skimpy are even skipped. Our witness is virtually nonexistent. Too many things seem more important than spirituality, and we would not describe ourselves as “currently on the cutting edge of Christian growth.”…… Nobody needs to tell us when we are spiritually becalmed, and a lot of navel gazing about why or how we got in this situation would not be particularly helpful. What we want is out, or rather, back on course with the Lord, our spiritual sails filled with the powerful winds of his Spirit once again. We want our devotions to come alive, our worship to flare anew with spiritual fire, the bounce to return to our spiritual step. We want to rediscover the presence of the Lord, to experience his glory and to bask afresh in the certainty and warmth of his mercy and grace. We yearn for the Word to speak clearly and powerfully to us. We long to know the assurance that our prayers are being heard and to experience the filling of God’s Spirit in fresh, new gusts of power and life. We want our hearts to pound with love for our God, and we want to be able to share that love more fervently and consistently to people around us.

T.M. Moore

(from Disciplines of Grace: From Spiritual Routines to Spiritual Renewal)

Optimal Thinking and Open-Mindedness

Posted On September 6, 2009

Filed under Affirmative Prayer, Applied Spirituality, Attitudes of Blessing, Christian Education, Christian Living, Christian Optimism, Christianity, Discipleship, Divine Mind, Divine Potential, God's Kingdom, God's Love, Gospel, Issues in Transformation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Mission and Calling, Morality and Values, Optimism, Paul's Teachings, Personal Discipline, Personal Renewal, Personal Vision, Positive Expectation, Positive Faith, Positive Living, Positive Thinking, Renewal of the Mind, Sacred Mind, Sacred Mind Ministries, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Practices
Tags: Christianity, Discipleship, Positive Christianity, Optimism, Positive Thinking, Positive Faith, Open-mindedness, Optimal Thinking

Comments Dropped one response

Mick Turner

Here at LifeBrook International we have as part of our ongoing mission statement to provide publications, materials, and programs to assist individuals and organizations to:

Become the optimal version of themselves for the glory of God and the benefit of others.

After many years working with people that are sincere about living a life of excellence we have discovered many interesting things about what works with people and what doesn’t. Further, by the grace of God, we have been given enough wisdom to weed out those elements that are non-productive and, in contrast, strengthen those elements that seem to be beneficial.

Today, I want to talk about two principles that we have found that are absolutely essential if you want to make positive changes in your life and grow toward becoming the person God designed you to be, wants you to be, and equipped you to be. It goes without saying that there are more than two principles involved in our spiritual growth, but in the context of this brief article, let’s limit our discussion to a pair of principles that are foundational. These are: Positive Thinking and Open-Mindedness.

Let’s briefly explore the first principle, which can be stated this way: thought is the ancestor of action. What we do begins in our thoughts and eventually is translated into our actions. In light of this fact, if we truly wish to develop our capacities, grow more consistently with fluency and grace, and live more effective and productive lives the place we must begin is with our thinking. The formula is really quite simple. Positive thoughts translate themselves into positive actions. Negative thoughts translate into negative actions. Positive actions, in turn, promote growth and development. Negative actions result in wasted effort, stagnation, and lack of fulfillment.

The good news in all of this is that we are masters of our own destiny in regards to improving the level at which we live. Of course, all of us have natural limitations to our talent. However, the fact remains that we can stretch that talent much farther just by believing in ourselves and trusting that we have as a divine partner, a dynamic Spirit that will come to our aid.

Let me repeat the statement, “thought is the ancestor of action“. In applying biblical principles of spiritual growth we must keep this principle before us at all times. You learn to live the way you want to live when you learn to think what you want to think. It all starts in the mind. Granted, there are many things in the world that you cannot change through your thinking. But the one thing you can certainly change is yourself! So start with yourself. If you want to improve yourself remember:

Create your own positive thought and you become what you desire to become because the truth of the matter is that your thought creates your experience.

Let me repeat, it is your thoughts that determine your attitudes and it is your attitudes that determine your actions. The great American President Thomas Jefferson said it far better than I can:

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal. Nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.

More than anything else, becoming the optimal version of yourself requires a positive mental attitude at the outset. Without it, failure is guaranteed.

Attitude is everything. The fact is that we often defeat ourselves before we begin a project or pursue a goal. The cause of this self-defeat is negative thinking. In order to grow and develop we have to embrace a more positive outlook on life. We must incorporate into our being the firm belief that I can if I think I can. It really is as simple as that. Base your life on this belief and you will see miracles happen every day!

I think it is tragic that many people fail to utilize simple, spiritual principles because of just that: they seem too simple. I remember reading in the autobiography of Robert Schuller an episode regarding this issue. Shortly before he was due to graduate from seminary, young Robert had the opportunity to go to a lecture being delivered by Norman Vincent Peale. Being the brilliant young theologian that he was, Schuller relates that he felt this would largely be a waste of his time because Dr. Peale was “too simplistic.” Schuller had just completed his major graduation paper, had studied deeply in arcane theological texts, and figured he pretty much knew all there was to know. Certainly, someone who wrote things as superficial and trendy could have nothing to say that would be meaningful to someone as deep as he was.

After the lecture by Dr. Peale, Schuller and his classmates joked about how shallow the message was and, like all good young students of religion, believed they were just far too sophisticated to be bothering with such petty lectures. My, how interestingly God works sometimes.

Schuller ended up receiving mail outs from Peale’s ministry and, to make a long story short, something Peale said hit Schuller right between the eyes. Eventually, Robert Schuller in a sense became Peale’s successor. And more amazing, Schuller began writing the same kind of simplistic books that Peale did. I recall that back in the early ‘70’s, when I first read Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking I believed it was far too simplistic, sophomoric, and a complete waste of my time. After all, I had two Bachelors Degrees, a Masters Degree, and was working on a second Masters Degree. The pop psychology offered up by Schuller was far beneath my great intellect. Now I know better, thanks to the Lord. I’ll get back to Dr. Schuller in the second part of this article. For whatever reasons, Robert Schuller is a controversial figure among Christians. I find this an unfortunate reality, but a reality nonetheless. Like I said, more on this later.

One of the greatest lessons that I have learned in my life, and learned with great difficulty I might add, is expect the best and the best will come to you. Get out of all your old negative habits of thinking and be open to new, positive patterns of affirmation. Develop a joyous and optimistic outlook on each day. Fall in love with life and live it fully. Above all, develop the habit of positive thinking. Believe in yourself! Believe in your abilities! Be confident! Be Proactive! Take the following affirmative words, by Robert Schuller actually, and plant them deep within your mind:

I am!

I can!

I will!

I believe!

This may seem very simple and, in fact, it is. Yet it is this very simplicity that makes positive thinking so powerful and profound. If you don’t believe, try it out for six months and see what happens. In fact, why don’t you, the reader, do that. Do a bit of research on simple practices like positive thinking. Work with affirmative prayer, praying the scriptures according to the positive themes contained in the Bible, and pray for the Holy Spirit’s assistance in helping you to think more constructively and optimistically. Give it six months and see what happens. The results will astound you!

In addition to being positive about our ability to be formed into the likeness of Christ, we also need to develop an attitude of openness. By this I simply mean that in order to make progress, we have to do things differently than we have in the past. This, my friend, means we have to encounter change. Many of us avoid change, choosing to stay with the familiar, with the status quo. Unfortunately, if we want to grow we have to change. And, if we want to change, we have to be flexible in our approach to life and open to new ways of doing things.

The one sure thing that can keep a person in everlasting ignorance is a closed mind. To live a life based on spiritual principles is to always strive to be open to new ideas, new concepts, and fresh and invigorating ways of doing things. So often many of us go about our daily rounds, living life in the same routine way and responding to the events of the day in the same old ritualistic ways that we always have. The same is true for our thinking. We think the same kind of thoughts, hold the same views and opinions, and approach life in the same timeworn way that we always have. No matter that some of these behaviors and thought patterns are non-productive and destructive. We cherish them because they are familiar and comfortable.

By living this way we never have to stretch our minds. The process of spiritual formation along biblical lines challenges this way of being and encourages us to venture out into new ways of doing things and fresh ways of thinking. We are challenged to look at things from a different perspective and, when we do, we are transformed – changed in a positive way. Paul called this “renewing the mind” and basically said this was the foundation stone of personal and spiritual development. Oliver Wendell Holmes said it so well: Man’s mind, stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension.

Making this worn out way of thinking worse is the fact that the Holy Spirit may be trying to communicate with us. The blessed Spirit may be trying to show us a new and healthier way to view a specific issue or theme or may be trying to get across an important truth that we need to understand in a fresh way. If we have a closed mind that allows for no “out of the box” thinking, then we may indeed be guilty of quenching the Spirit.

Open-mindedness and positive thinking are two fundamental qualities that are great aids in growing as a Christian. Without these two tools, we can, and many often do, end up existing rather than living. Rather than being renewed in our faith and branching out into new ways of serving the Master, we choose instead to remain mired in chronic negativity and close-minded imprisonment. As a result, many of us never use our God-given, Spirit-inspired gifts for the establishment of the kingdom. More than a few of us go to our graves with our dream still locked away inside of us, incarcerated in a prison of our own making.

The irony here, and at the same time the good news, is the fact that you hold the key. The question thus becomes: Will you use it?

Personal Authenticity and Spiritual Worldview

Posted On September 1, 2009

Filed under Christian Education, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Church Renewal, Compassion, Discipleship, Fruit of the Spirit, Global Church, Goal Setting, God's Kingdom, Gospel, Grace, Healing, Holy Spirit, Inner Light, Issues in Transformation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Mission and Calling, Morality and Values, Obedience, Paul's Teachings, Personal Discipline, Personal Renewal, Positive Faith, Positive Living, Quaker Spirituality, Renewal of the Mind, Sacred Character, Sacred Mind, Sacred Mind Ministries, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Practices, Worldview
Tags: Christianity, Spiritual Formation, Discipleship, Integrity, Worldview, Change Your Life, Ethics, Personal Authenticity, Value System

Comments Dropped leave a response

Mick Turner

Spiritual transformation is not so much a process of creating a “new you” – but instead, is about becoming the “real you.” As we increasingly grow “in Christ” we are led by the Holy Spirit into a deeper level of self-evaluation and, as the Spirit reveals to us both our strong and weak points, we gain understanding into who we are and why we do what we do. It is sometimes a painful process as we begin to see who and what we are behind the various masks we create. Still, this is a part of the process that we must undergo if we are to become useful vessels in God’s kingdom.

In essence, it is all about becoming a person of “authenticity.” An authentic person is a person who is guileless and consistently exhibits impeccable integrity. If more of us displayed just these traits, an absence of guile and consistent integrity, think of how different life would be. Wouldn’t things be more pleasurable and less taxing emotionally if we consistently dealt with people who are trustworthy and responsible?

You see, that is exactly what would happen if we developed enough authenticity to operate without guile and lack of integrity. We could count on others being worthy of our trust and we could also reasonably expect them to do what they said they were going to do.

Many of you must be thinking that this is both naïve and unrealistic. In the real world where “look out for No. One” is the most fundamental moral principle, to think that people can be trusted or that we can expect them to be responsible is nothing more than pie-in-the-sky idealism. This is certainly a viable response, at least on the surface of things. However, I think we need to take a deeper look.

Think of it like this – if we can never expect people to become better than what the currently are, why bother? The fact is, people can become better, a good deal better. Spiritual growth is not only possible, it is practical and furthermore, we live in a universe that is both evolving and purposeful. As integral parts of that evolving universe, we humans, as a whole, are also subject to what amounts to a universal law: something either grows or it dies. As we look about the created order, we can see this principle at work. The minute something stops growing, it begins the process of disintegration. God created a purposeful world and that purpose is continuing to unfold. As part of that purposeful creation, we, too, must continue to grow.

I am always amazed at those people who contend that spiritual formation and the classical spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith are not “biblical.” The fact is, if we didn’t need to grow spiritually, we wouldn’t need a Bible. Further, the notion that we can do nothing to improve ourselves is, in my mind, the worst form of heresy. Not only does it confuse justification with sanctification, but it also slanders the consistent teaching of Jesus, Paul, and Peter. Moreover, it ignores the biblical fact that Jesus, Peter, Paul, and all the rest – prayed, fasted, meditated, and practiced spiritual disciplines such as solitude, celebration, and especially, selfless service to others.

At the end of the day, the purpose of spiritual transformation is to become more authentic and humankind is in the process, sometimes slowly and certainly with pockets of resistance, becoming more authentic.

If we are to, indeed, become more authentic persons the obvious question becomes, from a spiritual standpoint: How do I become more authentic?

Chances are if you ask this question of a dozen different people, you will get 12 different answers, depending on the spiritual framework or tradition a person identifies with and advocates. Still, I think it is vital that we find at least a few universal principles that will help us answer this important question. Regardless of our spiritual tradition, I tend to think we can begin our journey toward authenticity by laying the proper groundwork and this fundamental task is accomplished through the establishment of moral integrity filtered through a well-thought-out and internalized worldview.

Authentic personhood and its foundational spirituality begin and end with personal morality. As I have expressed in other writings, our own system of personal values and morals should serve as the foundation stone for our lives. For me, this means that I have to have a clearly defined worldview and, as part of that worldview, clarity of vision in terms of what is right and wrong. My personal value system serves as my North Star, guiding my actions and fostering better decision making as well as personal integrity. My personal worldview and its component system of morality serves as a matrix through which not only are decisions made, but also, a filter to determine and evaluate how disciplined I actually am. How consistent am I in terms of keeping my behavior in line with my system of personal morality?

A further connection between personal values and my overall worldview is the ability to judge behaviors, feelings, and thoughts in relation to my worldview. Is a particular action, for example, conducive to living by my code of ethics? Will a particular action or decision move me toward the goals that flow out of my worldview? In this sense, is a specific course of action productive or counter-productive in reaching my goals and manifesting my purpose and vision? In this sense, our worldview becomes the matrix through which we can filter our thoughts, feelings, actions, and the events we encounter in our daily lives.

As we have seen, the presence of an internalized system of values and moral integrity, coupled with and flowing from a well-reasoned, cogent worldview are necessary if we are to mature as authentic persons. All of these things, taken together, are intimately connected with one another and form a kind of “spiritual hologram.” By this I mean that each component, the value system, moral integrity, reasoned worldview, and authentic personhood, contains all the elements of the other components.

Granted, putting together a workable worldview involves dealing with intellectual abstractions, but even these cognitive pursuits have their base in every day living. For it is our worldview that gives our lives meaning, purpose, and direction. Further, it is our worldview that forms the basis for our decision making process. Few things are more “down to earth” than these issues.

Authentic personhood, personal responsibility, trustworthiness, and the other spiritual traits we have discussed all flow from the common source of moral integrity and this foundational integrity is anchored in our worldview. Without a worldview, we have no compass to guide our actions – no North Star to serve as a reference point as we attempt to navigate the uncharted waters of our current cultural drift. Using another analogy, it is like weightlessness. Using the metaphor of gravity, Elisabeth Elliot speaks to the importance of our calling to discipleship:

In space, astronauts experience the misery of having no reference point, no force that draws them to the center. The effort of performing ordinary activities without the help of that pull is often vastly greater than it would be under normal conditions (try pouring a glass of water, eating a sunny-side-up egg, or turning a screwdriver – water will not fall, the egg will not stay on your fork, the screwdriver will not revolve; you will). Where there is no “moral gravity” – that is, no force that draws us to the center – there is spiritual weightlessness. We float on feelings that will carry us where we never meant to go; we bubble with emotional experiences that we often take for spiritual ones; and we are puffed up with pride. Instead of seriousness, there is foolishness. Instead of gravity, flippancy. Sentimentality takes the place of theology. Our reference point will never serve to keep our feet on solid rock, for our reference point, until we answer God’s call, is merely ourselves. We cannot possibly tell which end is up. Paul calls them fools who “…measure themselves by themselves, to find in themselves their own standard of comparison.”

From what we have covered in this article, it should be apparent that we, as both a culture and a spiritual tradition, need more people who exhibit authentic personhood, personal integrity, and purposeful living. In fact, it is around such people that the emerging forms of the Body of Christ must be built. With Christ as the cornerstone and authentic people as the foundation, the church can not only survive – it can come alive and thrive.

Step Into Your Inheritance

Posted On August 11, 2009

Filed under Applied Spirituality, Bible Study, Christian Education, Christian Living, Christian Meditation, Christian Optimism, Christianity, Cosmic Christ, Discipleship, Divine Mind, Divine Potential, God's Kingdom, God's Love, Gospel, Grace, Holy Spirit, Identity In Christ, Incarnation, Inner Light, Issues in Transformation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Metaphysical Christianity, Mindfulness, Ministry, Mission and Calling, New Thought, Obedience, Optimism, Paul's Teachings, Personal Discipline, Personal Renewal, Personal Vision, Positive Confession, Positive Expectation, Positive Faith, Positive Living, Promises of God, Renewal of the Mind, Revival, Sacred Character, Sacred Mind, Sacred Mind Ministries, Service, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Spirituality
Tags: Spirituality, Christian Living, Spiritual Formation, Identity In Christ, Jesus, Jesus' Teachings, God's Will, Spiritual Authority, Dominion

Comments Dropped leave a response

Mick Turner

I am convinced that few of us truly understand our true potential as children of the Father of Lights, the Living God. By remaining ignorant of who and what we are, we end up limping through life rather than soaring. We end up settling for scraps from the table when we should, in fact, own the table and the house that it sits in.

For many years I either failed to understand the blessings of the full gospel or I misunderstood it. Either way, I wasted a lot of time thinking I knew what I was talking about when, in fact, I didn’t. I would be greatly saddened if that happened to you and this, my friend, is one of the main catalysts that gave birth to LifeBrook and Sacred Mind Ministries. God etched upon my heart the need for sound teaching and quality educational materials that would foster deeper awareness of the Christian’s true potential and identity “in Christ.” Further, I began to understand that the primary purpose of having this blessed gift of a new identity and new personal power in Christ is to assist in the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. It is to this mission that we at SMM remain committed.

Understanding our true identity is intimately connected with the realization of our divine potential. These issues are among the deeper things God, working through the Holy Spirit, wants to impart to us. All we need to receive these vital revelations is an open mind and a receptive heart. We don’t need to wait until we arrive in heaven to gain awareness of these gifts – in fact, by the time we get to heaven we will have already been utilizing our divine power here on earth for many years. Dr. Myles Munroe speaks clearly to these themes:

God has prepared so many deep things about who we are. Our eyes can’t see them, nor can our minds conceive them, yet God is revealing them to us through His Spirit. God doesn’t want us to wait until heaven to know our full potential. He didn’t give birth to us so we can develop our potential in heaven…..God wants us to realize here on this planet who we are. That is His purpose in creating us. We need the Holy Spirit because eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, nor has it entered the minds of men who man really is. Only the Holy Spirit searches “the deep things of God.”…..God beckons you to take another step into a deeper, more relevant knowledge of your potential in Christ – Though you may have been saved for years. You need to take this step because you still don’t know who you are.

You see, friends, most of us claiming to be followers of Christ are well intended but poorly equipped to make those intentions a reality in daily living. This statement is not intended to be a criticism of the modern church or a slap in the face of well-meaning Christians who are committed to bringing God’s kingdom out of the spiritual realm and making it manifest right here on earth. Instead, I say these words because they are true. Most of us do not have a clue as to what we can do to not only make our lives more fruitful and productive, but also to bring success to the calling that God has placed in each of our hearts.

If we read scripture with diligence and an open mind, it becomes obvious that we humans were created with a purpose and a holy mission from the Father of Lights. We were to be his representatives here on this earth, to have dominion, and to be the spirit-beings through which God’s kingdom principles were translated from heaven to earth. Just because of the Fall and its effects, nothing has really changed. How can I say that? It is simple, actually.

I can safely say that our mandate has not changed because of the work accomplished by Christ, when according to his calling and his mission, he journeyed far from his Heavenly Home and took up residence here on this world. Through the successful work of Jesus Christ, God reclaimed all that was lost when humankind was exiled from the Garden and sent “East of Eden.” I have little doubt about the fact that we humans, with our finite understanding, have but a faint – a very faint – awareness of the mysteries involved in Christ’s mission to this world in general, and his work on the cross, his death, and subsequent resurrection and ascension. In the words of the Apostle, we see through a glass darkly. We do know and can take assurance of this cogent reality: What was once lost has now been reclaimed by God and part of that reclamation is the re-establishment of humankind’s dominion rights and authority.

Christ sacrificed much so that we might once again live in freedom and in intimate fellowship with God. Now Satan is forced to operate underground, or in more subtle ways. One of his strategies, as we have seen, is to convince us that rather than joint heirs with Christ and God’s children of the Light, we are nothing more than sinful worms, with no power or status under God. It is a lie from the pit of Hell.

Your choice, my choice – the choice before every believer is whether or not we will live according to Satan’s lie or Christ’s empowerment. As for me, I choose the latter. I will take possession of my status as God’s representative here on earth and step into my inheritance as a joint heir with Christ.

Wise Words for Today

Posted On August 9, 2009

Filed under Applied Spirituality, Christian Education, Christian Living, Christianity, Discipleship, God's Story, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Spiritual Quotations, Wise Words for Today
Tags: Christian Living, Discipline, Spiritual Quotations, Wise Words for Today, Obedience, Elisabeth Elliot, Surrender, Dependence on God

Comments Dropped leave a response

Discipline is the believer’s answer to God’s call. It is the recognition, not of the solution to his problems or supply of his needs, but of mastery. God addresses us. We are responsible – that is, we must make a response. We may choose to say yes and thus fulfill the Creator’s glorious purpose of us, or we may say no and violate it. This is what is meant by moral responsibility. God calls us to freedom, fulfillment, and joy – but we can refuse them. In a deep mystery, hidden in God’s purposes for man before the foundation of the world, lies the truth of man’s free will and God’s sovereignty. This much we know: a God who is sovereign chose to create a man capable of willing his own freedom and therefore capable of answering the call……Jesus, in response to the will of the Father, demoonstrated what it means to be fully human when He took upon HImself in the form of a man and in so doing voluntarily and gladly chose both dependence and obedience. Humanity, for us, as for Christ, means both dependence and obedience.

Elisabeth Elliot

(from Discipline: The Glad Surrender)

Wise Words for Today

The revolution of Jesus is in the firstplace and continuously a revolution of the human heart or spirit. It did not and does not proceed by means of the formation of social institutions and laws, the outer forms of our existence, intending that these would then impose a good order of life upon people who come under their power. Rather, his is a revolution of character, which proceeds by changing people from the inside through personal relationship to God in Christ and to one another. It is one that changes their ideas, beliefs, feelings, and habits of choice, as well as their bodily tendencies and social relations. It penetrates to the deepest layers of their soul.

Dallas Willard

(from Renovation of the Heart)

Live Your Divine Calling

Mick Turner

I am always amazed when I hear people talking about a belief in the random nature of the universe; how everything sort evolved by accident or through some sort of cosmic game of pin the tail on the comet. From my perspective, this is an exercise in absurdity. Every aspect of the universe, not to mention our own bodies, are functioning in a highly intricate and perfectly balanced manner. To think this all happened by accident or chance is beyond the realm of reason.

Considering all this, I just don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.

The same principle applies to our lives. God not only created the universe with a finely tuned balance and rhythm, he also planned our lives around a finely tuned purpose. God has a plan and, as an integral and intricate part of the plan, he created a unique plan for each of us.

One of the greatest gifts of God to each of us is the placing of this divine plan for our lives deep within us. God has his generalized plan for humanity and a personal plan or mission for each of us. You, me, the butcher, baker, and even the candlestick maker have a divine purpose scripted on our hearts by the Creator and it is a plan just for us. More incredible is the fact that God has equipped us to carry that plan out and in so doing, help establish his kingdom right here on earth and bring great glory to his being. What a wonder! What a blessing! What a responsibility!

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you have been, and what you have done. That divine purpose still exists inside you and with a little effort and a lot of faith, you can discover it. Start with prayer, asking God through the Holy Spirit to reveal his divine plan for your life. Be persistent in your asking; be vigilant in waiting for an answer; and be confident that the answer will come.

Also, keep in mind that it is never too late to get started on the dreams God has for you. God created you to accomplish extraordinary things and no matter how old you are, how sinful you have been, or whatever afflictions you may suffer from, God can and will use you because that is one of the primary purposes you were created in the first place. Listen as Jim Graff speaks clearly to this issue:

God uses ordinary people – with all their flaws and problems – to accomplish extraordinary dreams. You and I don’t have to wait until we have it all together, achieve a certain degree of fame, earn a specified amount of money, get a better job, or meet the right person. Instead, we can start today to embrace who we are and how God made us, knowing that he will use us. From this knowledge, wellsprings of confidence water our hearts. That confidence allows us to see our dreams and visions as God’s road maps to significant lives.

A significant life – that is what God created you for. Make a consecrated commitment right now to lead a life of excellence in cooperation and divine partnership with the Holy Spirit. The life of excellence is what Jesus demonstrated for us and it is that same kind of life to which each of us is called. Sure, we may foul up things from time to time, but God is right there with us offering a hand to pick us up, dust us off, and send us on our divinely appointed way.

As said earlier, it matters not where you have been. In fact, your past failures and problems may be part of your qualification for the task God has for you to perform. I worked for many years in the field of addiction prevention and treatment. The most effective professionals ministering to those suffering from addiction were those people who were former addicts themselves. It is this foundational philosophy upon which Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are built.

If you think your past sin(s) prevents you from carrying out your purpose for God, you have been lied to by the Master of Deceit himself. Satan would like nothing more than for you to continue walking around half-alive, depressed, despondent, and spiritually paralyzed. That’s why that little voice tells you time and time again that there is no way God will ever use you.

Listen my friend – God saved you and God will use you. He is not a God of wasted effort. God never does anything without a reason and a purpose. If you are saved, you are to be used. You are destined to be God’s instrument for something special. If you doubt what I am saying, go to Scripture and conduct a detailed study of Paul’s life.

Paul, formerly known as Saul, was there when Stephen was stoned to death. He even held the coats for the men who pelted the first Christian martyr. Saul was the most persistent and ardent persecutor of the early church. By the world’s way of reasoning, you would never expect that God would use Saul to spread the faith across the Mediterranean World. But that’s exactly what God did. God, thankfully, doesn’t necessarily think as the world thinks.

If God can use Paul, he can surely use you.

If Only We Were More Obedient:

In my scripture reading this morning I came across this passage in 1 Timothy and felt not only a tinge of sadness, but also a wave of despair over our lack of love and unity in the Body of Christ.

Again, I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant agruments that only starts fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. (1 Timothy 2: 23-25)

If only we were more obedient……

Blessings,

Mick

LifeBrook International

Toward a Methodology of Discernment

Justification and Sanctification: Keeping it Simple (Well, Kind of…)

Wise Words for Today

Optimal Thinking and Open-Mindedness

Personal Authenticity and Spiritual Worldview

Step Into Your Inheritance

Wise Words for Today

Wise Words for Today

Live Your Divine Calling

If Only We Were More Obedient:

Categories

Search

About this blog