Formed By the Word: Week 3 ~ Perspective: Godly Perception

 

Week 3 ~ Perspective: Godly Perception

Today is part three in a series of Words challenge posts looking at Chapters 3-5 of 2 Corinthians. These chapters contain a lot of "perspective" words. Words such as seen/unseen, light, reveal, veiled/unveiled, display, show, reflect, sight, see, look, eteranl/temporary, blinded, regard, view, eyes. Paul's theology in his letters is that the right perspective is God's perspective. In these chapters in 2 Corinthians he shows that godly perspective impacts how we live, how we see others, how we view trials and suffering and the circumstances of life, and how we view eternity. So we will break these down and dig into them:

• Week One ~ Perspective: Behold Christ.
• Week Two ~ Perspective: Eyes Wide Open
• Week Three ~ Perspective: Godly Perception
• Week Four ~ Perspective: Eternal Eyesight

Godly Perception

When we have God’s perspective, we see others as He does, both unbelievers and believers alike. Our perception of others is seen through the lens of the gospel. In 5:16-17 Paul says,

“So from now on we regard [view, see, consider] no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded [saw, viewed, considered] Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

I used verse 17 (new creation) in earlier posts regarding our position in Christ, and it is true, those who are in Christ are new creations. But the context shows us another way to view this verse. Let me break it down. It starts with “so from now on”. From when? We must look back at the previous verses. From the point when we were compelled by the love of Christ, recognizing that He died for all and we thus began a new life, we had our eyes opened that our lives now are to be lived for Christ (5:14-15). Before then we lived for ourselves by the world’s standards or point of view. That is, we lived with ourselves at the center of the universe. Our needs, our rights, our wants, etc. were more important than others, and even more important than God’s. This is what Paul means when he says that we once regarded Christ in this way (5:16) – we made no room for Him in our lives because we did not see Him in the right light – in God’s light.

But now that we are living as unveiled people in Christ, we live to please God (5:9) and are called to live by the standards, or point of view, that God calls us to, for we see His glory clearly now. Not only that, but Paul says, “we regard no one from a worldly point of view”, not anyone. This means we don’t even see unbelievers from a worldly point of view. We cannot hold them to God’s standards for living because they live with their minds dull, their hearts veiled, and their eyes unable to see spiritual things. We see them as they really are, as those in need of reconciliation with God, who need the opportunity to have their eyes opened to the freedom that comes form the Lord (3:17) by being freed from the burden of sin.

But for those who are in Christ we need to see them as who they really are as well. They are a new creation in Christ. Everything that the Bible says is true of the identity of God’s children is already true of them – even if they don’t yet believe it or live up to it. They are a new creation! The old has gone, but still will need to be dealt with as we grow and mature and are transformed into the image of Christ in ever-increasing glory (3:18). So, we live as living epistles of Christ in order to help those who live veiled lives be reconciled to God, and to encourage those who are in Christ to fully live as transformed new creations in Christ’s image.

I would love to have you to join me in being formed by the Word this year. After reading the above post, do some study on your own. Dig deeper into the verses and passages mentioned and then respond creatively. Share your thoughts and creative responses in the comment section below or on social media with #formedby theword and #wordsartandfaithgroup, and in our private Facebook group for words challenges the Words Art and Faith group.

Formed By the Word: Week 2 ~ Perspective: Eyes Wide Open

Week 2 ~ Perspective: Eyes Wide Open

Today is part two in a series of Words challenge posts looking at Chapters 3-5 of 2 Corinthians. These chapters contain a lot of "perspective" words. Words such as seen/unseen, light, reveal, veiled/unveiled, display, show, reflect, sight, see, look, eteranl/temporary, blinded, regard, view, eyes. Paul's theology in his letters is that the right perspective is God's perspective. In these chapters in 2 Corinthians he shows that godly perspective impacts how we live, how we see others, how we view trials and suffering and the circumstances of life, and how we view eternity. So we will break these down and dig into them:

• Week One ~ Perspective: Behold Christ.
• Week Two ~ Perspective: Eyes Wide Open
• Week Three ~ Perspective: Godly Perception
• Week Four ~ Perspective: Eternal Eyesight

Eyes Wide Open

When we behold Christ and see Him in the right light we come to see things - the world, circumstances, people, etc. - from God's perspective. In a sense we have new eyes, eyes that are wide open to His will and His ways. This is a part of our spiritual transformation. As we grow in Christlikeness our spiritual eyesight will grow as well. 

Now that we see Christ clearly – as the glory of God – we must then see ourselves more clearly as those who are in Christ. In Christ we are new creations (5:17), He took our sin that we “might become the righteousness of God’ (5:21). Thus, we are called to live by God’s standards, growing and maturing, being transformed into the image of Christ (3:18).

How then does Paul call us to live in these chapters in 2 Corinthians? By being living epistles of Christ.

“You yourselves are our letter [Greek = epistle], written on our hearts, known and read [proven by experience, seen, displayed] by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry [Paul made his life known to them and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with them, turning their hearts to Jesus], written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone [like the old covenant] but on tablets of human hearts [The new covenant - God poured the light of the knowledge of the glory of Christ into their hearts (4:6)].” 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 

The prophet Ezekiel shared God's promise that He would bring a New Covenant with His people:

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." Ezekiel 36:26-27

If you read last week's post these verses from Ezekiel fit right in. The heart of stone that God removes is the heart and mind that is veiled (2 Cor 3:13,14,15,4:3,4) and unable to see with spiritual eyes. But when we "turn to Christ, the veil is removed" (2 Cor. 3:16) and God's Spirit is in us through Christ. We have a new heart AND new eyes, which enable the renewing of our minds.

And, thus, Paul says we are living epistles. The gospel words are heard best when they are seen first in gospel lives – living epistles, displaying the character of Christ. We are called to live, to minister, to preach and speak, and to serve in ways that show God’s glory and reveal Christ. We are called to be Christ’s ambassadors (5:20) who are given the ministry of reconciliation (5:18), commissioned with the message of reconciliation – “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them” (5:19). He has called us to implore others to be reconciled to God – those who do not know Him, as well as those who know him but are not living for Him. For the love of God in Christ, who died for us, compels us to live for Christ and not for ourselves. 

"For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Our life in Christ comes with privileges and with responsibilities. We live, minister, speak, and serve so that others are drawn to “the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ” (4:4) and that His “grace may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God” (4:15). We live for His glory!

So, with spiritual eyes we see ourselves more clearly - we are living epistles, ministers of reconciliation, Christ's ambassadors - all of us who are in Christ are called to these roles. They are to become a part of who we are in Christ, our identity. May we see clearly who we are in Christ!

I would love to have you to join me in being formed by the Word this year. After reading the above post, do some study on your own. Dig deeper into the verses and passages mentioned and then respond creatively. Share your thoughts and creative responses in the comment section below or on social media with #formedby theword and #wordsartandfaithgroup, and in our private Facebook group for words challenges the Words Art and Faith group.

 

Formed By the Word: Week 1 ~ Perspective: Behold Christ

Formed By the Word: Week 1 ~ Perspective

Today's post begins what I hope to be a weekly Words challenge as I explore words that come out of my time in Bible study. I say "what I hope to be" because I need to see how this weekly rhythm flows with my busy life in my job in full time ministry at my church.

Over the past year I have been studying 2 Corinthians with a friend - S-L-O-W-L-Y. After one year we have just finished chapter 5! It's been slow for a number of reasons. First there is,well, life. Sometimes we miss a week, or four, because one of us may have stuff going on. Then other times we slow way down because we chase rabbit trails we see in a passage and we dig in even more. 

The next four weeks will come from one of those rabbit trails. Chapters 3-5 of 2 Corinthians contain a lot of "perspective" words. Words such as seen/unseen, light, reveal, veiled/unveiled, display, show, reflect, sight, see, look, eteranl/temporary, blinded, regard, view, eyes. Paul's theology in his letters is that the right perspective is God's perspective. In these chapters in 2 Corinthians he shows that godly perspective impacts how we live, how we see others, how we view trials and suffering and the circumstances of life, and how we view eternity. So we will break these down and dig into them:

• Week One ~ Perspective: Behold Christ.
• Week Two ~ Perspective: Eyes Wide Open
• Week Three ~ Perspective: Godly Perception
• Week Four ~ Perspective: Eternal Eyesight

Behold Christ

The point at which we begin to have a godly perspective is when we behold, or see, Christ clearly. Paul tells us that before we knew Christ our minds were blind and we could not see Him for who He really was.

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:4-6

But when we turn to Christ by faith, the light of gospel is revealed and God's light now shines in our hearts to enable us to see the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Christ. Behold Christ!

Earlier in the letter Paul had used the language of veiled and unveiled from the story of Moses to describe the state of blindness and sight. In 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, Paul refers to the veil that Moses wore after he has spoken to God and been in the presence of His glory. Moses would wear the veil so that the Israelites would not see that the glow of God’s glory was fading from his face (3:14). Paul makes it clear that a new ministry/covenant is now in place. This new covenant is the ministry of the Spirit. It is more glorious than the old covenant in that it brings righteousness instead of condemnation, is ever-lasting instead of transitory, is life instead of death. The veil that Moses wore is now used as a metaphor by Paul to reveal those who do not see God clearly, and thus,are not living by God’s standards. Paul says that the veil covers their hearts (3:15), dulls their minds (3:14), and renders them spiritually blind (4:3-4). The cure to opening their hearts, minds and eyes, says Paul, is to see Christ in the right light, for turning to Him is the only way to have their lives unveiled.

“When anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” 2 Corinthians 3:16

To see Christ in the right light we must see God’s glory in the right light. The light of the gospel displays, or reveals, the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (4:4). When we turn our hearts fully to Jesus Christ, in repentance and faith, God makes His “light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed (revealed) in the face of Christ.” (4:4). The lost are found, the blind can see. The Spirit gives life (3:6) and we are new creations (5:17)!

"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Hebrews 1:3

When we see Christ in the right light, we behold Him, we see Him for who He really is. Paul, himself, experienced this on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19). He met Jesus there and was literally blinded for three days until the Lord used a disciple named Ananias to heal him and restore his eyesight. Paul's conversation dramatically changed how he viewed Christ. He went from being a man who persecuted Jesus' followers to a man who "spoke boldly in the name of the Lord" (Acts 9:28). Paul would then go on to write, inspired by the Holy Spirit, the letters in the New Testament that open our eyes to behold Christ and see Him for who He really is. And when we behold Christ our perspective changes, and our lives change, and we behold Him to others as well.

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

The more clearly we see, or behold, Christ, the more we will become like Him. We become like what we behold.

I would love to have you to join me in being formed by the Word this year. After reading the above post, do some study on your own. Dig deeper into the verses and passages mentioned and then respond creatively. Share your thoughts and creative responses in the comment section below or on social media with #formedby theword and #wordsartandfaithgroup, and in our private Facebook group for words challenges the Words Art and Faith group.

Hello 2022!

 

Hello 2022!

I'm ready for a new year, but unfortuneately it is starting just as 2021 did. We can only pray and hope that it ends in a different manner. Two weeks ago, when asked by my friend, Bernice Hopper, if I had selected a word for 2022, I said that I had not. At that time, since nothing had come to me, I was content to think I may go for a year without a guiding word. I didn't want to force it or simply select a word becausee I "had to" have a word. But then as I slowed down after weeks of being busy, a word appeared and began to take shape as the days progressed to the close of 2021.

My word for 2022 is 'formed'.

To be formed, according to Webster's, is the act of giving form or shape to something; to come into existence or being. It's root word, form, is at the heart of so many significant words: spiritual formation, transformation, transform, inform, information, reform, conform, format, perform, formidable, formulate. Plus some newer words I am ready to explore such as cruciform and Christoformity.

Formation is at the heart of the life of those who are in Christ, for the goal of our life is to spend our life in the process of being formed into the image of Christ. We see this call on us throughout Paul's writings. A few examples are:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." Romans 8:28-29

"...until Christ is formed in you." Galatians 4:19

My desire this year is to continue to be formed by the Word of God. To continue to dig deeper in Bible study, and this year, to also dig deeper into theological reading. We are continually being shaped and formed by something - our relationships, politics, the culture, family systems, entertainment, life experiences, etc. But as Christ-followers we must choose to be formed by God, who calls us to be formed in increasing measure into the likeness or image of Christ. 

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

To be spiritually formed in His image we need to be formed by God's Word, by His Spirit, by our faith community, by those more matrure in Christ, by theology, and by serving and loving others. It is God's Word that reveals to us how and why we are to be shaped by all of these things.

I so enjoy taking words or passages from the Bible, studying them and then putting it together with some form of creative expression, such as what I do for the Advent Words and other Words challenges. However, doing a daily study, art and blog post is something I can only handle for a month at a time periodically through the year. This year I thought I would do something a little different to keep myself going in this habit on a more continal basis, and to go along with my goal to be formed by the Word and my word of the year. I thought I would try to do this weekly, posting on Fridays. I'm not going to generate a set list of words in advance as I do for a daily challenge, but rather take the words out of whatever I'm studying at the time. I'm going to start this month with the first Words post on January 14 and see how this flows with my schedule.

If you would like to join along, you can read my Words posts on Fridays and respond creativly, maybe even doing your own study of the word for that week. You can then share how you respond in the Words Challenge Facebook Group and/or on social media with #formedbytheword and #wordsartandfaithgroup.

Have you selected a word for 2022? If so, please feel free to share in the comments section below otr in the Words Challenge Facebook Group.