This blog serves as a partial reflection of some of what I’ve learned and experienced in Christianity over the past couple years. It might be a tad longer, but it’s one I hold quite personal and close to my heart so I hope you may benefit from my vulnerability. I challenge you not to read this through the lens of my life, but conjoin this reading with your life as you read and see if you can relate to any of my experience. I believe this read worth your while. God bless you.
One thing I’ve been wrestling or struggling with recently is something I’ve found quite difficult in its practicality. Two thousand years ago when Christ was nailed to the cross, quite clearly and widely known is the fact that He bore the suffering and pain that was our debt to be paid, this debt being similar to that of a legal debt regarding money. But the point I want to draw from comes from the book of Philippians.
“Whatever happens, as citizens of Heaven live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ”
Philippians 1:27
This verse seems to me the way that Christians are asked to live in response to receiving the gospel, or in Romans 6 another description is given of living under grace, and then multiple others throughout the new testament. But this verse from Philippians I feel sums them all up into a single verse.
Ironically, I can easily say that this is precisely where I’ve found my difficulty. In living the Christian life. I’ve not been brought to the extent of reconsidering my faith, because just as Peter said, “Lord, to where would go?” Jesus Christ claims to be the real thing and I see this for myself. So I’ve first received what He’s offered, the cross and the gospel of Christ. And now I am asked to live worthy of this. It shows God’s love in how He asks to live worthy in response to receiving the gospel, and not so as live worthy so that we can receive the gospel. The difficulty I find is found in the fact that the standard for living that Christ, along with the new testament, sets is an extremely high standard. This is one that I try at and try again and I fail time and time again.
A verse that I’ve often heard quoted as an encouragement to believers and I’ve taken it in this way comes from Romans 8:11 which tells us that the same Spirit that rose Christ from the dead lives in us. The same Spirit that brought about the miracle of resurrection lives in me. The same Spirit that empowered the apostles to perform signs and wonders lives in me. The same Spirit that rose Christ from the dead, lives inside of me, Brenton. But what does this mean to me?
This verse from Romans really hit my heart this past couple days and I noticed a weight lifted as things clicked and the simplicity of it all came together. No matter how much I try to live worthy of the gospel and try to live as a Christian, I will never be able to take this task up on my own. God has given me the opportunity to rely on Him and the gift He has given me to live this out, for I can’t do it on my own.
When I rely on my own strength I begin to harbor anger, impatience, laziness, gossip, and it can easily tear down those around me. When I simply ask for the Lord’s strength and seek the Holy Spirit to empower me, I begin to notice a shift in my day. Peace is natural, Joy comes easy, Patience isn’t even a thought because it’s the reality. There’s such practicality in the practice of relying on God to help me in my day to day walk, especially in the seeking of wisdom for decisions in life.
All of this leads to what I decided to title this blog, The Mark of the Christian Life. My heart was pierced recently as I read the following story, a story quite well-known to most.
On October 2, a day that had been your average quiet and peaceful day in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 2006 had its peace shattered as the day progressed. Inside of a local school, gunfire broke out and the police were immediately called to which they responded. As the police rushed into the building, they soon found that they were too late as they found ten school girls under the age of 14 shot to death and the murderer had committed suicide. Quickly, news about the shooting spread throughout this local community as shock and heartbreak immediately followed. A day after this prayer meeting, around fifteen hundred gathered for a prayer meeting at one local church while many gathered at others. As the community was in mourning they thought only one response necessary. Following this shooting, the community immediately reached out to the killer’s family with only grace, forgiveness, and love in their hands to offer to this broken family. It was an incredible act of grace as this community sought to resemble the love and forgiveness of Christ. Instead of pointing fingers, this community shocked the world with what could only be seen as undeserved forgiveness, to which we must remind ourselves is not far, but the same case for our own hearts with God.
This story brought tears to my eyes as I first read of the love and forgiveness that these people brought to those hurting most in this time. This event took place in an Amish community and school in Pennsylvania twelve years ago, but its relevance pierces the hearts of people today. This is truly the mark of the Christian life, forgiveness. Forgiveness is the one thing that shines as the light above all else when it comes to our lives. The things I mentioned were a struggle to me in the day to day may serve as the salt of everyday life to which someone will most likely take not of a different lifestyle. But, forgiveness is the one thing that most resembles the love of God, and moreover, undeserved forgiveness. Dr. Martin Luther King speaks on level when he says that “Forgiveness is the Christian weapon against social evil.” Right alongside of him, helping to reflect the reality of this tragedy and the grace and mercy of forgiveness is C.S. Lewis, “To be Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because the inexcusable in us was forgiven.” These quotes challenge my heart into taking forgiveness into everyday life. It’s not an easy thing to do, and it’s easy much easier said than done, or at least it is when we try to do it on our own relying on our own strength.
Jesus speaks heavily on the topic of forgiveness and gives the instruction to forgive as the one thing we’re asked to do in action in the Lord’s prayer among other places. If Christianity was a pyramid, I believe that only forgiveness could be the base to it. Forgiveness creates a space for love and relationships to have their way as God brings about refreshing relationships that carry us through this life. Forgiveness brings restoration to relationships, best seen in the story told and our experience with God. Another quote on the topic of forgiveness and the freedom it brings goes like this, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free to realize that the prisoner was you.” Jesus asks us heavily not to give us another thing to do, but for us personally and our community’s good. I see it most resembling the love of God in that He cares for us in this way.
The reality for me is this. The same Spirit that rose Christ from the dead is alive and gives me power for this life. I could jump to the many things automatically thought up in response to this; miracles, resurrection, power, signs and wonders. But the reason I need this most and the biggest miracle in my life is that I need the same Spirit that rose Christ from the dead to give me the power to forgive. Because, truly, forgiveness is the mark of the Christian life.
