Singleminded, wholehearted
One thing I ask
Singleminded, wholehearted
One thing I ask

That I may gaze upon Your beauty, oh Lord
That I may seek Your holy face
That I may know You in an intimate way
And follow after You all of my days,
Follow after You all of my days.

All of life comes down to just one thing,
And that’s to know You, oh Jesus, and make You known

- One Thing, by Charlie Hall

I’ve been reading through 2 Corinthians a lot these past few days, just trying to figure out a theme that can be ascribed to the whole of the book. It’s been really tough – Paul addresses a whole lot of different issues in the book, things from the sufferings the church endured to giving generously. But out of the whole book, the theme of knowing God and reflecting His glory to others seems to resonate the most with the things God’s been showing me recently.

Like the song above, we sing about how we want to know God and to make Him known throughout the world. However, it’s really simple, as I’ve seen personally, to present the idea of making God known as the primary reason for existence. While we Christians are all called to make disciples and to be “Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20), the message we bring to people is not to recruit for some large organization. One thing I remembered from Urbana (yes, cherish the little insight you’ll get from me about Urbana) was that ultimately, we are part of the harvest as well. The harvest doesn’t mean all of those “poor, lost souls in Central Asia” or some other “unreached people group in the 10-40 window.” The harvest, as Christ looked at Jerusalem in Matthew 9:36-38, includes all of us. We were all lost in our sin, at one point in our lives. We need to always remember that the message of reconciliation and forgiveness and repentance has everything to do with us as well.

But I’m getting off the subject, slightly. I was saying that while we are instructed to be witnesses of what we have experienced, seen, and heard, there is no purpose to our “ministry” if we are not constantly focused heavenward. Our primary purpose, as part of God’s great creation, is to glorify Him. As Christians, we glorify Him by our continual submission of our wills to Him. We worship Him unceasingly in our lives, as each day brings us closer to Him. There are several practical ways to glorify Him in action, but most importantly, our hearts/attitudes must be correct for our worship to glorify God. And it is by our desire to bring glory to our Creator that we overflow love, peace, joy, etc. to the people around us. Paul writes that we are the “aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15). And so yes, we should have a desire to boldy proclaim Christ. Yes, we should be wrestling in prayer for our unbelieving friends. Yes, we should pray for opportunities to share life with the people around us. But ultimately, this all needs to come out of our focus on God. John Piper said it this way: “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” Let us return to the person of our worship, and from there have the overflow of compassion for the lost.

One Thing
Words and Music by Charlie Hall
© 1999 worshiptogether.com Songs\Six Steps Music

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
- Galatians 5:6 (NIV)

Our lives as Christians is wrapped up in our relationship with God. I know I’ve said it many times before, but it’s the essence of what we believe and what we do with our lives. Fundamentally, the history of mankind is based on these historical events: 1) God created man sinless 2) Man sinned and was therefore alienated from God 3) God gave man the law to show the perfect standard that man always fails to attain 4) God promises a redeemer who will set us free from sin 5) Jesus Christ is born 6) Jesus Christ preaches and disciples people, teaching the things of the kingdom of God 7) Jesus Christ is betrayed, placed on a mock trial, and crucified until dead 8) Jesus Christ rose from the dead and appeared to many people 9) Now if we place our trust in He who has risen from the dead, we too can attain this resurrection, in both spirit and in what happens after we die.

Paul emphasizes the need to live by faith, rather than the law. While this is something taught to most Christians, it’s difficult to picture this practically. The author of Hebrews, in chapter 11, provides ample examples of the “Giants of the faith,” and the things they did in their lives to live by faith. Many, if not all of them, did amazing things, but what’s most amazing about all of these people is that their backgrounds weren’t that much different than ours. All they did was trust God’s sovereignty and obey what He commanded.

It’s really easy (in my opinion) to get trapped into a legalistic Christian life. We get all caught up in the Spiritual Disciplines, and being accountable, and having structured Bible studies and activities. But when it comes to our daily life, the life that the non-Christians around us see, we don’t know how to act or what to do. Worse yet, our lives look like a whole bunch of do’s and don’ts, and filled with “churchy” activities. It’s unattractive to non-Christians, and there’s no reason why any Christian can hope to make an impact in people’s lives in this manner. I don’t want to trash Bible studies or “discipleship training” types of activities – they play a very important role in our growth and maturity. But, they shouldn’t be the essence of our relationship with God. Doing these things will not deepen our relationship with God; only spending time with Him will do that, and no amount of discipline can let us do that. Imagine if dating our girlfriend/boyfriend were simply an exercise in discipline. We’d have regularly scheduled meetings every day for a certain amount of time, where we’d talk about specific topics. Time spent enjoying each other’s company is highly regulated, because we’re all so busy and it’s so hard to do things together. And on the frequent days when we don’t feel like spending time with her/him, we still get together and do stuff, because we’re trying to build “discipline” in our lives. We hope that by sticking with this disciplined lifestyle, we’ll get to know our girlfriend/boyfriend, and like her/him more and more.

Doesn’t that seem ridiculous? That’s what happens when discipline takes the place of relationship with God. Don’t get me wrong, though. I wholeheartedly advocate the implementation of discipline in our lives. But, it shouldn’t be considered our gateway to the abundant Christian life. It is our walk by faith and the love from God that enables us to joyfully go about our lives.

“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 the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)

Natural light is a really neat thing. It allows us to see, and the more light available to us, the more confident we are in the steps we take. One of my old substitute teachers from high school once thought of light as the absence of dark. If this were true, the universe is teeming with holes of “non-dark.” One tiny spark of light is enough to cast illumination in a dark room. So the analogy of light shining out of darkness illustrates the role of God’s Spirit in our lives, and how it affects the world. God gives us “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God,” which is then reflected into our daily lives, and how we interact with people.

The next part of chapter 4 goes on to talk about the adversity that comes from knowing Christ. I want to extend an application of this next passage, but not to take Scripture out of context, nor to induce a “martyr complex.” I see God using our times of adversity, whether it’s because of persecution, personal struggles, or troubles of daily life, and being a beacon to those who do not have the hope of Christ in their lives. When people see us struggling with our homework, or frantically studying for tests, yet have a peace and hope that everything will turn out exactly as God deigns, it encourages them and maybe gives them a longing for the same.

In need of grace, in need of love
In need of mercy raining down from high above
In need of strength, in need of peace
In need of things that only You can give to me.

In need of Christ, the perfect Lamb
My refuge strong, the great I Am
This is my song, my humble plea
I am Your child, I am in need.

- In Need, by Ross King

I was doing a study on this song earlier in the week, and I didn’t really have a chance to fully think through the impact of this truth. As all unoriginal people do when they first look at a subject, I looked up “need” in the dictionary. Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines need as “A state that requires supply or relief.” It’s a very humbling position, to be in need, to depend on others for supply or relief. As human beings, we don’t like being vulnerable. We don’t like to show weakness, or to be hurt or to become burdensome to others. This is especially true in American society, where the selfish “look out for number one” mentality reigns supreme. However, the idea of being in constant need is a theme addressed throughout Scripture. We must depend on God and be in need to Him.

This is far easier said than done, however. Think of it this way: how many times during a day do you go about your normal routine activities and not stop to think that you need God to carry you through the activity? How often do we work on our homework or spend time with friends and forget that without God we have no basis for joy? How often do we share The Bridge illustration or disciple a younger Christian and only have God in our minds, and not our hearts? Honestly, I’ve seen so many Christians who live in an ideal world, a world where having many so-called “tools” or “illustrations” make a person ready for “the ministry.” I put these key words in quotes because they are tossed about in many Christian circles. These “tools,” like the Bridge illustration or the Topical Memory System, are wonderful ways to share Christ with others, or to help a young Christian begin establishing spiritual disciplines of Scripture Memory and meditation. However, many Christians I know seem to think these define our spiritual growth. Now, of the things I’ve mentioned so far, I’ve basically used The Navigators’ material as examples, not because they’re the most guilty (no particular group here is more guilty than another), but because they happen to have the most material I see on a regular basis. Any formulaic method, designed to help be “more effective,” makes me think that Christianity is more of a business enterprise than a life relationship with the One True God of the universe. When used improperly, these methods take the place of the Holy Spirit in the minds of young Christians.

So back to need. Why the above bothers me so much is because I see the Christian life beyond memorizing Scripture, praying every day, sharing the gospel with others, and all of that. This God that we claim to serve and worship is “before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17). Scripture also tells us that apart from Him we can’t do anything (Jn. 15:5). Why then do we insist on making it so easy to not depend on Him in our actions? Need is fuel for our worship. Because we need God, way more than He needs us, we must surrender every aspect of our lives to Him so that He can satisfy us. The essence of Scripture is based on need. We had all we needed in God, we turned away from Him, and He came to bring us back to Him. We need more than we ever realize. And it is by our confidence in His provision that we yield our lives to Him. Enough of these walls and defensive barriers that keep God out. Let us cast all of our anxiety on the Almighty God, because He cares for us (1 Pet. 5:6-7).

It’s a bold statement. Honestly, I can’t say that I confess my needs to God nearly enough. But by His amazing grace, I can say that this revelation truly challenged the core of my attitudes and motives.

In Need
Words and Music by Ross King
© 1996 Ross King

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection. This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority – the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.”
- 2 Corinthians 13:5-10 (NIV)

It’s so hard to live an authentic life. Though our old self has died and we are born with a new self, our old tendencies are still present in our bodies. It’s why we should test our motives, our actions, and our words against the Word of God. Because it is the standard, because it is the truth, we can be confident of our lives when we live according to it.

One thing that makes this life easier is the grace and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This new life as a Christian is not one based on personal works, but of freedom that exists as Jesus Christ purifies us and makes us holy. This is why Paul can write in verse 8, “For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.” In God’s awesome love and provision, we gradually see our lives transformed from that old, dead, sinful self to the holy, pure, glorified new self. While ontologically we are resurrected at the moment of salvation, the lingering effects of the old self gradually fade, as we continue to pursue God more.

Because of this awesome relationship we have with God, that we may glorify Him as He builds us up, we too should be building others up and encouraging them. This needs to be kept separate from flattery and “feel-good Christianity.” Building others up is far beyond simple “make someone feel good.” As a building is erected, piece by piece stone is laid to the foundation. If a stone is out of place, that stone needs to be removed quickly, or else the rest of the building will be messed up. In a similar way, our Christian friends should be the same way, laying down stones upon the foundation of Christ and the Word. However, if one of those stones is placed incorrectly, that stone and everything above it needs to be removed, because the building (our lives) will begin to lean crooked. I hope that my friends would be interested in building each other up in this way, and stay away from the shallow “feel good” compliments that only flatter and bring little growth. I also hope that I will be someone who builds up others according to the Word of God, and that I will not lead others astray from the truth.