Three Prayers

Today’s Sunday Worship piece consists of three prayers, though we only have a link to the source for one of them. You also won’t see anything in green today because there is no specific scripture text, but two of the three prayers are variations on The Lord’s Prayer.

Becoming Like the One We Worship

Father, we thank you for your Word,
which is sober but not without hope.
Jesus has reformed his true people into his own image
on the basis of his own person, death, resurrection, and sending of the Spirit,
and he wants us to trust him and not be idol worshippers.

And so Lord,
cause us to revere you so we resemble you
and are blessed and restored to you,
and not ruined.
Give us eyes to see and ears to hear your truth
and give “us understanding so that we might know him who is true”
and to abide “in him who is true,
in his Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God and eternal life.”

Give us grace to guard ourselves from idols.
Be with us to this end for your glory.

In Christ’s name,
Amen.

– G.K. Beale, We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, 311.

The Lord’s Prayer as You’ve Never Heard It

This appeared in 2010 at Thinking Out Loud, but never here.

The following is a version of what is commonly known as ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ However this version is one translated from Aramaic, rather than Greek.

Oh Thou, from whom the breath of life comes,
who fills all realms of sound, light and vibration.
May Your light be experienced in my utmost holiest.
Your Heavenly Domain approaches.

Let Your will come true
in the universe
just as on earth.

Give us wisdom for our daily need,
detach the fetters of faults that bind us,
like we let go the guilt of others.

Let us not be lost in superficial things,
but let us be freed from that what keeps us off from our true purpose.

From You comes the all-working will,
the lively strength to act,
the song that beautifies all and renews itself from age to age.

Sealed in trust, faith and truth.
(I confirm with my entire being)

The Sibling’s Prayer

I have no idea how this got its name. We ran it at Thinking Out Loud many years ago and the blog it is from is no longer online. I also have no idea why we placed it in a black text box, but decided to run it as is!

Inspired by the Lord’s Prayer… Dear Father, We, Your children in Jesus, who live throughout the world, who love and revere You and await your perfect Kingdom… Together we pray that Your will be done here on earth, in all our lives, as it is always fulfilled in Heaven. We pray for one another, asking You to take care of our needs. We ask You to forgive all that divides us from You and from one other. And to lead us away from the temptation of trying to control our lives or the lives of others. Keep that enemy of ours from distracting our focus upon You. We depend upon Your strength for we are but weak vessels. This is Your Kingdom at stake, Your power and glory. Help us to put aside our differences and remember all that You’ve done for us and how much You love us. We love You.  ~Dave Aldrich

Confession of Christ’s Lordship

by Russell Young

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (NIV)

  Confess and confession are translated from the Greek homologeo which means “to assent, i.e. covenant, acknowledge: —con- (pro-)fess, confession is made, give thanks, promise.” Strong’s Greek Dictionary #3670

Considering all the representations given for homologeo, the utterance of the phrase, “Jesus is Lord,” does not represent the intent of this word.  The Greek ‘homologeo’ is a compound of ‘homo’ and ‘logeo’ meaning of one or of uniform word or mind. The meaning of a promise, pledge, and even a covenant is being transmitted. That is, the believer is agreeing to a relationship where Christ is his lord or supreme ruler. This covenant with God does not result in a person’s eternal salvation, however, unless it is honored.

There are many biblical passages that attest to the need to allow the Lord to reign in the believer’s life.  (Mt 7:21, 28:20; Jn 14:15, 21, 23; 15:10; Acts 26:20; 2 Cor 2:9; Gal 5:18, 6:8; Eph 5:6; Heb 5:9; 1 Jn 2:3, 5, 3:22, 2:4, 5:3; 1 Pet 1:14; Rom  6:16, 8:4, 8:14; Rev 14:12; Rev 22:14 KJV) Paul wrote that “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom 6:23 KJV) Paul not only intended to honor Jesus through his title as “Lord,” but through honoring the reality of his authority and position.  Of course, if his sovereignty is not being practiced, he is not lord. The Lord questioned, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Lk 6:46 NIV) Christ has revealed that defying his leadership is living a lie (Rev 22:15) and such a practice has eternal consequences.

Matthew wrote, “Not everyone who calls me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Mt 7:21 NIV) The covenant or promise of Christ’s lordship is very real. The writer of Hebrews has revealed that “eternal salvation” comes through obedience. “[Christ] is the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Heb 5:9 NIV) The Lord himself revealed, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” (Jn 14:21 NIV; See also 1 Jn 5:2─3) It is the person who obeys the Lord’s commands who will find an eternal hope. Obedience results in a good conscience and Peter has written that baptism is a person’s “pledge” to maintain a good conscience toward God. (1 Pet 3:21 NIV)

Many have tried to dismiss the on-going sovereignty of Christ by denying his lordship, and accept that his love and his grace cover their need and meet their hope. The issue of the constant evil imaginations of people’s hearts must be overcome. Many accept that the pardon for sins committed under the jurisdiction of the first covenant is sufficient (Heb 9:15), even though God requires transformation into the likeness of his Son as the real need. Humankind was created in the image of God and to this image they must be conformed if they are to dwell with him. Pardon for past sin, although essential, does not result in a person becoming an acceptable offering to God (Rom 15:16); transformation is required and that is accomplished through the sanctifying ministry of the Spirit. (Rom 7:6, 8:13; 2 Thess 2:13; Titus 3:5:6, etc.) Being led by Christ as Holy Spirit, as lord, is the only means of meeting God’s righteous requirements. (Rom 8:4)

Some have taken Romans 10:9-10 to refer to the Jews alone and view the passage merely as acknowledgement that Jesus is the Messiah. Such a distorted perception denies that those in Christ are to serve in the new way of the Spirit as opposed to the old way of the law. (Rom 7:6) Service in the Spirit is the crux of the New Covenant and it is through obedience to him as lord that allows for a person’s eternal hope. The “confession,” pledge, promise, covenant that Christ is his sovereign is the believer’s means of attaining righteousness and his or her eternal hope.

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Author Russell Young lives in Canada and is the author of Eternal Salvation: Really? available in print and eBook in the U.S. through Westbow Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble; and in Canada through Chapters/Indigo.  His column appears here on alternate Tuesday.  To read all of Russell’s contributions here at C201, click this link.

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Becoming Like Christ

by Russell Young

How does a person become like Christ? John wrote, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 Jn 3:2─3 NIV) John’s teaching is that “we shall be like him.” Many accept, and have been taught, that the “we” refers to all who have made a confession of faith, those who have been identified as “believers.” However, “believers” are those who obey the commands of Christ. John completed his thought by adding, “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”

Common teaching allows that Christ, by his mercy and grace, has done all that is needed to prepare the confessor for a place in his kingdom. There is no miraculous purification or soul transformation when this life ceases; the believer is to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. It is for the sake of holiness and for the hope of being sanctified by Christ and made “an offering acceptable to God,” (Rom 15:16 NIV) “to become blameless and pure” (Phil 2:14) that God requires obedience to Christ. The Word reveals that without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb 12:14) and that it is righteous living that produces holiness. (Rom 6:19) “Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.” (NIV)

John’s teaching that “we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is,” is the understanding that needs to be grasped. Our earthly understanding of Christ remains ‘foggy.’ Paul wrote, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Cor 13:12 NIV) One day the obedient will see him free of the distortions of word and mind.

The reality is that unless the believer becomes holy through slavery to righteousness they will not see him or know him. They cannot conform to his likeness. To “see” means “to gaze (i.e. with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable)” (Strong’s Greek Dictionary #3700) It will be those in close proximity to Christ who will have the advantage of enjoying his image; they will see him and know him

During their earthy life believers have been called to be like Christ. Those who take this call seriously have learned to cast aside destructive practices. Paul wrote, “You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:23─24 NIV) All who claim the name of Christ are to conform to his nature. Unless the confessor is changing in the attitudes of his or her heart, he or she is not a “believer” and will one day face the wrath of God since the hearts and practices of humankind are not acceptable to God. In Genesis it is recorded, “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth.” (Gen 6:5─7 NIV) It is the heart of people that needs to be made acceptable to God. Holiness is not a gift to believers beyond their redemption. One’s body is to be “offered in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.”

If the “imaginations of the thoughts of one’s heart” are, and remain, offensive to God he or she will never achieve the glory that he offers. Knowing Christ through the Word and the revelations of his Spirit and through obedience to his commands (the application of his mind) allows believers to become transformed. “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 Cor 3:18 NIV)

Becoming like Christ depends on one’s willingness to allow him to transform one’s heart and practices through his Spirit as he or she walks this earth. Those who have been led to holiness will achieve a state of glory far beyond their understanding. To accomplish this requires a humble and obedient walk with Christ as Lord, and requires suffering as evil imaginations are purged. God is to be loved with all of one’s heart, mind, body, and soul as evidenced in a person’s practices. Paul wrote, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Rom 8:18 NIV)

Believers will be truly like Christ in matters of the heart and mind. They will be able to fellowship unashamedly with God and with others. They will bring joy to his heart instead of pain. While on this earth the beauty of that relationship cannot be known because purity and holiness in people and relationships does not exist. Concerning the New Jerusalem, Paul wrote, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people and he will be their God.” (Rev 21:3 NIV).

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Russell Young is the Sunday contributor to Christianity 201 and author of Eternal Salvation: “I’m Okay! You’re Okay!” Really? available in print and eBook through Westbow Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble; and in Canada through Chapters/Indigo.

9781512757514

To read all of Russell’s contributions here at C201, click this link.