What is Spiritual Formation?

Wow, I cannot believe it has been this long since I blogged on here. I honestly am too busy to get on here as often as I would like, but here I am and yes I am still taking seminary classes and wanted to share my latest paper on spiritual formation. The quotations are from one of my required readings by John Westerhoff called Spiritual Life:The Foundation for Preaching and Teaching

Here is goes...

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL FORMATION?
   

Having served in the United States Army for 6 years, I think of certain things when it comes to “formation” such as:  dedication, discipline and consistency. Westerhoff defines the spiritual life as “ordinary everyday life lived in an ever-deepening and loving relationship to God and therefore to one’s true or healthy self, all people, and the whole of creation” (Westerhoff 1994, 1). Using my military analogy and this definition, spiritual formation can be defined as a lifelong process in which we apply direction and discipline to our spiritual lives so we can grow more intimate with God and allow ourselves to be transformed into the image if His Son, Jesus Christ.

Direction and Discipline
   

Westerhoff suggests some keys to enhance our spiritual life: choosing a time and place for prayer, preparing to enter in to His presence, journaling, maintaining spiritual friends and the studying and praying of God’s Word (Westerhoff 1994, 67-69).

Time and Place
 

We have to pick a time and place that we are alert, focused and ready to listen to God. My quiet time is in the morning at the kitchen table after I have woken up and before I have eaten. I am usually the only one up at this time so there are no distractions. When we choose our time and place, we have to pick one that does not interfere with any other needs (Westerhoff 1994, 66).

Preparation to Enter His Presence
 

We have to first clear our hearts and minds so we can give God our full attention (Westerhoff 1994, 67). I usually do this by simply starting to pray. I thank God for another day in which I get to live and glorify Him. I ask Him to prepare my heart for what it is He may have for me and I lift up my day to Him to use for His kingdom and His will. I then take some deep breaths and listen.

Once we have prepared ourselves now we must become aware of God’s presence, focus our attention to Him, expect and desire a deep relationship with Him (Westerhoff 1994, 68). This is where the discipline starts to take shape as we get into a routine of preparation and listening.

Journaling
 

This is something that can be done differently by everyone and is an area that I need to work on. I find myself journaling about the verses I read which turns into Bible study notes. A spiritual journal can include insights and applications to scripture but should also record our experiences and conversations with God (Westerhoff 1994, 68).

Spiritual Friends
 

Having someone we can trust with spiritual issues is extremely important. We need someone that we can go to for guidance, accountability and edification. I have a couple of people that I can trust and go to in times of need. Westerhoff states that whomever we choose must be a “sensitive, caring, open, flexible person of faith and prayer who listens and maintains confidentiality” (Westerhoff 1994, 69).

Studying and Praying Scripture
 

The Bible is God’s spoken Word handed down to us from outside of time to guide and direct us into a relationship with Him. It is a love story of redemption, grace and mercy. We will never be able to fully understand God because our minds are finite and He is infinite but without studying and praying over His Word, we will never get to know Him nor have a relationship with Him.

Currently, during my alone time with God, I am studying the Apostle Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians. As I read and study what Paul is writing to the Christians in Corinth, I also seek guidance and application for my own life. While this letter was written to a specific group of people living in a specific period of history, people in the church and in our society haven’t changed much and God’s Word applies to us all. This is where I need to pray the scriptures more. I tend to just study scripture and experience the intellectual gains but miss out on the intuition and meditation that lead to a stronger relationship with God (Westerhoff 1994, 70).

Becoming Intimate with God
   

As mentioned earlier, finding a time and place to engage God is key to our spiritual formation. If we truly want to become intimate with God it has to be done through times of silence and solitude. Jesus gave us a model of prayer in Matthew 6 and Luke 11 in what we call “The Lord’s Prayer,” but He also served as a model of prayer for us. From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus sought to be alone with the Father. The scripture tells us: “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.” (Matt. 4:1-2, New King James Version).

Jesus also engaged in times of solitude and prayer when He had to make important decisions. In Luke 6:12-13 we read where Jesus prayed all night and afterwards, He chose the twelve apostles. Knowing that these were the men that ended up taking the gospel to the world (except for Judas), we can appreciate the importance of this decision and the need for Jesus to spend so much time in prayer.

We also need to spend time in prayer so we can align our will with God’s Will. In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that not His will be done but the Father’s will which was a horrible and humiliating death but for the sake of mankind. It is so easy to get into a mindset that prayer is our way of giving our wish list to God. I heard Jon Courson once say, “Prayer is not giving God orders, it is reporting for duty.” If our lives are not marked with silence and solitude, we will not be able to minister to and guide others and will find that our ministry has turned into a painful endeavor (Westerhoff 1994, 35).
 

Image of Christ
   

The final key to our spiritual formation is our transformation into the image of Christ. So many think that when we are saved that we become something different when in reality we are just being transformed into what God had always intended for us. The Bible says in Genesis, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;’” (Gn. 1:26a). We were created in the image of God from the beginning. We need to let others see that image in us.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he gives us insight on how to become like Christ in the first couple of verses of chapter 12. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:1-2). The first part is to offer our lives as a living sacrifice to God. It states in Ephesians 5:2 it that Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as an offering and a sacrifice so we are to offer our lives up to Him in service. Once we surrender our lives to God and live according to His will and not ours, people will begin to see Christ in us because we are living as Christ.

The next thing that Paul states is that we need to be transformed by a renewed mind into the image of Christ and not conformed into the image of the world.  This is probably the most challenging part of spiritual formation. Our challenge is to not be swayed, influenced or discouraged by the world around us but to instead continue serving God and sharing His message of salvation.

In conclusion, if we are dedicated to this lifelong process in which we apply direction and discipline to our spiritual lives we will grow more intimate with God and will be transformed into the image if His Son, Jesus Christ. We will also find ourselves truly serving God and serving others and will begin to not only live for Christ, but we will begin to let Him live through us. 

I am tired of church...Are you?

I am sure you are wondering just what I am talking about. I am talking about just that, “church.” I am tired of what we call the “church.” It has become either a “place” we go or “something” we do.

For so many it is just a place that we go to once or twice week to either feel a little better about our self or to seek some form of forgiveness for something that we did the week prior. We leave with no real change having taken place in our life and go right back to our same old life and get the same old results. Now the church that we go to has some responsibility in this as well…more on that later…

Yet, to others, church has become “something” we do. We stroll in on Sundays because, for some reason, it is something we are supposed to do and we feel good about it. We actually think we have done God a favor by merely showing up!

Some get involved in a ministry or service activity because they feel that they are supposed to as a “member” of their church or that is what it means to be a Christian because they have to “produce fruit.” We have all heard the “you gotta serve” sermon right?

I have learned (and am still learning) that a relationship with Christ is not about going to a building, not about being part of some denomination, not about serving in a ministry, it is about living a life like Jesus, it is about treating others the way Jesus did and about sharing His love with those that don’t know it. This is not an exclusive list, just the high points.

If we are serving in a ministry for any other reason other than to share the love of Jesus and give God the glory, it is the wrong reason. One of my favorite quotes is a definition of ministry by Warren Wiersbe. He says, “Ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God.”

We are supposed to be the “loving channels” delivering the “divine resources” and giving God the glory. Does God need our help? No. Instead, He is allowing us to take part in His creation and to further His kingdom. It is a privilege and a gift to serve God and to serve others. These are lessons that I have learned (again, and still learning) in my walk. I have been guilty of wanting attention or praise for something I have done when in reality, I should have been doing it for God alone and giving Him credit. Don’t get me wrong, it is okay to be happy that you did something for God and to feel that blessing when you have helped someone…the difference is enjoying the blessing that came from serving God and not expecting something for what you did.

I have attended churches that “appeared” to be serving God and to be serving others but in reality, were just doing these things because they felt they were supposed to be done without any “real” compassion for the people or for serving God. I know that is a pretty harsh statement but it was something that I witnessed and experienced. I also attended a church were there seemed to be no service outreach or evangelism. There seemed to be no desire to reach the community.

On the other hand, I have attended churches that were always in the community doing service projects. One church skipped a Sunday service and had everyone involved in various community service projects! Another church adopted an entire under privileged neighborhood and served them throughout the year! Another has actually picked up homeless people and brought them to church and found them a place to live and given them food to eat.

Now before you think that my wife and I are “church hoppers,” understand that we have moved around a lot and I have worked all over the country so I have had the opportunity to visit and attend many churches and have learned a lot regarding ministry over the past few years. I also am blessed with some friends who are pastors and learn a lot of things on how they do ministry. Using only first names, thanks to Al, David, Bill, Steve, Mark and Dave!

I mentioned that I was tired of “church.” I guess I need to expand on that and give what I feel is an alternative to what is so common.

You don’t have to agree, my blog…my opinion ;-)

As I stated earlier, people go to church for different reasons: to learn more about God’s Word, to learn how to live like a Christian, to worship God, to fellowship with other believers in order to encourage and to be encouraged, etc. These are all good reasons but one thing that my wife and I have realized is that we have never learned how to truly reach our community and to serve others. Now that may sound weird coming from someone who is going to seminary and feels called to the ministry! But our idea of “service” was volunteering at church or having Christian friends over to our house. Those things are fine and good but who did Jesus spend time with? Of course, there were times when He was just with His disciples and times when He was just with His inner circle of Peter, James and John and sometimes just with Peter. But Jesus also spent time with those that didn’t know Him: tax collectors, prostitutes and other sinners.

I think the “American Church” is missing the boat when it comes to teaching people what it means to serve. I am not labeling ALL churches, I am speaking in a general sense (so don’t take this personally if you are a pastor reading this). You can make someone do something and you can convince someone to do something but teaching people HOW to do something and having their hearts prepared to be inspired by the Holy Spirit, now that is something!

Good deeds apart from the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit are just that…good deeds. Things that we did that provided some benefit to someone. Fine. But when a person learns to love others and whose heart is moved and inspired to help, that is a lasting change that will go with them forever and allow many lives to be touched and God to be glorified.

We need to find a church that isn’t just about “bells and whistles” or because they have this ministry or that ministry. Granted, some families need certain things and need to be ministered to in special ways. I get that. But we sometimes tend to look at a church in a way that asks the question, “What can they do for me?” instead of asking “What can I do for them?” or better yet “What can I do WITH them?”

If you are looking for a new church, a different church, or a better church, find one that first and foremost teaches God’s Word. Not one that waters it down or changes it to fit popular culture. Find one that teaches on sin and the need for salvation. Find one where the pastor and leadership live out what is being preached. What example do they set?

Is there a desire to reach the community? So many churches will claim to support missions and may have some missionaries in another country, which is great, but what are they doing in their own back yard? My wife and I know that we have a desire to share Jesus and to serve others but we asked ourselves, “How many people in our own neighborhood and even our own street have we talked to?” I won’t share our answer…as it is embarrassing. Things must change!

In the end, we all have certain things we look for in a church: youth group, men’s and women’s studies, good kids ministry, etc. Those things are fine but in the forefront should be 1) Do they teach solid biblical teachings? 2) Are they actually serving their community?

I asked a good friend of mine who is a pastor of a church that minister’s primarily to people that other churches in the area won’t let in their doors and focuses on feeding the hungry how he knew he was called to that kind of ministry. His response, “Mike, there really isn’t any other kind of ministry” He explained that both Jesus and Paul preached the Word and fed the hungry: Plain and simple.

In other words: Teach them about Jesus and love them like Jesus.

Why do we have to make it so hard?

HE IS RISEN

HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY!

Today is the day we remember that Christ rose from the grave claiming victory over death and proving Himself to be God. Just two days ago we remembered His horrible death on the cross at the hands of the Romans and Jewish leaders. But the one thing that escapes many is the fact that it is true that the Jewish leaders handed Jesus over to the Roman authorities and it was at their hands He was crucified...BUT it was GOD that allowed it and it was GOD that ordained it.

God sent Jesus to the cross as a final sacrifice for all sin so that we may have a relationship with Him again. Because of sin, we are separated from God and need an atonement. In the past God allowed sacrifices to cover the sins of Israel and once a year allowed the high priest to ask forgiveness for the sins of Israel. This weekend we celebrate the final atonement, the final sacrifice...the final offering.

Jesus paid the price for our sins.

Jesus suffered for our forgiveness.

Jesus died so we could live.

Honor HIM today and remember HIM always!

Which Teaching Source Do You Use?

Here is another essay I wrote addressing the four sources of a communicator's message and which one I draw from the most when preparing messages. So my essay makes sense, here is a brief description of each:

1. Tradition: Bible truths
2. Observation: Needs of the students
3. Participation: Experiences of the teacher
4. Inspiration: Direction of the Holy Spirt

________________________________

            Of the four sources given: Tradition, Observation, Participation and Inspiration, I tend to use the Observation source the most. I fully believe that any message must contain elements of all these sources but I find myself asking, for the most part, the five questions that Andy Stanley asks in his book Communicating for a Change:

1.     What do they need to know?

2.     Why do they need to know it?

3.     What do they need to do?

4.     Why do they need to do it?

5.     How can I help them remember? (Stanley 2006, 186-190)

I can’t say that have always asked them in the same manner as Stanley does but I almost always start with “What do they need to know?” and “What does God want them to know?” That leads me to the second source that I feel is equally important: Inspiration. Standing up on Sunday morning and preaching a message that we like or are comfortable with may reach and touch the lives of some but how many have we neglected by not searching for what they need and for what God has for them?

I have had the privilege to teach kids at all ages in church. The age group that I feel drawn to is the 4^th – 6^th graders because they are at that age where they are old enough to understand biblical principles and young enough to enact change with little resistance. So I ask myself, “What is it these kids need to know to help them grow?” I kill two birds with one stone here because that question is asked to God; hence, the Inspiration source is tapped from as well.

Teaching a message that challenges someone to change some part of their life is vital and giving them something tangible that they can apply, helps them achieve that goal. That is why it is important to get to know the people you are teaching especially if it is on a recurring basis. Obviously this is difficult to do with a large congregation but still possible at some levels. I have spent time preaching and teaching in adult settings such as Sunday mornings, mid-week studies and youth groups but the majority of messages I prepare are for kids in the aforementioned grades. Getting to know them personally allows me to understand their needs and recognize the areas of their life that God’s Word can help change. By showing an interest in their life also establishes credibility with them because after all, if we don’t really care about them, why are we there?

Earlier I mentioned that Observation and Inspiration were the top two sources in my list but I also have to mention how I use the other two as well. Whatever message I prepare has to be grounded in the Word of God. The Bible is our source of information and a manual for life. Every message and precept taught has to be backed up and supported by God’s Word. The final source, Participation, is important but, in my opinion, needs to be limited when teaching kids because the last thing they want to hear for 30 minutes is “When I was your age…” With adults, it is different because you are sharing a life experience that they may relate to or may be currently experiencing but in my ministry with kids, I use it sparingly. I mostly use it to point out where I failed when I was younger and to illustrate a warning for them to not imitate that behavior.

In conclusion, while each message should draw from all four sources, observing the needs of the students/audience is most important to then be followed up with inspiration from God as to what message He has for them to meet those needs. To repeat the question I asked earlier, “If we don’t really care about them, why are we there?”

Why God Chose Ezra by: Mike Florant

This is an essay I just wrote for school after reading a chapter in a book called Go Make Disciples by Dr. Michael Mitchell
 _____________________________

God chose Ezra to bring spiritual reform to Israel because he “had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10 English Standard Version).  The preceding verse indicates the result of his devotion was God’s hand being upon him (Mitchell, 2).

Ezra sets an example for all pastors, teachers, leaders and disciples of Christ. As pointed out by Dr. Mitchell, Ezra devoted himself to the study, practice and teaching of God’s Word. The words used for “set his heart” can mean, “to appoint one’s soul.” Ezra knew his purpose was to study, live and teach God’s Law to the point that it was his life’s mission and “soul” purpose. As Matthew Henry stated, “If he was raised up of God, and qualified and inclined to do this, all generations have reason to call him blessed, and to bless God for him” (Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Ezra 7:1-10).

Ezra also possessed a reputation among his peers as a student of the Law as evidenced by his commission from King Artaxerxes in Ezra 7 to travel to Israel to be a teacher of God's Word. If we desire to teach God’s Word then we must aspire to live a life that is a reflection of Christ and is proven to represent the principles that we are teaching. Knowledge of God’s Word is not enough; it needs to be visible in our lives (Mitchell, 5). James 1:22 tells us to “be doers of the word, and not merely hearers.” This was a principle that Ezra apparently lived by.

Ezra was chosen not only because he studied God’s Word and made it part of his life, but because he took on the responsibility to teach what he knew (Mitchell, 8). He was obviously a gifted speaker to have preached to and maintained an audience for over half the day as stated in Nehemiah 8. Ezra used the gifts that God had given him to teach God’s Word in a way the people could understand and apply to their lives (Mitchell, 9).

In conclusion, Ezra’s deep devotion to the study of God’s Word, the observance of it in his own life and the desire and dedication to teach others allowed him to be used mightily by God. If we want God to use us in a similar manner then we must apply these same three principles in our lives and follow the example that Ezra has set for us. Proverbs 2 encourages us to have a desire for understanding and to actively search for knowledge. First we must learn it and then apply it so we can “walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous” (Proverbs 2:20 ESV). Then we are to take that knowledge and our experiences with Christ to others so they may know and benefit from God’s Word as well.

Addictive Behavior

I am currently going through an online study with some guys around the country and we are going through a book that highlights twenty godly attributes of the christian man and this weeks chapter focused on addictive behaviors and I really felt led by the Spirit to share a portion of this week's post with everyone. The study of the Book of Colossians will continue next week.

--From the online study blog post--

This chapter is about being moderate in all things and does not just focus on drinking. It is a focus on addictive behavior. Alcohol is the dominant example because it is the probably the most visible area of addiction (next to drugs and smoking) that our society faces, but as Christians, we are to avoid ANY addictive behavior and I would be so bold to say, any behavior that does not bring glory to Jesus or any behavior that may cause someone to stumble no matter how innocent it may appear to us.

I remember back when I lived in Florida I used to play poker with some guys at work every couple weeks. I had fun and enjoyed the game of poker (taking 20 bucks from my friends wasn’t bad either) but after I got saved, I struggled with playing and justified it saying to myself that I would be a light to them because for awhile, they did ask questions about the Bible and Jesus and why I was now going to church. But after while, the questions stopped, I went from not drinking to “only having a couple” and finding myself engaging in the same conversations, jokes and mannerisms as I did before when I was in the world and I found myself no longer being a light. My light was being dimmed by the world around me. I was getting angry when others would get hammered and not pay attention to the game so I realized that this behavior was not glorifying God, was becoming sinful because of my actions and needed to be removed from my life. Jesus said to cut off your hand or gouge out your eye if it causes you to sin. We all know that He wasn’t referring to self mutilation, but referring to removing an area from our life that is causing us to sin so our whole life would not be destroyed.

I removed that area from my life and do not regret it one bit. Now I still had the occasional drink from time to time and the Lord really worked on me in this area to the point that I first gave up drinking in public (to avoid the appearance of evil and to not cause someone to stumble), then I gave up drinking in front of my kids (so as to not present a bad example) to eventually not drinking at all because it provided no positive effect on my life but could only hinder my spiritual growth.

I do believe that Christians should not drink or engage in any behavior that may be construed as sin because people watch us and will use our actions to justify there own. I know this because I used to do it a long time ago when I thought I was saved and going to church. I used to justify drinking and smoking and casual sex because if those around me that went to church to. I figured that if they were doing and were “Christians” then it must be okay.

I feel that we need to live to a higher standard and set the higher example to our family and the world around us and trust me, if we are sincere in wanting to live this way, God WILL help us. He did me.

Now, while some argue whether or not the Bible teaches total abstinence from alcohol (not the point of this post) it does teach abstinence from an area that causes you to sin. If we know we have a problem in a certain area, we avoid those areas. If it is alcohol, we don’t buy beer, we don’t hang around people that drink, we don’t go to places where we may be tempted to drink. If it is porn or lust, we don’t watch movies that contain that, we have our internet pages monitored by a friend for accountability or get rid of it, we don’t go to strip clubs, etc. These things may seem easy to say but I know hard it is but it is something we have to do if want to achieve the victory over this sin.

We can’t confuse “struggle” with “surrender.” We can say things like, “Well, God knows that I struggle in that area and  He forgives me and is working on me.” But if we are WILLINGLY putting ourselves in situations that allow us to sin, then we are not “struggling” anymore but are instead “surrendering.” We have two choices when it comes to sin, we can “struggle” and achieve “victory” or we can “struggle” and “surrender.”

When we let the sin control our lives, we are surrendering and admitting defeat. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews says about achieving victory in Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

There are three things we must do:

1)    Remove the sin from our life and avoid the circumstance that cause us to sin

2)    Run the race with endurance using the strength and power of the Holy Spirit

3)    Keep our eyes on Jesus

I want to focus a little on the third one. It is easier to sin when we are looking away from Jesus. John 3:19-21 states:

“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

When we are sinning, or have sinned, the last thing we want to is to study God’s Word, pray, talk to a fellow Christian. Why? Because we know that are deeds are (were) sinful and we would rather stay in that darkness where there is no truth and only lies instead of coming out into the light of God and exposing our sin so we can be convicted and let God work in us. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus and on the cross to remember that He hung there and died for us so that we could have power over sin and that it would not reign over us any longer. One of my favorite verses is Colossians 1:13 and it says “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ” (NIV)

Jesus died on the cross so we could live in the light and no longer live in the darkness. Our flesh was crucified with Christ but yet we still let it have dominion over us. This is not what God wants. He wants us to live a life led by the Spirit and not by the flesh.  We need to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God that dwells in us to defeat the flesh and awaken the Spirit so we can live in VICTORY.

My final thought is for us to not deceive ourselves in thinking we are living for Christ just because we know His Word but to live His Word instead (James 1:22)

Colossians - Bible Study Week 8 "Rooted in Christ"

Colossians 2:1-10

“For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. ”

There are four points I want to highlight in these verses:

1. Don’t be deceived by persuasive words

2. Rooted and built up in Christ

3. Established in our faith

4. Not being swayed with “knowledge” of the world

Don’t be deceived by persuasive words

The word used here for “persuasive” means ‘to entice’ and to ‘to lead into error’ which is exactly what Satan wants to do. He wants to confuse us and have us question our faith. 

Rooted and built up in Christ

We are to be moving forward in our Christian walk (that is why it is not called the “Christian Stand”) and increasing in our knowledge of Christ and the Scriptures. It is only with the true Word can we fight against heresy and false teachings.

Established in our faith

Paul uses military terms like “order” and “steadfastness” to encourage them to remain firm in their faith. There were was the constant threat of false teachings abut Christ during Paul’s day (just like today) and Paul wanted to encourage them to stand fast in the things that they had been taught which are the same things we are taught from the Bible today. The biggest threat was to remove the divinity of Jesus (just like today) .

Not being swayed with “knowledge” of the world

Today it seems people are more zealous to turn people away from God then we are to turn them to God. That means that we as Christians are failing in the Great Commission and lacking in our Biblical knowledge. Our children may grow up in church and belong to a youth group but when they get to college they are challenged with “higher learning” and philosophies that provide no use for the Bible and diminish the meaning and truths of it. Without a firm foundation of faith and how to defend it, they are helpless and will most likely fall victim of the masses and fall away from God and out of fellowship.

The interesting thing is that professors and atheists don’t attempt to prove the Bible wrong on a factual and archeological basis (because they can’t) but they ask difficult questions that if they cannot be answered must mean that the answer does not exists. The fact is that it does exist it is just not resident in the mind and heart. This is why Paul puts added emphasis on firm faith and being rooted in Christ. He concludes with telling them that in Christ dwells the fullness of the Godhead and that the fullness of Christ dwells in us. We are complete in Christ.

So how do we apply this to our life?

1. In what ways are we building up our faith and knowledge of Christ?
2. Are we building up our children in the faith of Christ?
3. Are we teaching them how to defend there faith and to not just “take our word for it?”

Remember:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”