Sanctification List

I wanted to take a moment to share with you something that I have started doing that has been beneficial to my walk with the Lord. Over the last couple of weeks, I have compiled a list of things I need to work on to become more Christ-like as I think of them. When something comes to mind, whether it be from a comment of someone’s, a reflection, or immediately after I act in a way I regret, I type it into my iPod right away, before I forget it. Needless to say, I was somewhat surprised at how fast the list grew! I have begun to realize that there are many important areas in need of growth and attention that I simply loose track of in the constant flow of information through my mind.

Here is the list as of now:
Pride
a) display of works and talents
b) do not boast in myself

Serve
a) rediscover servant mindset

Lying
a) complete truth; no half-truths

Slander
a) speak evil of no one

Stewardship
a) consider how a choice will affect the promotion of His Kingdom

Discipline
a) consistent time in the Word
b) practice memory verses
c) stick to schedule
d) contribute to blogs

People
a) ask specifics, not just how are you doing
b) help others achieve their goals
c) do not neglect to invest in other Christians in meaningful ways

Commitment
a) strong effort toward my responsibilities

Sarcasm
a) remove sarcastic comments from my speech

Volunteer
a) lead groups in prayer
b) do extras at work

Just today, while I was pondering seeing my coworkers, I started thinking of what specific thing about their life I could ask them about. I truly believe this was on my mind in part because I simply took note of it last night when Sarah Gonzalez made a comment in Home Group about doing so with the people in her life – thanks Sarah!

Do any of you do something similiar to this? Do you have any suggestion for me? Does it seem too legalistic? I am thinking it may be good to come up with some verses to attach to each of these little categories, if anyone knows any good ones for a particular topic.

Noam Chomsky

My professor mentioned the idea of innate linguistic qualities again yesterday, and he spoke of Noam Chomsky. I will just post a small blurb from Wikipedia regarding his theory concerning Universal grammar:

Linguist Noam Chomsky made the argument that the human brain contains a limited set of rules for organizing language. In turn, there is an assumption that all languages have a common structural basis. This set of rules is known as universal grammar.

Speakers proficient in a language know what expressions are acceptable in their language and what expressions are unacceptable. The key puzzle is how speakers should come to know the restrictions of their language, since expressions which violate those restrictions are not present in the input, indicated as such. This absence of negative evidence—that is, absence of evidence that an expression is part of a class of the ungrammatical sentences in one’s language—is the core of the poverty of stimulus argument. For example, in English one cannot relate a question word like ‘what’ to a predicate within a relative clause (1):

(1) *What did John meet a man who sold?

Such expressions are not available to the language learners, because they are, by hypothesis, ungrammatical for speakers of the local language. Speakers of the local language do not utter such expressions and note that they are unacceptable to language learners. Universal grammar offers a solution to the poverty of the stimulus problem by making certain restrictions universal characteristics of human languages. Language learners are consequently never tempted to generalize in an illicit fashion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_grammar

Interesting!

Principles of Language Innate?

While attending my Philosophy of Language class the other day, the professor mentioned an interesting fact near the end of our time together. He said that there have been recent studies pointing toward the idea that humans are innately born with certain elementary principles of language, such as having a natural sense of whether a the order of particular sets of words and the ideas they represent “fit” together, or flow and form a coherent message. Unfortunately, he did not have time to further explain his statement, but I found the thought interesting.

Would it not make sense that God would instill some of these princples within us to properly set us up for the ability to communicate with one another? I wish he had been able to explain more…perhaps I will have a chance later to further explore this topic.

Viewing His Victory

Tonight I had the opportunity to join a group of fellow believers in the viewing of Mel Gibson’s blockbuster movie, The Passion of the Christ. I had seen the film a number of times prior to this evening, but there was something unique about this instance. While observing what the Bible describes as the final hours before His crucifixion, I was inwardly stunned at how not angry I was at those battering my Savior, how I could stare at the piercing of the hands of my God without moist eyes. Now, do not get me wrong: I did not enjoy watching the brutal slaying of Jesus of Nazareth; I did not relish in this recreational murder the way His Jewish and Roman assailants did. I had become irate and bereaved in past viewings, but not on this occasion.

Though I was distressed and somewhat disturbed at my lack of feeling toward Jesus’ situation, once my Lord and His cross were erected on display to His cruel audience, I immediately felt a rush of fervor flow into my heart – a tide of victory, triumph, accomplishment. This was not a demonstration of shame and calamity I was witnessing, but the supreme embodiment of the promises of Almighty God, for “all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory” (2 Cor 1:20).

These evil acts of depraved men did not serve to unravel God’s ultimate will, but as part of the process of His crowning achievement: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’– for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:26-28).

Much more could be said of this fantastic film, but instead I will simply request, by God’s grace, a renewed understanding and appreciation for the horrid yet wondrous death of Jesus the Christ.

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
(Col 2:13,14)

This Journey We’re On

God has been teaching me much lately through my experience using Phoenix’s bus system for transportation. Every day I meet people from a wide range of backgrounds: construction workers; school teachers; homeless men and women; drug dealers; business men; young, confused singles; and the list goes on. I have come across a few fellow believers, but the genuine are a rare breed.

The majority of those that join me on my trek are quite obviously living a rough life. I have had discussions with plenty of individuals where it was clear that their otherwise intelligent, full-of-potential minds had been corroded by horrid drug addictions. I have witnessed single mothers hopelessly scream commands at their multiple children, with their tired eyes drenched in despair. Daily, I am surrounded by those that are taking part in some of the most unfortunate circumstances that exist within our city.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
(2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV)

Recently, while catching a morning ride to work, I overheard a graying, middle-aged woman talking with the driver of our bus. One statement she made stood out to me: “I want to get rich, not die, and not get any older.” It is interesting that we often naturally desire that which God has promised us, yet when He offers us His grace, many reject the true satisfaction of our inherent longings. We exchange the perfect and pristine for the twisted and obscene. Of course, this theory does not belong solely to the lives of unbelievers, but can be observed in a follower of Christ’s as well. God has vowed to grant all those who come to Him eternal riches, eternal life, and an eternally glorified body. When are we going to begin to take seriously the promises of our great God? Why do we keep believing that sin has an advantage over righteousness, accordingly succumbing to our darkened desires? Christ has freed us from sin not solely for our own benefit, but so we can freely love others without hindrance.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
(Colossians 3:1-3 ESV)

Last week, as I was taking a seat near the front of a bus, I heard a computer generated voice proclaim the following: “Please remember to take your personal items when exiting the bus.” A simple suggestion, no? Nothing out of the ordinary – of course you would not want to accidentally leave something of yours behind. But after hearing this friendly reminder, I felt like God was trying to teach me a lesson through that grungy loudspeaker. There have been many times where, instead of actively engaging those around me, I have been fully absorbed in my own pursuits, busy entertaining myself while unaware of the troubled woman across from me, the talkative man at my side. The message was simple, almost redundant, yet it has proved to be tremendously influential in how I interact with those I am surrounded by:

“Eddie, do not get distracted with your own earthly endeavors. Instead, continually seek My will and concentrate your efforts on the pursuit of My lost and degraded sheep.”

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
(Matthew 5:14-16 ESV)

Let us compare a trip across the city of Phoenix in one of its numerous buses to our progression through life. At the very beginning of consciousness, we step on the bus. Throughout our passage, we come in contact with an innumerable amount of people, all entering and exiting the sphere of our life along various points of the excursion. Sometimes we ourselves transfer to a different bus, to a route separate from ones previously taken, placing us in an entirely unique setting. Is every bus made up of the same people? Like each one of our individual lives, as well as the different seasons of our own lives, the answer is no. Do we all have a responsibility, as God’s children, to effect those occupying the seats around us? Absolutely.

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
(2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV)

The hard truth is we are all in a bus, and there are fellow humans festering in our midst. Whether this grisly decadence is prominent or not, the world of every unbeliever is already in shambles; not all forms of sin are required to glare directly back into our eyes. Do you often come across many where it is immediately evident their reality is in complete and utter disarray? Most likely not. But let me again propose that although the dying soul is not so readily apparent in our country, it is just as regular of an occurence. Allow me to reference back to something I said in my previous post:

“Angry, confused, hopeless, distraught, lost—no great tragedy needs to be witnessed or endured in one’s life to experience these sensations. That tragedy has already happened; those attributes can accurately describe so many, too many. How daunting a thought! Every single person that does not know You, Lord.”

The love of Christ must control us! It is our indispensable duty as God’s chosen children to constantly pray for God to slay our selfish will so that He can reign over our lives. This is what it means to walk by the Spirit, to live according to the purpose God created us for – good works for the glorification of His name. By these means God can recruit us for His mission to help redeem those He does not know back to Himself.

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
(1 John 4:16-18 ESV)

Unlike a standard bus system, every highway and road is headed in the same direction. We will all someday arrive at our destination: the ultimate judgment of mankind. In light of eternity, it is essential that we strive to live in a worthwhile manner. It is no longer us who live, but Christ living in us; we must be slayers of sin so that we can help liberate others from their captivity. Our Father is most passionate about saving and knowing His creation, so as His instruments of righteousness, His grateful slaves, it is imperative that we ask God to reveal to us the extremity of His call. Our hearts must be replaced with His own, forcing us to do the otherwise unthinkable: express an unbridled, Christ-like love toward each and every fellow passenger taking part in this journey we’re on.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
(John 13:34 ESV)