If you've been to Calvary a few times, it's likely you've heard us say that the Bible was written for us, but not specifically to us. That to understand what God is saying, requires a bit of work. We saw a powerful example in this morning's scripture and Pastor Danny's teaching. In Mark 8:38, Jesus says "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
In our culture and context, shame is awful. It's a horrible and painful feeling of humiliation or distress. Shame is something that has become intertwined with our identity, with who we are, and something we've been conditioned to avoid at all costs. So when we apply that view to our King, to the Son of Man being ashamed of us, without a closer look we can interpret what God is saying and even who God is incorrectly.
In the biblical context, shame refers to being disgraced, bringing on "fitting" shame that matches the error of wrongly identifying (aligning) with something. It is Holy Spirit in us, convicting us, letting us know our behavior is not in alignment with who we are created to be. It is a process of sanctification where God is shaping us, through the work of the Holy Spirit, into the kind of person who lives within the Kingdom of God and reflects the King.
Our culture has encouraged us to define our identity with things that were never meant to be our identity - our jobs, possessions, passions, roles as spouses, parents, friends. The myth Jesus calls out is any identity outside of who we are as children of God is out of alignment with the way of God. Jesus is saying if we hang on to worldly ideologies, the things we enjoy doing, the roles and responsibilities we carry, things other people say about us, if those things are most important in our lives over and against what God says about us and who he designed us to be, our identities will fall apart.
Our identity is not just that we imitate Christ, but as we follow him faithfully, the form of Jesus takes form in us. This becomes our new identity which gives life to every other part of our life.
How do we do this?
To be with Jesus, be like Jesus and do what Jesus did, requires denying ourselves. It is taking up the cross in a daily posture, listening with sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, and obeying His guidance. It's a posture we assume over our lifetimes.
- As we are with Jesus, as we read our Bible, as we study it (Biblical Literacy), as we pray and worship
- As we are being like Jesus, practicing the things Jesus practiced; generosity, service, solitude, fasting
- As we do what Jesus did we are actively denying ourselves
Jesus did this. He went first. And following his example draws us into the realities of the kingdom he experienced on earth and for eternity.
POWERED BY BLUBRRY
