Theological Fitness, Part Two

Below are the questions for "It Depends on How You Read the Scale". Reading the scale, hmm. I go to Weight Watchers for instruction and accountability. I do not own a scale, but get that weekly accountability every week. Scripture is really my accountability and this morning I read in Ephesians 5 about redeeming the time. Today I am blogging to redeem the time. Please buy this book and comment along with this series. Thanks. It will be great accountability for me and for you.

The book questions for chapter 2 are in red and my answers are in black.

1. You have to have a goal to persevere. This goal determines how you read the scale. We learn from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 that the Christian goal is unseen. How does this affect the way that we press on? What difficulties does it bring? Aimee calls our goal "glorification" on p. 41. I think this means that perseverance for sanctification. We press on for that "eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison".

2. Why is self-image really a hoax? How might this change the way that we comfort and counsel others? Years ago I wrote secular curriculum called "Improving Self-Esteem and Relationships". I thought life was all about humanistic self-esteem, even though I was a Christian. It took many years for me to realize life is about God's glory, not mine. I do counsel about God's glory now, not self-image. Really if our hope is in the LORD, 

we persevere

pray

and the peace comes.  

                                                             

Lately I have been using Romans 12:12 to counsel people.

3. What ideas that you hold about how sanctification "looks" might need to be challenged in light of this chapter? How might that affect the way you look at your fellow believers "in the race"? We begin in faith, continue in faith and are justified by faith. One day faith will be sight, but meanwhile as Aimee puts it so well "sanctification is no passive process; it is a daily struggle"(p. 50). Secular people and lukewarm Christians think of us Christian believers as "hypocrites" when we mess up, but we know that we are called to go on to maturity in Christ and to encourage fellow believers to work towards maturity.

4. How have you changed throughout your Christian walk? As you grow in holiness how have your ideas about the extent of your own sinfulness been challenged? Oh yes, and I continue to be challenged. When I got into a Reformed church, it finally dawned on me that my works do not bring glory to God; I need to get over myself and seek His glory. Furthermore, I can admit my sinfulness, because He gets the glory, not me. When I am challenged to do good works for others, I need to be careful that Carol doesn't get the glory--a huge temptation in this goal-oriented society.

5. How do we know if we are really maturing in Christ? I desire to meditate on Scripture and apply it to my life. I am prompted to pray more and with others. As I do this I am gaining the peace that passes all understanding (see Philippians 4:7).

6. Do you agree that the fight to persevere doesn't always look pretty? If so how can we be more honest about how God is working in our lives? Why do we feel so compelled to candy-coat our spiritual condition? It doesn't always look pretty. We have to be honest. I remember the year I worked for Gospel Light Publications writing Sunday School curriculum; a famous writer I admired very much sat down by me at coffee break and talked about her eating too much candy--she didn't sugar-coat anything! It was refreshing. I write down what I eat for Weight Watchers when I am being careful. I realize I need to write down what I eat every day, and examine when I have emotional eating instead of eating for health. I also need to confess every day and ask for God's help.

7. Sometimes we can conjure up our own imaginary scale with our so-called "Christian scorecard." Paul tells us in Philippians 3:4-7 that he held an impeccable score by all outward signs. And yet he counted it all as dung (v. 8 KJV). What did he trade it for? How did he estimate the real value of his works? How does this encourage you as a Christian? Paul traded it all (all his accolades and resume) for Christ. Paul wanted to "know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Philippians 3:10). This encourages me in my struggle to live as Christ wants me to live. Having things easy is not the answer. Paul says "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Carol

Theological Fitness, Part One

This blog has been on a sabbatical, due to my downsizing and moving to Alabama, but I knew when Aimee Byrd's second book, THEOLOGICAL FITNESS: Why We Need a Fighting Faith, came out that I would be blogging about it as I did her Housewife Theologian earlier. See HERE for the beginning of this 2013 series. Aimee in both books asks reflective questions at the end of each chapter. Buy your book from Amazon or wherever and reflect with me on her questions.

Chapter One is called "The Toughest Event on the Planet". Aimee compares physical prowess of her brother and daughter to the spiritual stamina we need to persevere. We need the body of Christ to persevere, and we need to be encouragers with other Christians.

Aimee's questions are in red and my answers are in black.

1. My previous church was actually named Pilgrim Presbyterian, which is a great reminder of my pilgrim status. What exactly is a pilgrim? How does this status make us different from the rest of the world?

Pilgrims usually banded together. Many Reformed churches consider that they are part of this old Pilgrim faith that came to America. I once asked my Florida pastor, Dr. Kenneth Talbot, what church represents the current Pilgrims and he said the Reformed faith are essentially in the line of the Jonathan Edwards type churches of the 18th century. Seeing that we love one another is part of this tradition and also is biblical according to John 13:35.

2. In Philippians 1:27 Paul tells us to stand firm in one spirit, with one mind. How does this exhortation play out when we are in disagreement over doctrine or practice? How important is theology to our Christian union?                                         

Truth needs to come before unity. In choosing a church in my new location, I considered how the pastor treats the Word of God. The first Sunday I heard Dr. Randall Jenkins preach, he made a definite biblical statement about biblical marriage and I was impressed. I also liked how he and the church had left the PCUSA and joined the Evangelical Presbyterian over unity with that old denomination. Truth prevailed, even though it cost them to get out of the PCUSA.

3. The imagery of an advancing line of legionnaires against the enemy is both bold and intimate. Do you have relationships in your church that foster the vulnerability, trust, and soldiering that this illustration represents? When you are with your Christian brothers and sisters, do you have this kind of selfless solidarity, or are you more concerned with how you've been offended by something or someone who's not measuring up?

 I have significant fellowship on the Internet and with email friends. I have selfless solidarity by texting with a couple in my Florida church. I am developing ties in the church I am attending in the new city I moved to in June. About being offended, I had a secular person call me a hypocrite recently and I just choose to not be offended; he thinks that Christians have to be perfect and giving by his standards and we never will be perfect until heaven.

4. Have you made a fighting effort to get to know Christ's bride?                                                                              
Yes I have. For example, recently I volunteered to teach Vacation Bible School Science lessons in the church I am attending. I also was so comfortable with this church that I decided to not roam the countryside Sunday mornings looking for the perfect church, and also wasting valuable worship experiences. 

5.  How does the worship service affect your ideas about what is ordinary and what is extraordinary? Is ordinary bad? Why do you think God has ordained such ordinary means to convey such extraordinary grace? 

I do not attend church for entertainment. I attend for instruction and worship. God wants us to worship him in Spirit and in truth. See John 4:24.     

6. Do you find that your involvement in technology has made it harder for you to pay attention? What are you sacrificing for the constant interruptions from media devices throughout the week? How does this compare to your willingness to be interrupted by the gospel?

Several months ago I visited a church where in the row in front of me two people were on electronic devices, and I mean they were not taking sermon notes as I have done on my notebook computer, and also they were not using these devices to look up Scripture. They were using a smart phone to text. If during the week we are always on an iPad or iPhone, we are missing real opportunities to communicate with people and to have them minister to us.

7. Is regular church attendance important to you? How about membership?

Attendance is essential unless I am sick.  My membership is in my Florida church as I am working on a counseling dissertation at the seminary connected with that church. Aimee emphasizes Hebrews 10:23-25 on corporate worship and I totally agree.

8. When was the last time you were encouraged to persevere? What difference did it make?

Scripture continuously encourages me to persevere. I held on to Romans 12:12 this last half year. The daunting task before me had been to downsize and get ready to move. After moving the perseverance has not stopped, as I have had the tasks associated with getting settled.  If I didn’t do certain things, I feel I would be sinning as the direction for my move seemed to be what God had intended. (See James 4:17.)

Aimee highlights our need to be there for others, watching our own motivation as we encourage them.  On page 36 she writes, “We are exhorted to lift up our own drooping hands as well as to pick one another up.”  And there are more gems to follow in the rest of the book, so comment here and get your book so we can lift up each other's drooping hands.

Carol