Done and done
I wish my name was B.J. I’ve always thought that it would be cool to have initials for a name. Like, B.A. Baracus. But B.J. is even better. You know, like B.J. Honeycutt from M*A*S*H, or B.J. and the Bear. Ya. If only my name was Bob Jack, Billy-Joe, or Bartholomew John. Then I could go by B.J. I wish, I wish, I wish...
Ok, in case you’re not aware, my name actually IS B.J. It stands for Bartholomew John. I’m one of nine kids, so my parents had to get creative. So, why did I start the post this way? It’s a reaction that I’ve had countless times when listening to “worship” music. So many songs have been written with lyrics like, “change me, take my brokenness and make me new, I surrender my lifeless life, I’m no good, be my everything…” I think you may have heard these too. Churches resound with these words. People gravitate towards songs asking for God to do something in their lives. That’s not a terrible thing. But there is a problem when people ask God to do something He has already done. Like wanting my name to be B.J.
This comes down to an understanding of the gospel (the good news) of Jesus Christ. What happened on the cross? What happened when He rose from the grave? What happened when He ascended into Heaven? What happened when the Spirit came during Pentecost? Without knowing more about what God has done already, it’s easy to ask for things previously accomplished. There isn’t room here to unpack the finished work of the cross - As we sing sometimes:
“Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment madeWere every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by tradeTo write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dryNor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.”
But, that should not stop us from trying. The next time you find yourself asking God for something, give some real consideration to the possibility that He’s already taken care of it. Do you want to be changed? The death of the Lord Jesus has made an end of sin. If you’ve trusted in Christ for forgiveness, then trust Him for deliverance too. You’ve been crucified with Him. The sin nature in you is no longer your master – even though it’s still there. (Romans 6-8) Start living as if that is true – because it is. Do you feel like offering your broken life to God? He won’t accept it. We are only “accepted in the beloved”. We are to offer up ourselves as “living sacrifices” – Not dead ones. Do you long for God to improve you – make you better? It won’t happen. “You must be born again.” Christ did not just come to renovate, He came to rebuild. You are a “new creation” in Christ. The new life has been put inside the old. But it will grow. Do you feel far from Jesus? Don’t believe it. HE, Himself has made you a branch on the Vine. You can’t cut yourself off.
I know how this may sound to you. You might be thinking, “if that’s true, why do I still feel the way I do?” or “this sounds like some weird name-it-and-claim-it thing”. Listen, regardless of your initial reaction, please consider this question: Are you exhausted trying to live the Christian life? There are three possibilities.1. You’re not, because you’ve never really tried.2. You’re tired and worn out from trying to live like Jesus, not actually becoming more like Him.3. You might be on the road already to a life of freedom, where the fruit of the Spirit is growing without human effort. The last option will only be the case when you begin to realize what Christ has done for you. Not what He will do, or might do. Consider Paul’s words from the letter to the Galatians:
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
There’s a whole lot of paste tense there. Jesus’ own words are “if the Son makes you free, you are free indeed.” Believe it. It’s still true even if you don’t.
BJ (not a wannabe)
Ok, in case you’re not aware, my name actually IS B.J. It stands for Bartholomew John. I’m one of nine kids, so my parents had to get creative. So, why did I start the post this way? It’s a reaction that I’ve had countless times when listening to “worship” music. So many songs have been written with lyrics like, “change me, take my brokenness and make me new, I surrender my lifeless life, I’m no good, be my everything…” I think you may have heard these too. Churches resound with these words. People gravitate towards songs asking for God to do something in their lives. That’s not a terrible thing. But there is a problem when people ask God to do something He has already done. Like wanting my name to be B.J.
This comes down to an understanding of the gospel (the good news) of Jesus Christ. What happened on the cross? What happened when He rose from the grave? What happened when He ascended into Heaven? What happened when the Spirit came during Pentecost? Without knowing more about what God has done already, it’s easy to ask for things previously accomplished. There isn’t room here to unpack the finished work of the cross - As we sing sometimes:
“Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment madeWere every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by tradeTo write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dryNor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.”
But, that should not stop us from trying. The next time you find yourself asking God for something, give some real consideration to the possibility that He’s already taken care of it. Do you want to be changed? The death of the Lord Jesus has made an end of sin. If you’ve trusted in Christ for forgiveness, then trust Him for deliverance too. You’ve been crucified with Him. The sin nature in you is no longer your master – even though it’s still there. (Romans 6-8) Start living as if that is true – because it is. Do you feel like offering your broken life to God? He won’t accept it. We are only “accepted in the beloved”. We are to offer up ourselves as “living sacrifices” – Not dead ones. Do you long for God to improve you – make you better? It won’t happen. “You must be born again.” Christ did not just come to renovate, He came to rebuild. You are a “new creation” in Christ. The new life has been put inside the old. But it will grow. Do you feel far from Jesus? Don’t believe it. HE, Himself has made you a branch on the Vine. You can’t cut yourself off.
I know how this may sound to you. You might be thinking, “if that’s true, why do I still feel the way I do?” or “this sounds like some weird name-it-and-claim-it thing”. Listen, regardless of your initial reaction, please consider this question: Are you exhausted trying to live the Christian life? There are three possibilities.1. You’re not, because you’ve never really tried.2. You’re tired and worn out from trying to live like Jesus, not actually becoming more like Him.3. You might be on the road already to a life of freedom, where the fruit of the Spirit is growing without human effort. The last option will only be the case when you begin to realize what Christ has done for you. Not what He will do, or might do. Consider Paul’s words from the letter to the Galatians:
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
There’s a whole lot of paste tense there. Jesus’ own words are “if the Son makes you free, you are free indeed.” Believe it. It’s still true even if you don’t.
BJ (not a wannabe)
posted by BJ at 11:55 a.m.
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