Tag Archives: Teachings of Jesus

Headlines, Questions & Identity

The news headlines in recent times have reminded us of the many complex, traumatic and horrendous circumstances facing the international community. At the same time, news headlines here in Ireland repeatedly reveal similarly complex, traumatic and tragic circumstances facing us in our own towns and cities.

Ireland has not experienced a military invasion like Ukraine. We are not directly experiencing a major conflict with national, regional and geopolitical ramifications like what is occurring in Gaza and Israel. Nor has our country deteriorated into civil war as is happening in Sudan.

But we are experiencing increasing instances of individual and group behaviour that a number of years ago would have been unimaginable. A young woman murdered while taking a daytime walk along a small town’s civic amenity. Small children lining up outside their Dublin school attacked by a man wielding a knife. People who may have been born in another country, many who have become Irish citizens, viciously attacked on our streets. The street violence, burning publicly owned vehicles, vandalising property and looting retail shops which took place on 23^rd November are further examples of how societal norms are under threat by those who seem to operate with a completely different worldview.

As a development and relief organisation, much of Tearfund Ireland’s work takes place in Ethiopia. Two years ago a major internal conflict in the northern part of Ethiopia cost thousands of lives, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and added further strain on the efforts to build resilience and reduce poverty in the region. Although that conflict has largely ceased, there are regions around the country in which ethnic tensions continue to boil over into disorder and violence. I recently spoke to an Ethiopian friend who, living in his hometown, commented that he doesn’t always feel safe in his own city.

The Tearfund Ireland office is located in a part of Dublin’s North Inner City which has been in the Irish headlines the last few months. Although none of our staff have had negative experiences, we are extremely aware of the risks and concerns frequently faced by people living and working in this area. Especially when a significant percentage of our team do not look or sound Irish born – because we’re not. But we have made our home here and desire to contribute to the overall good of Irish society.

This is one reason I am perplexed by what seems to be a common reaction whenever a tragic wrong is perpetrated against another person. Why does it seem that our first response is to attempt to blame someone in a position of authority? Why is our loudest public outcry to question why the Gardaí weren’t able to stop the crime from happening? At what point do we, as an Irish society, accept the fact that we need to begin having some difficult conversations?

Tearfund Ireland is a Christian organisation and, because of our faith perspective, we hold a conviction that the problems facing societies around the world are not unsurmountable. We believe all these problems are the result of an internal brokenness – a broken relationship between us and God, which affects all our relationships. But we also believe these broken relationships can be restored.

We work with people who are living in extreme poverty, suffering near-famine conditions, internally displaced and in conflict with their ethnically diverse neighbour. We have seen countless people in these circumstances experience a holistic transformation, where relationships are restored, resilience is built and they interdependently face the challenges of life with increased hope and esteem.

The similarities between our Irish headlines and that of our international neighbours reminds us that we truly are a global world. The brokenness, frailties and criminality of humanity are experienced by all. But these harmful outcomes of human brokenness do not have to be the final word of our collective story.

I believe God created all people in His image. Creation implies design. Design implies intent. Intention implies purpose. Therefore, since we have been created with a purpose, we have an opportunity, or responsibility, to co-create the society in which we live.

Let us search for creative solutions to the problems we face. Let us maturely and wisely interrogate the basis of the distorted, broken thinking which plagues our societies. Let us embrace our divine purpose and co-create a better future for ourselves and for the generations who come after us.

We are better than what we’re seeing in the headlines.

We can do better. We can become a better society.

Sean Copeland, 27 November 2023

Flight or Fight

Jesus had a remarkable ability to engage and captivate people from all walks of life. The stories he told revealed the nature of God, provided guidance for how to live and correction to long-held religious assumptions.

One of Jesus’ most well-known stories is the Good Samaritan (Lk 10.25-37). The continued popularity of this story, even among those who are not followers of Jesus, is likely due to its universal application and relevance. Jesus told the story to explain how to love one’s neighbour, but, like most of Jesus’ stories, the parable of the Good Samaritan is layered with multiple messages which we should be careful not to ignore.

In response to a question from someone asking, “…who is my neighbour?”, Jesus crafted a story about a man who was attacked, beaten, robbed and left injured on a roadside. Two people of religious status passed by the injured man, but a man who would have been considered an enemy is the one who stopped, gave first aid, transported the injured man to safety and then paid for additional care to be provided.

The actions of the characters in the story set up a drastic contrast which confronted the worldview of the listeners. The two people who, based on their vocation and status, would have been expected to stop and give assistance chose not to stop and help. The reasons for their inaction were not mentioned but could have been assumed based on their religious traditions. Perhaps they were on religious business and did not want to become ‘unclean’… Perhaps they feared for their own safety…

Even if the men in the story did not help because they feared doing so would put them in danger, difficulty or inconvenience; their perspective was flawed. By choosing not to help, when they had the opportunity to do so, these religious leaders failed to demonstrate love. At the conclusion of the story Jesus’ answer to the question was clear, the neighbour was the one who demonstrated mercy to the injured man.

In a different lesson, Jesus warned about another group of people at the opposite end of the spectrum; those who deliberately seek to do harm.

In John 16.2 Jesus warned his followers of the harm that would likely come to them at the hands of others. He says, “…a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.”

Here Jesus warns about a group of people who are so committed God they are willing to kill another person and believe doing so is a service to God. From their perspective, these people are convinced of their own righteousness which gives them permission to inflict harm on another person who has a different view, belief, or practice of devotion to God.

In the first story (Lk 10.31) the religious worldview chose to ignore someone who had been harmed, but in the second example (Jn 16.2) the religious worldview chose to inflict harm. Both choices stemmed from a worldview that was based in some form of devotion to God and both groups, it was implied, felt they were justified in their decisions. But Jesus made it clear that both were wrong. In Luke 10.37 he said the people didn’t demonstrate love and in John 16.3 he said the people don’t know him or the Father.

While it may be easy to hear of these two negative examples and respond with something like, “Oh, those are two extremes, I’m not like either of those.” It may be helpful to take time for critical reflection.

Have we ever chosen not to act when we could have done something to help another person who was in need?
Have we ever kept a distance from someone because they were from a different culture, ethnic or religious background?
Have we ever ‘cancelled’, spoken critically of, or distanced ourselves from someone because they disagreed with us?
Have we aligned ourselves with someone who justifies their abusive or violent behaviour against someone else?

We’re familiar with the defence mechanisms of Fight or Flight. In relationships we employ these through the manoeuvres of attack or withdraw. It is important to remember that these mechanisms are based in fear. When we make decisions based on fear, we are not making decisions from a posture of love.

The first group mentioned above operated in Flight. They were, in some way, afraid of what would happen if they got involved so they withdrew from the person in need. The second group operated in Fight. They were afraid of someone expressing their love for God differently from their own and their means of dealing with this fear was to attack, harm or even kill. Neither of these actions are borne out of love. Neither action demonstrates concern or mercy for our neighbour.

At the risk of over-simplifying, our daily decisions lie somewhere along a spectrum between inaction or action, flight or fight. Regardless of our background, culture, or perspective we each have opportunities to demonstrate mercy, compassion and love to someone in need. That person may be a work colleague, someone who lives on our road or someone who is our global neighbour. Right now, many of our global neighbours need us to demonstrate our compassion for them.

Love does not ignore people in need. Love does not harm (Rom 13:10). Love does not fear because perfect love casts out fear(1 Jn 4:18).

Let us continue learning from Our Father, seeking his grace to demonstrate love to others as he has loved us.

Sean Copeland, November 2023

Giving Thanks

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess 5.16-18)

“You expect me to do what?!” My friend seemed incredulous. She was deeply upset. We were discussing her distress and she was seeking my guidance. My suggestion confused her and, I gathered from her demeanour, angered her.

“How could you expect me to praise God for this?”

She had been expressing the lingering pain from a relationship breakdown and I was attempting to help her break the cycle of bitterness that was evident in her language – although she was unaware of this evidence. My suggestion was that she simply begin thanking God for his goodness every time she experienced a painful memory.

This is a practice I have been attempting to form into a habit in my own life.

Many years ago, I wise friend guided me through the reasons for being intentional in giving thanks to God in all circumstances. I had experienced a deep hurt which had impacted every area of my life. The pain and confusion would regularly return and, it felt, I would never really ‘get over’ it. One of the significant healing moments was when a friend asked me, “Is God only worthy of your thanks when things are going well?”

His question made me realise that when I focused on my own hurt, I did not relate with God very well. In fact, I usually forgot he was with me. When I felt the pain of the memories, I became self-absorbed. I would often repeat the conversations and each replay provided further reasons to feel justified in my hurt which increased my anger, which led, I’m sorry to admit, to a growing bitterness. My friend’s question forced me to realise that not only was I behaving very selfishly, but I was also ignoring God at a time I needed him the most.

Since that realisation, I have attempted to practice the three instructions Paul gives the Thessalonian Church: Rejoice, Pray and Give Thanks. These three practices, taken as a group, are a wonderful way, I have found, to break through the walls of bitterness and dismantle the infrastructure of self-reliance.

Rejoice always. I have much to celebrate. Even if life throughs me a curve ball or I come up against an unforeseen obstacle, there is great freedom in remembering that all things will work out for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28). And, the act of rejoicing, even in difficult times, is quite different from optimism. While optimism may be broader trait, or tendency of personality, rejoicing is a decision, an intentional act.

Pray without ceasing. I will not pretend to have grasped this but the writings of Desert Fathers, and contemporary mystics have created in me a thirst for a life of prayer. Daily habits of scriptural meditation, scripture memory and trigger prayers are helping form within me an ongoing awareness of God and interaction with Holy Spirit. The more I am able to consciously work toward this unconscious consistency, the less I find myself able to indulge in the harmful negativities of life.

Give thanks in all circumstances. To grasp the import of Paul’s instruction more fully, it is essential that we move beyond merely having an attitude of thankfulness. Having an ‘attitude of gratitude’ may be helpful baseline, but I believe we must learn the discipline of actually giving thanks – of verbally expressing thanks – in all circumstances.

This is where I felt the challenge from my friend all those years ago. It is easy to thank God for a situation that has worked out well, a particular blessing, or a joyful experience. But it is not so easy to give thanks to God in a difficult situation. Even though I would say he is always good, when I’m in a difficult situation it can be hard to stop and remind myself to give him thanks. But doing so, gives him honour, helps me keep my eyes off my circumstances and helps me realise that the entirety of my life is bigger than what I feel in this singular moment.

The fact that we are in a singular moment in time leads to possibly the most important principle to the act of thanking God in all circumstances. Regardless of how long it may feel, the time we spend in a struggle, a painful experience or a loss is a relatively short period of life. I am learning how beautiful it is to give God my thanks and praise when I’m in the middle of difficulties. My intentional choice to verbally thank God for his goodness while I’m hurting, confused or struggling is a gift I will never be able to give God once these emotions pass. Once the moment passes, I will be able to thank God that he was there while I was in the challenge. But when I’m in the challenge, struggling to find a way through the fog of confusion or wrestling with gut-wrenching disappointment, my ‘sacrifice’ of thanks expresses my thanks for his goodness with a genuine authenticity and humility that I’ll never be able to recreate. I want to become a man who can honour God with the glory he is due, regardless of how I may feel in challenging circumstances of life.

“I’m doing much better. I feel a new freedom and my relationship with the Lord is more real.” It had been several months since I’d seen her, and she looked like a different woman. “I’ve been trying to give thanks in all circumstances, and it is changing my perspective.”

She, too, is learning the blessing of rejoicing always, praying consistently and giving thanks in all circumstances.

Sean Copeland, September 2023

Wisdom of the Righteous

I was busily getting things out of the car so we could get down to the beach. It was a gloriously warm afternoon. We were on holidays in Spain and had been in the car all day. We were all ready for the water. As I was pulling bags from the car one of the kids gasped while another said, “I can’t believe he just did that!”. I turned around to see what was causing the commotion and saw a very old-looking man walking away from a car. My wife said, “He’s just taken the keys out of that car”.

I hadn’t seen what happened but the rest of my family did. The owner of the car had left the windows were open. The man was walking away from the car in a hurried manner. He was old and used a walking stick – so even though it was clear he was trying to walk quickly he wasn’t making speedy progress. My wife repeated what she’d seen and, with an authority that only wives can muster, resolved that something must be done. Her brave conclusion was that I had to stop him and get the keys back.

It was all a bit surreal. This was a small car park beside a beach. It was in the middle of the afternoon. I hadn’t seen the man take anything. I just wanted to go swimming.

With my wife’s increasing determination, and my children watching to see how I would handle the situation, I knew I had to do something. I searched my memories to see if I could remember confronting a thief who was caught in the act. I wasn’t sure what I would say to him. I know enough Spanish to get by on a family holiday. Uno momento…. La quinta por favour…. Gracias…. But I hadn’t learned anything like: “Excuse me sir, but did you just take something from that car?” It simply never occurred to me that I’d need to use such a sentence on my holiday.

Still unsure of what I would say, I made my way toward the man. I intercepted his haltingly rapid exit and, pointing at the car, asked him (in English) if he had taken something from the car. Muttering something in Spanish he looked from me, to the car and back to me. I hesitated because I didn’t know what he was saying, but he just stood there looking at me. It was clear to me he didn’t speak English but I pressed on. Once again I pointed at the car and then to him and then back to the car while asking him if he took something from the car. Whatever was going through his mind he seemed to know what I was saying because he took a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to me. He continued mumbling untranslated Spanish as he turned away and resumed his hasty retreat.

My wife & I found the car’s owner and explained what had happened as we returned the keys. On the walk to the beach we reminded our kids of how it didn’t matter that we didn’t speak the same the language because the man knew he had done something wrong. I told them that knowledge of right and wrong is not restricted to English or Spanish – it is understood within the language of the heart.

As we spoke to them I was reminded of a recent time of prayer. I’d been reading Luke 1.17 which speaks of the “disobedient being drawn to the wisdom of the righteous”. I had asked God to teach me about a wisdom that would cause the disobedient to seek out the righteous. What level of wisdom would it take for those who are disobedient to be drawn to, attracted to the righteous? As is typical for me, I presumed I would need to tap into some higher level of wisdom or some yet unexplored level of divine creativity that would cause the disobedient to experience an “Ah-Ha” moment.

But this experience with the Spanish man and the car keys was not some mystical feat of divine engineering. It was a simple matter of right and wrong. God used it to teach my children. He used it to teach me. I hope the old man has learned a lesson too! The bonus for me is that this was not only an answer to my prayer – but it is an illustration of how God intends for His people to display His wisdom (Eph 3.10) in such a way that those who don’t yet know him would be drawn to him (Lk 1.17).

Experience & Becoming

In my job I do a lot of driving. I may be visiting customers or trying to gain new ones, but I will often drive to locations I’ve never been. In recent years I’ve become a fan of Google Maps. Not only does it give good directions (apart from mispronouncing Irish names & locations!) but the ability to switch to street view is real benefit. Being able to ‘see’ the geography around the customer’s location makes the last few minutes of a journey much easier. Seeing a photograph of the entrance to the building before I arrive helps me know what to look for which saves time and potential hassle.

But, no matter how beneficial a photograph may be, I would be foolish to presume I know all there is to know about the geography around the location. For starters, the photo may be several years old and the environs may have changed. Even if it hadn’t changed, there are any number of things which could make my experience different from the perceptions I made from a photograph.

Just because I ‘see’ something doesn’t mean I understand all there is to understand about it. Even if I know the destination from photos, maps or descriptions of others, I won’t actually ‘know’ it until I’ve experienced it for myself.

This principle is applicable to so much of life and it is especially true of our relationship with God. Just because someone shows us a picture, or tells us a story, about God does not mean we have a full, complete, understanding of who God is.

One of the biggest challenges for Christians today is the access we have to content about God. It is possible that we could be the most biblically educated generation in history. That may be an overstatement but the prevalence of teachings, books, devotionals, variety of translations, on-line videos and smart phone apps means we can be exposed to as much biblical material as we desire.

Yet, I still wonder, how much do we truly know of God from our own, personal experience of Him? How deep have we gone with him in the privacy of our own prayer closet? How intimately do we know Holy Spirit’s voice? How responsive are we to follow, simply because we recognise it is Him speaking?

I don’t want to be someone whose history with God is based on the stories told by someone else. I don’t want my experience of Him to be reliant on a ‘photograph’ of a destination taking by someone else. Nor do I want the extent of my experience in Him to be curtailed by the limits of others. I have never been one to settle for the status-quo and I refuse to accept mediocrity in my journey with Jesus.

I will pursue His Word and the life-giving promises He’s given. I will seek to believe, to learn and to understand all He has spoken so I can live worthy of the calling I’ve received. I will seek the presence of His Kingdom that I might know the whole measure of His fullness within me. I will pursue the growth of my faith through the declaration and demonstration of His love, power and wisdom. Where my faith is lacking or my understanding falls short I will fall on the grace and mercy of the One Whom I believe.

I extend an invitation to all who share similar desires. Let’s explore the possibilities of faith together. Let’s ask Holy Spirit to stir up a hunger and passion for more of Him. Let’s commit to encourage and support one another in this journey toward transformation. And let us know the One we believe so we can become all He desires us to be.

Exploring IN Christ

When I was about 8 years old my family moved house. Along with a bigger garden the house had a full basement. I remember the day I discovered the ‘secret room’ in the basement. Looking back now, I don’t remember how long we’d been in the house before I discovered the secret room, but it must have been a number of months. I remember the surprise at realising this room had always been there, I just hadn’t seen it. There were two mains areas of the basement. In one my parents had installed the washing machine & dryer so it was called the ‘utility room’. Off this room was a door that led to the ‘furnace room’ where the air conditioning and water heater were kept. This room was off-limits to us kids.

But one day, I explored. To my surprise, on the other side of the furnace was another door. I knew I shouldn’t be there but I couldn’t resist. I opened the door to see a labyrinth of my grandfather’s word-working tools. It almost a Narnia-type entrance into another world. This is where my granddad would disappear for hours at a time. This is the place those shelves were made, doors were repaired and picture frames were crafted. I loved the smell of the timber, the feel of the natural materials and the concept that this is where an idea could be fashioned into reality. This became a new hide-away for me. My granddad knew I was exploring his ‘workshop’ but he never let on that he knew.

The discovery of this room has similarities with our current discussion of the presence and purpose of Holy Spirit. I’ve always known He’s in me, with me and guiding me. But, the wording of many Scriptures is leading me more deeply into rooms of the house that are yet undiscovered.

“In Christ all the fullness of God lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ” (Col 2.9f)

“All things are yours… and you are of Christ and Christ is of God.” (1 Cor 3.22)

“When he has put everything under his feet…then the Son himself will be made subject to him [God] who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor 15.28)

“…that you may be filled to the whole measure of the fullness of God.” (Eph 3.19)

These statements from Paul are reminders of Jesus’ declaration in his prayer before he was crucified:

“… just as you are in me and I am in you; may they also be in us… I have given them the glory you gave me that they may be one as we are one…” (Jn 17.21-24)

There is much to discover in these verses. Let us not be constrained by false boundaries that restrict us exploring the depth and meaning of what it means to be ‘IN Christ’ or what it means for Christ to be IN us. Let us not fall into the temptation of resting in what is theologically familiar. Rather, let us embrace the desire to explore the fullness of God’s promises. Let’s unite our hearts in faith and spur one another on to pursue the depths of what it means to live IN the fullness of God.

Foreshadows IN Christ

The Old Testament story of God’s people wandering around the wilderness provides many lessons for us today. There are many aspects to our relationship with God that have a foreshadow in the Old Testament. Scholars use the term foreshadow to describe an event or situation that finds its fulfilment in the life and ministry of Jesus. One such significant foreshadow is the fact that God dwelt among the people – He dwelt with them.

In God’s earliest interactions with Abraham, Isaac & Jacob He revealed Himself TO them. Each time He spoke to them, He revealed a little more of His nature and character. But, it was always at a distance. Even His conversations with Abraham were at intervals of several years.

When Moses first encountered God, he had to ask, “Who are you?”. Through the confrontations with Pharaoh Moses learned to trust God. So much trust was gained that when God gave Moses the job of leading the people out of Egypt, Moses said, “Not unless you go with us.”

God honoured that request. Not only did He go with the people, he gave instructions for a special tent which would be a dedicated space for God to dwell among the people. It became known as the Tent of Meeting.

Our familiarity with the story could result in our overlooking the significance of God dwelling with the people – but, that would be to our detriment. God chose to, somehow, locate Himself among the people. In so doing He was there to guide their movements, give instruction, provide for their needs and initiate relationship. God dwelt WITH the people. This was a foreshadow of what God intended to reveal through the person of Jesus.

Jesus was God in the flesh (Jn 1.14). He came to perfectly and completely reveal the Father’s nature, character and desires (Hb 1.3). Jesus lived with the people, he grew up in a family, he was one of them – yet He was without sin (Hb 4.15). In Jesus, God revealed Himself WITH the people.

So, with the Patriarchs, God revealed Himself TO people. But through Jesus, He revealed Himself WITH people.

The implications of the foreshadowing go even deeper. God did not intend to only reveal Himself WITH people – His intention was to reveal Himself IN people. His intention was that the Tent of Meeting would be a representation of His interaction within the spirit of each of His children. His intention was to always be available to guide our movements, to instruct us in life’s decisions, to provide for our every need and to maintain intimate relationship.

From the release of His presence on the day of Pentecost, Holy Spirit has been available to enter the spirit of every believer and reveal Himself IN us. This presence of Holy Spirit is the deposit which guarantees our inheritance; the seed which brings to life all things spoken by the Father and provision for our access to the fullness of God.

God is revealing Himself IN the believer.

Basic Principles of the World

The Greek word for Believer comes from the same word which means ‘faith’ or ‘trust’ and is translated largely based on its context. The term ‘believer’ is only used a handful of times in the New Testament, but its use to describe a follower of Jesus has become quite common.

I like this word. Believer. It carries the definition of who we are as Christians. We believe therefore we are believers. Belief, trust and faith are the fundamental building blocks of our DNA. This is why I find it so important to revisit belief.

Sometimes, we can lose the confidence of our belief. Sometimes, our hearts become crowded with the day-to-day which can lead to a dilution of our relationship with Holy Spirit. And, unfortunately, we can sometimes allow our thinking to be influenced by those who are not believers – even though we may not be aware of this happening. As a result, we can become lulled into thought patterns and systems of belief that are not Christian.

Paul reminds us of the importance of protecting our hearts. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy that depends on human tradition and the basic principles of the world, rather than on Christ” (Col 2.8).

I am reminded of an old tree which has become hollowed.

On the outside it is tall with a lot of limbs, branches and budding leaves. It gives the impression of a sturdy tree with internal substance and strength. But, a large gap is at its base and one can see straight through the tree. Hollow and deceptive. The deception is in the assumption the tree is strong, substantial and robust. The reality is the inside is hollow – weak, of little substance and fragile. Just like many of the philosophies that shape the culture in which we live.

For example, there is a world-view that demands open-mindedness – yet insists on silencing those who differ. There is a pervading push toward inclusivity – but it labels those who disagree as having a phobia or being hateful. There is an increasingly common world-view that says there is no such thing as ‘wrong’ – just don’t do wrong to me.

These, and many other philosophies, are based on purely human ways of thinking. While there may be an appearance of wisdom or even an element of truth within the initial premise, the conclusions are inconsistent and the implications are unsustainable. Most of these philosophies are based on human ways of thinking or on the basic principles of this world. As such, the popular views of culture fall far short of the principles of heaven. Yet, the believer can be influenced by the current trends of thought.

However, as we’ve been reading in Colossians, the Believer is in Christ. We have been rescued from the dominion of darkness (Col 1.13) where we were once alienated but have now been reconciled (Col 1.21-22). Jesus is the supreme authority and he is ‘in’ every Believer (Col 1.27). As such, we have access to fullness of God in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority (Col 2.10). Through this relationship with Jesus we have died to the basic principles of this world (Col 2.20) and they no longer have mastery over us.

He Gave the Right (pt 1)

When we talk about God or church in intimate, family terms it can sometimes be a little uncomfortable for people. But, when discussing those who believe, the imagery and language of family is used throughout scripture. The family of believers. God as Father. God as Daddy (see post). The believer as a child of God. Believers as brothers and sisters. One verse that clearly articulates the reality of the believer as a child of God is John 1.12.

“To all who receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”

The clarity of this statement carries significant meaning and promise. It states that being a child of God is available to anyone – to all who receive him. But, it also indicates that becoming a child of God requires a response from us. He has cleared the way. He has made it possible. The invitation is open to all. But in order for someone to become a child of God, they must first come to a place where the heart is open to receive and then ready to believe.

“To all who receive him, to those who believe in his name…

There are steps in the process toward belief. Rarely do we simply arrive at belief. The path toward belief is a journey. Some people may traverse the path quickly. Others seem to explore the path more cautiously; and some examine the path judicially. But along the journey to belief, we go through the process of receiving him (see post). In order to receive Him, we must first be receptive. Open and willing to receive. Then, once we’ve opened ourselves to receive Him, the path toward belief is made clearer. Our hearts cannot be open to believe Him if they are not yet open to receive Him.

Believing and receiving introduces a Right.

Then, once someone has arrived at belief, God extends to them the right to become a His child. The RIGHT. The idea of us having a Right to become His child adds a layer to what I’ve previously understood about how God brings us into His family. Namely, that being identified as His child was an automatic part of believing & receiving. The act of Justification (Jesus’ righteousness conferred on us) is a theological principal that defines a supernatural, spiritual reality. We were crucified with Christ (Gal 2.20); re-born by the Spirit (Jn 3.5-6) so he old has gone, the new has come (2 Cor 5.17). Becoming a child of God occurs within this new exchange.

Yet, this idea of us having a RIGHT to become children of God introduces another dimension. At one level becoming a child is a spiritual reality that occurs as part of a miraculous supernatural process. On another level, becoming a child is a right we must choose to exercise.

Testimony of the Witnesses

“You are my witnesses…so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.” (Is 43.10).

Jesus tapped into this passage from Isaiah when he told his followers to be his witness (Acts 1.8) and when he commanded them to teach everyone to obey all he instructed (Mt 28.18-20). Teaching others to obey includes sharing his goodness and demonstrating his love in such a way their eyes and ears will be opened to see and hear the goodness of God. But, on a personal level, we will increase in our own belief, learning and understanding of who He is as we declare and demonstrate the nature of God.

Jesus lived as a witness to the heart, character and nature of the Father. His life was a perfect representation of God (Hb 1.3). He also said that anyone who looked at him, would see the Father (Jn 14.9). This is the life we are called to replicate; to live as witnesses of God; to become witnesses of God.

The Hebrew word for witness contains an element of testimony or giving evidence within the definition. The New Testament Greek word for witness also contains a legal, evidence-based meaning. So, to be a witness, means to tell the story, to give testimony to the nature and acts of God. As we testify, we give evidence of his character so others may believe and understand He is God. In the process, we reaffirm and deepen our own belief – which increases our understanding – and helps us to become more like him.

There are a lot of ways the Church has embarked on this task of witnessing about God. But, rather than attempting a programme or strategy, being a witness of God is more authentic when we know WHO we believe. When we know Him, our testimony is an overflow of his love, mercy, goodness and kindness we’ve experienced. Simply talking about WHAT we believe does not carry the same life-giving power.

Our role as witnesses of God is to represent Him; to reflect Him. We can only accurately reflect him to the extent we are being transformed into His likeness (1 Cor 3.18). Therefore, our purpose is to become transformed into His image so He lives through us (Gal 4.19). At all times being sensitive to Holy Spirit who leads and empowers us for service until we are filled with the whole measure of the fulness of God (Eph 4.13) and, together, display the manifold wisdom of God (Eph 3.10). Then, as witnesses who prove the wisdom of God (cf Lk 7.35) those who ‘see and hear’ will recognise the life of God through us, respond to it by applying faith and come to believe that He is God.

In the process, we increase in our understanding of WHO He is.

SeanCopeland.org

Learning to Live Up to What We've Already Attained