Post Brengle Reflection 2

I have been giving a lot of thought about this word "submission" in relation to the theme of holiness. For a large part of my Christian walk, my view of personal righteousness has been defined by the degree to which I have engaged in the spiritual disciplines. When I have struggled with sin, I have tried to overcome either by being more determined (try harder) or more devout (pray harder). Although, both are noble attributes, neither approaches have the power to make me a righteous man, as they are fundamentally centred upon what I do.

Don't misunderstand me, I am a firm believer in prayer and value the role of other spiritual disciplines (I have been greatly influenced by people like William Law, St Francis of Assisi, Thomas a' Kempis). But, I have come to realise that no amount of human effort can make me righteous; it is only by 'submitting' to the One who declares me righteous, because of what He has done, that makes me a righteous man.

So, what does submission mean? To "Submit" comes from the Greek word "hupotasso".

• hupo means "under"
• tasso means "to arrange"
• hupotasso means "to arrange oneself under"

To submit is to "arrange oneself under" the authority of another. Whenever this word is used in the New Testament, it is in context of relationship to another person. Rather than being a word that infers oppression, it is an act of the will to choose to humbly position oneself under the leadership of another. In the context of Christian faith, I willing choose to humbly position myself under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This willingness to submit to another is based upon a foundation of trust. I choose to put my trust in a Saviour who has the power to completely transform me into the person He has called me to be. When I submit to this divine relationship, it is then my most natural desire to commune with Jesus through prayer and the reading of His Word. The spiritual disciplines become a response to grace, rather than a means to grace.

Listen to these powerful words by former General of The Salvation Army, Frederick Coutts, from his book "The Splendour of Holiness":

"The first word in the Christian vocabulary is not struggle - but surrender; not one more try - but to yield to the divine will; not one more effort and this time you will make it - but to submit to another. For the gospel of Jesus does not begin with a call for a man to do something to save himself, but to cast himself without reserve upon him who has already promised to be his Saviour."

Post Brengle Reflection 1

During one of the sessions at Brengle, a comment was made about Romans 7 (the "I do what I don't want to do, and don't do what I want to do" passage) which really challenged me. In fact, I found myself strongly disagreeing with the comment. The comment was that this passage should not be interpreted as Paul's testimony, rather his description of Jewish Christians who were struggling with the inability of the law to empower them to do the good they wanted to do.

As I wrestled with this interpretation I found myself examining the source of my reaction. Was my disagreement a theological issue or an experiental issue? My self examination revealed to me that I found a sense of security, almost justification, in the thought that Paul shared the same perpetual struggle with sin that I did. I was confronted with the reality that my resignation to a lifelong struggle with sin was not Paul's experience, nor the experience that he was calling the Roman Christians towards. In fact, Romans 8 could be interpreted as Paul's testimony, rather than Romans 7. In Romans 8 Paul describes a life that is dead to sin and alive in the Spirit, where we are no longer controlled by the sinful nature, but by the Holy Spirit.

A Romans 7 driven life is one that is bound by the sinful nature and the constant struggle to do what we have the inability to do. Whereas, a Romans 8 driven life is one that is contolled by the Spirit who gives us victory over the sinful nature and empowers us to live a life of holiness - that is, fully sanctified! Such a life does not demand obedience to the law, but full submission to the Holy Spirit.

This time of reflection reminded my of the words of Joseph Prince in his book, "Destined to Reign":

"Awake to righteousness and sin not. When you believe that you are righteous even when you sin, your thoughts and actions will come in alignment with your believing. In contrast, believers who do not know that they are righteous even when they sin will remain in their cycle of sin." (Joseph Prince, Destined to Reign, 245)

I think that the struggle we have as Christians is based on a wrong foundation of belief. If I live out of the mindset that I am a sinner and will always be a sinner, then my behaviour will reflect that belief. However, if I believe that I am saved by grace, set free from the bondage of sin and filled with the Spirit, then my behaviour will that belief. Even when I do mess up, I remind myself that I am the righteous one of God (by His grace) and bring my behaviour into alignment with my transformed nature.

Fundamentally, it comes back to submission. When I am fully submitted to the Spirit, then I will walk in the Spirit.

Brengle Reflection 8 (12/8/09)

Holiness Covenant

Everlasting God, my Father and my Friend, You have loved me with an everlasting love, knowing all my sinfulness, rebellion, and unfaithfulness, and gave Your Son to die for me on Calvary.

When I wandered from You, You sought me by Your Spirit, won me to Yourself, cleansed my heart, and gave me power over the world, the flesh, and the devil. Since that time You have kept me by Your power, supplied my need, conquered my enemies, and bestowed on me unnumbered mercies; and now, through the merits of Your love and death, I enter into the Holiest Place, and humbly make this covenant with You.

Blessed Jesus, the world despises You, but I glory in You; the world hates You, but I love You; for Your sake I separate myself from the amusements, friendships, fashions, and sins of the world, and promise to follow You with all my heart, obey You with all my strength, cleave to You with all my affection, and fight for You all my days.

Here, now, in the presence of my comrades, deliberately and forever, I give You my body, that it may be Your temple; my life, that it may ceaselessly do Your will and bring blessing to those around me; my possessions, that they may be unselfishly held for the good of Your Kingdom; and my heart that it may love only what is good, true, benevolent, and beautiful in Your sight.

All I have, and all I hope to be, I lay upon Your altar, for joy or for sorrow, for prosperity or adversity, desiring that I may have the high privilege of sharing Your sufferings and the honour of bringing glory to Your name and Salvation to the precious souls for whom You have died. And I trust You, my Saviour, whose Precious Blood does just now cleanse me from all unrighteousness, to keep me clean, and present me faultlesss on the Great Judgement Day.

And now, O God, seal by Your Almighty Spirit this covenant which I have made; and grant to us that wisdom and strength which will enable me to keep these sacred vows even unto death. And so may the promises I make on earth be ratified in Heaven.

Amen.

Brengle Reflection 7 (11/8/09)

"Salvation is not just about saving people from hell, it is about restoring the image of God."

Each one of us has been created in the image of God, which has been marred by the stain of sin. Our sin damaged image causes us to have a lesser view of ourselves than what God intended, therefore, impacting the way we think and behave. When we view salvation as a restoration of that image, we begin to see ourselves as God sees us, as a reflection of His righteousness by the grace of Jesus Christ. We stand before God in our restored state "just as if we had never sinned" (justified by grace). This restored image of God in our humanity provides us with a new way of living; instead of living out of a foundation of brokenness, we live out of a foundation of righteousness. Holiness is the new reality in which we live where our human nature is transformed by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

Have a read of how Nazarene scholar, Mildred Bangs Wynkoop describes this transformation:

"Holiness is the moment by moment impartation of the life Christ to the human heart. In Him, not us, is holiness. This treasure is in earthen vessels - "pots of clay." In this, Wesley concurred. The humanness of men is not the real handicap, nor a matter for apology. Certainly it is not something to be discarded, either in this life or in the next. It is the human which is the basis for fellowship, the means for communication, the arena for displaying the reflection of the glory of God. Jesus was man, God incarnate, the ideal man, not the idealised man. In his own person he brought God and man together and showed us what man ought to be and can be by the grace of God."

What an awesome parallel of the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the life of holiness! The person of Jesus Christ, "who was truly and properly God and truly and properly man", personifies holiness in human flesh. When we sing, "To be like Jesus", we sing of a restored image of God in humankind that is God's intended reality for His children today!

Brengle Reflection 6 (10/8/09)

As Christian Leaders we are engaged in a spiritual battle where the evil one confronts us with trials and temptations that will attack our righteousness. Jesus was not immune from temptation and faced the very temptations that are common to humankind. In Luke 4:1-13, we read of His confrontation with temptation:

1. Temptation of INDULGENCE (Flesh) - wants, desires... [Luke 4:3]
2. Temptation of GRATIFICATION (World) - greed, opportunity... [Luke 4:6]
3. Temptation of the SPECTACULAR (Ego) - recognition, power... [Luke 4:9]

There was a final temptation that Jesus faced, which is a deeper, even more insidious temptation:

4. Temptation of SELF-DOUBT - "If you are the Son of God...?" [Luke 4:9]

This is an echo of the temptation Adam and Eve faced in the Garden of Eden - "Did God really say...?"Self-doubt is crippling, especially when it comes to the life of holiness. Satan causes Christian Leaders to doubt the righteousness that is credited to them by the grace of Jesus Christ by asking, "if you are who you claim to be, why can't you do it?" Yet, we have the promise from Scripture that God's "divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). When we believe the subtle lies of Satan, we deny the power that is within us through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit will often lead us to places where we don't necessariy want to go (wilderness), which is usually a place of vulnerability. It is in this place of vulnerability where "Holy Leadership" becomes grounded by the confrontation of this spiritual battle. However, it is in this place that God's divine power is made perfect as we are totally dependant upon the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, through His Spirit, to give us victory - "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12:9)

This session on "Holy Leadership", by Colonel Raymond Finger, was a sober reminder for all leaders to be on guard, as the enemy of our soul seeks to rob us from our righteousness, which comes from Jesus Christ.

Brengle Reflection 5 (9/8/09)

I surrender my life to your blood
I surrender my name for your glory
I surrender my heart to your will
I surrender my dreams to the plans you have for me
Thank you for showing me the emptiness of all I held on to
I surrender it all, I surrender my everything for you.

(Song written by Salvationist Phil Laeger)

Brengle Reflection 4 (8/8/09)

"Perhaps righteousness and justice are not sequential or competing ideas but expressions of the same love"

Traditional thinking and teaching on holiness has primarily focused on personal piety, religious conformity and/or sanctification (and all those other theological terms associated with holiness). However, there is another dimension of holiness that equally reflects the character of God. In Psalm 97:2, we read "righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne". God is both a holy and just God and requires His people to be likewise (Micah 6:8, Amos 5:24).

This session about the relationship between holiness and social justice particularly resonated with my spirit this morning, as we reflected on a "here and now holiness" that matters in a hurting and broken world. Throughout history, we read of people who personified this relationship, people like St. Francis of Assisi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr. These people, among others, demonstrated a devout and holy life through a lifestyle of social action. Their passion for justice was a natural out-working of their passion for God. "Perfect love not only works in us, but out of us".

The best expression of holiness immerses itself in engagement in the world!

Brengle Reflection 3 (7/8/09)

In establishing a theology of Holiness, we have spent much time examining and comparing the thinking of Calvin and Wesley and how their particular theology impacts our understanding of holy living.

A comment was made today that "our choosing matters when it comes to holiness", with a specific reference to Joshua who challenged Israel to "choose this day whom you will serve". This got me thinking about the impact of Israel's choice on this subject of holiness and the implications on Calvinist theology. Israel was God's chosen nation (God's sovereign will), however, were given a choice to serve God or not (free will). The outcome of their choice would determine their ability to take possession of God's promises, which were "predetermined" according to God's divine will for His chosen people. Throughout Scripture we see the impact of choice on holy living. God is holy and requires His people to be holy, however, the evidence reveals how often God's people rejected God's holiness, despite His sovereign will. This would be problematic for Calvanist thinking, as the fulfilment of God's sovereign plans and purposes hinged on the choices Israel made.

God is sovereign, and His will is perfect, however, it's fulfilment in my life is also dependant upon my cooperation with the work of the Holy Spirit, who alone has the power to fulfil God's purposes in my life. God is holy and calls me to be holy, and has given me everything I need for a life of holiness. The choice is mine whether or not to be obedient to God's call and embrace His grace and power to live a holy life. Therefore, it is true that "our choosing matters when it comes to holiness".

Brengle Reflection 2 (6/8/09)

Today we were asked the question why we think that holiness is no longer a prominent theme in The Salvation Army today; which is historically a part of the Holiness Movement? A number of potential causes were raised, from the move away from Holiness Meetings (Sunday & mid-week) to changes in theological perspectives.

Upon reflection, my feeling is that one reason (among many, I'm sure) may be related to the way Salvationists view themselves. There is a pervasive lack of self-esteem or self-worth among Salvationists that doesn't reflect the image of God among His chosen people. If our self-image is shaped by the patterns of this world, then our worship, discipleship, evangelism will be a response to this image. However, if our self-image has been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and we see ourselves as Saints of God, sanctified and free from the bondage of sin, then it stands to reason that our worship, discipleship, evangelism will take on a different flavour.

I am also interested in the impact that the over-emphasis by some evangelicals on the total depravity of humanity, even after salvation. Although, I am well aware of my humanity and my inherent sinful nature, I also believe that I have been set free from the bondage of sin by the grace of God and live in victory by the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I embrace the privilege and call to holy living as a major theme for my life, as I am convinced that God has "given me everything I need for life and godliness". Living out of a place of victory (even though I am still a sinner by nature), reshapes my pattern of thinking and increases my desire to pursue a life that reflects what Christ has done in me. However, if I live out of a constant state of defeat, then holiness seems unattainable and a theme too confronting for my spiritual journey.

Apply this theory to Salvation Army worship and ministry, it is easy to see how the theme of holiness can subtly diminish as we minister to people who perpetually struggle with their self-image and their view of God and the church. I am discerning a mis-alignment in our church between our knowledge of salvation and our belief in the actual power of salvation. Do we really believe that God can and will bring full salvation (to every area of life) to those who call on His name? Or do we see the Christian life as a continual struggle that will one day be resolved when we go to heaven?

Although, holiness is both a crisis and a journey requiring the perpetual grace of Jesus Christ, it can be a reality today, if we really believe that Jesus has "given us everything we need for life and godliness" to fulfil His call to "be holy, as [God] is holy".

Brengle Reflection 1 (5/8/09)

There is a lot of debate in the Christian church about "Holiness". Is it a crisis - that is, a moment in time where we are completely transformed into the image of Christ; is it a process - something that we grow into over a period of time; can it be obtained on this side of heaven; and where does the "2nd blessing" fit into holiness theology????

John Wesley and Samuel Logan Brengle would lean towards a crisis event, whereas, Frederick Coutts and Bramwell Tillsley would lean towards a process. The development of The Salvation Army's holiness doctine over the past century would span from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Without trying to simplify what has obviously been a difficult issue for theologians, I believe that they are all right! Holiness is both a crisis and a process that is manifested differently and to varying degrees in every Christian. One Christian may experience a "second blessing" or a dramatic life changing encounter with the Holy Spirit, whereas, another will take a lifetime to surrender full control of their life to the Spirit. The constant factor in the pursuit of holiness is the presence and power of the Holy Spirit who is waiting to release the fullness of His power in our lives. The variant is the willingness of the Christian to fully surrender to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we recieve the Holy Spirit (crisis), however, the degree to which we are transformed into a new being is directly proportional to the amount of access and control we are prepared to give the Spirit of our lives (process). Can the Holy Spirit transform us in an instant? Of course He can, He is God! But do we make Him Lord - that is, complete master of our lives? As much as we have free will to invite the Spirit into our lives, we also use that same will to hinder the work of the Spirit. It is a question of trust, obedience and lordship.

My observation is that often when a person has a particular encounter with the Holy Spirit, there is a tendency to assume that it should be the experience of all Christians, thus the variations in holiness teaching. I believe that holiness is the "privilege of all believers"; I believe in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to regenerate lives; I believe that holiness is an experience for today; I believe that holiness is expressed through "continued obedient faith in Jesus Christ", and evident through the manifestation of the "fruits of the Holy Spirit". It is my interpretation that holiness is a life of perpetual blessing, as we allow God the Holy Spirit to renew us every day.