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Relationships in Christ

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

It seems that we often operate in relationships according to preconcieved ideas about how certain relationship is culturally defined, and thus deprive ourselves a great freedom to be found in Christ. A friend is only a friend, a brother is only a brother.

We do so out of fear, I believe, of having something on our hands that we cannot identify. Sometimes this is simply sound wisdom–desire to be transparent and not have our words and actions missinterpreted. Other times it can be stiffling.

In the body of Christ I see potential for relationships which, while retaining godly boundaries, also have a freedom to recieve whatever may be given, even if such the gift does not fit conventional definition of the given relationship. Case in point: David and Johnathan; friends? brothers? Or the opposite; perhaps one may have a relationship which does not ostensibly enjoy all or most of the benefits that relationships of that kind usually share–and yet this itself may be a source of peace and contentment. Case in point: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Hate is love? Love expressed as hate? Whatever Christ is describing here (which I continue to put a lot of thought into) it certainly is something that leads to blessedness as Christ’s disciple, and it is completely foreign to the respective definitions of worldly relationships.

Perhaps both of these things are brought about in various relationships in the body of Christ by a certain open-handedness, that is, a spirit of repentence that sees nothing as belonging to me, as I merit nothing, and everything to be a gift–insofar as it is given and not claimed–to be recieved with gladness as an expression of grace, but not sought after as the object of one’s desire. For there is one object and one goal in this life and the next: to “hold fast to the Head, through which the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments grows with a growth that is from God;” thus, the dynamic and otherwise ‘undefined’ relationships in the body of Christ.

Wisdom and Knowledge

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

In Proverbs 3 it is written that the Lord founded the earth by his wisdom, that he established the heavens by his understanding and by his knowledge the deeps broke open and the clouds dropped down the dew. Is this mere rhetorical devise to poetically speak of the power of God’s Word? I think not. There is certainly wisdom, knowledge and understanding that go into creating such a massively powerful and yet perfectly functioning and altogether beautiful and beneficial creation.

The writer of this proverb is telling his son that if wisdom, knowledge and understanding were what God employed to create all things good, then certainly it was sufficient to guide his life. This wisdom, certainly, is not of man but of God’s Word, his commandments that are referred to at the beginning of the Proverb.

In Colossians 2 it is written that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. “Hidden” would imply that they are not to be confused with what the world produces under the title of knowledge; this Paul refers to as philosophy and empty deciet following human tradition and the elemental spirits of this world.

What then should the Christian look for in seeking the wisdom from God? If it is hidden in Christ, then how is it revealed? And how does the son of the Proverbs find it? Is it not also said in Colossians that the mystery concerning Christ, though hidden for ages and generations past, is now revealed the saints, that is, those who believe? This mystery is that Christ is in us.

We are indeed the beloved children of God, and he does indeed desire for us to share in this same wisdom, knowledge and understanding that founded this very earth. Though hidden previously, it is now revealed to us by faith; that Christ through whom all things were made, and for whom we ourselves were created, indeed died in and for his creation, then rising to life that it might dwell in him. This is wisdom: Christ suffered, died, and lives, and we are in him.

Let us distinguish that which differs. In the first creation we see all physical things were made from God’s Word, and they were given to man to sustain him. In this is also earthly knowledge and wisdom, which is good insofar as it causes the knower to lean all the more on its author and sustainor. But we did not recognize God’s merciful providence in this and, leaning on our own understanding, grabbed hold of the creation for sustenance rather than trusting in the Creator with all our heart and not leaning on our own understanding. So we were lost without the pure wisdom of God, which is simply: “trust in me.” In the new creation, God himself must be revealed among men so that we might know what is true wisdom and knowledge–and it looks nothing like human knowledge.

But now it is in us, not just as a knowledge of wisdom, but a life of truth, that is, complete faith in God’s sovereign provision, giving our minds to the transformation of the new self being renewed according to the maker of the new creation, and abiding in the love of the Son, the Word, God’s Wisdom, as he abides in the Father.

Where then is angst? Why do we worry? Will he indeed make our paths straight or won’t he? Is the instruction of the Proverbs inticing and beautiful to you so that your soul longs for such a blessed life? Find it then in the Son, for there is no other. The one who made heaven and earth is the one who is transforming you to his likeness by giving himself to you by complete, chilklike faith in the heavenly Father.

Repentence

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

The secret to all the treasures of Christ is in repentence, the loss of the self. We desire love, the love of God, but we cannot love as long as we are trying to. Because love is of God, it is his business to love. The only way to have God in us is to live a life of repentance, losing the self to be filled by the spirit.