Evangelism

We've been studying evangelism in our small group, and some concerns have come out of it. A big problem that I see is complacency, or not caring about other people's (including non-Christians) spiritual health. Everyone has to ask themself, "Do I really care about the spiritual well-being of the people around me, of my roommates, of my daily aquaintances, etc?" Examining myself I have seen that I don't care about other people in this manner as I should (not even close). 

So the next question would be: Why don't I care about other's spiritual health as I should? I think the heart of the problem is my own spiritual health not being where it should be. If I'm not healthy then I sure won't have any desire to make sure other people are healthy. While, if I'm in really great shape and super excited, then of course I'll be interested in others' well-being. The next question is: Why am I not as spiritually healthy? What is standing between God and me? Is there something that I haven't given up and still hang onto? I'm pretty certain I know what that is in my life, but I suppose each person has to ask that for themselves.

Another thought is that I don't think about others' spiritual health on a regular basis. It just doesn't come to mind; it's not on my radar. I'd say this isn't an excuse, but rather a red flag pointing back to the problem of my own spiritual health. I think this is an important "test" to conduct on yourself and see where you stand. Does the degree of your concern about others spiritually point out shortcommings in your own spiritual health?

Dealing with the Flesh

Romans 7: ²¹So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²²For in my inner being I delight in God's law; ²³but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

No matter how far everyone is in their walk, I think everyone can relate to Paul. When I think of a law I usually think of some sort of written or unwritten code or list of rules/etiquette. But one interpretation of "law" that I've heard applied to this passage is similar to the law of gravity. It's something that sort of naturally takes place. So by our very nature this law of sin works in us (the old self, or flesh) and causes us to fall. But once we enter the kingdom we receive the Holy Spirit and now God's law is in us. These two laws, or forces, seem to fight within us. Maybe it's like the law of diffusion working against the law of magnetic attraction to produce cell depolarization (for you Josh). Or it would be like living in a world which sometimes gravity works and sometimes it doesn't. It becomes a state of inconsistency and frustration, and sometimes it feels like that way in my life. Sometimes God's law prevails and sometimes the old law of the flesh prevails. It would be much easier and cause a lot less heartache if God allowed his new law to completely irradicate the old law in us. In the end I think God has us go through this process of gradual transformation to genuinely build us up and personally draw us closer to him.

2/21/09- God as Incomplete?

God created man in his own image; he created Adam to be like him. However, he also states that, "it is not good for man to be alone." Since we are created in his image, and it is not good for us to be alone, does it also follow that it is not good for God to be alone? If so, does this mean that God "needs" us, that he is somehow incomplete without us, as we are somehow incomplete without others? On the other hand, could God already be complete since he exists triunely? If so, why does he set out on this adventure to create mankind, which would some day betray him? He must value having a relationship with fallen people so much as to risk much heartache, pain, and some day his own son. This is some pretty hard stuff to wrap our brains around.