Christian Life

You Know You’re an Unglorified Saint if…

Kirk E. Miller

You know you’re a legalist if you place more focus on externals than internals, if you give specific applications (personal standards) the weight of biblical principles, if you’re judgmental of and view yourself as more spiritual than those who have different convictions than you, if you substitute rules or standards for Christian maturity (having rules tell you what to do rather than making spiritually mature-based decisions), if you make rules to be the third person of the Trinity rather than the Holy Spirit (aka, you believe in works sanctification), or if your believe God’s favor on your and your spirituality is based on your performance rather than grace.

You know you’re an antinomianist if you claim victory over death and hell but don’t care at all about victory over sin, if you redefine “Christian liberty” to mean you can live whatever way you want, if to you sin only means something that God forgives, if you have life by the Spirit yet you do not live in the Spirit, if you desire saving grace apart from sanctifying grace, if you prefer easy believism over repentant faith and living with Christ as your Lord, or if you make the Gospel a portioned influence in your life rather than the description of your life.

You know you’re a hypocrite if you judge others harshly but never inspect your own life, if you don’t practice what you preach, if you don’t preach what you practice, or if you have high external standards but low internal ones.

You know you’re an unglorified saint if you struggle with these.

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* Originally posted on former blog, I’m Calling Us Out.

“Blessings” Redefined by Persecution

Kirk E. Miller

Matthew 5:10-12 – Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

This whole thought of persecution challenges our concept of the word Blessings. It causes the word to go much deeper from something temporal to something spiritual (Romans 15:27) and indeed eternal. If blessings only spoke of temporal things, then could we even say that the persecuted are blessed? Persecution causes us to be dependent on God (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) and poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). That is a state of blessing–a take on “blessing” that is rather foreign to most.

1 Peter 4:12-14 – Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

Cf. John 15:18-20; Acts 14:22; 2 Cor 4:8-11; 2 Timy 3:12.

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* Originally posted on former blog, I’m Calling Us Out.

“Before the Morning” by Josh Wilson

Kirk E. Miller

Josh Wilson presents some great truths regarding present suffering, trials, and pain that believers may and will experience. Much of what his song, “Before the Morning,” says comes from the truths of Romans 8.

Romans 8:16-18 – The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

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Define Worship

Kirk E. Miller

What is worship?

Worship is our response to God and who He is. Therefore, worship is based on God and His character, not us (Revelation 4:8, 11; 5:12-13).

However, worship involves the worshiper. It involves response to God. Therefore, worship, being about God, still involves us and our worship. Yet our worship of Him is a response based on who He is. And therefore, worship remains all about Him. Thus, we, the worshipers, are to be all about Him.

Consequently, worship is not what we decide to make/define it. It’s what ought makes/define us. We ought not worship a god we simply desire to worship or worship the God in a way we desire to worship Him. Who God is ought not only define the content of our worship (God) but the manner in which we worship Him.
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Love is Not Selfish

Kirk E. Miller

When you first read the words, “Love is not selfish” you may have immediately thought of 1 Corinthians 13, frequently called “the love chapter.” However, these words actually never appear there. Yet, I still believe this statement is very true. Even from Paul’s words one can see this principle: “Love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant” (v.4) and “It does not insist on its own way” (v.5). Let us take a brief look at what I believe is a vital characteristic of true love.

Our culture has taken the word love and distorted it completely. I’m not taking just about the fact that it has made love synonymous with physical romance, but the fact that it has subtly made love into something selfish. What do I mean by this? Love has come to mean “strongly appreciating someone for loving you as much as you do.” We only “love” those who please us. We only “love” the actions and attributes of another that benefit us. We “love” them because we like being loved.
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