James Stalker, Life of Christ, para 113
I will endeavor to Stalker's attributes of Christ's nature, as it is fascinating, and then add discussion to his points; partially it is a bit easier to write out than my "deeper look" series, and makes a nice break from studying quite as hard.
The above mentioned paragraph from Stalker's book is one of the most eye catching for me personally. In the description of Christ's attributes, you see the examples of how He would have us live, with Purpose, Love to Men, Love to God, Faith, Originality--though I am not certain the Originality as described by Stalker is one that we could achieve, being mere humans.
Love to God, I would say, should certainly be our first goal as my reader probably already is aware of, especially as Christ Himself stated it as the most important rule, followed by the Love to Man. Intriguing that while this is the single most important and best attainment we can manage, it is so rarely on the goal list of people--we are more concerned with careers and worldly things than are we of heavenly things:
He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10.27 ( NIV )
It is side effect of the Love of God that will taint the rest of our actions, thoughts and dreams. Wherein the wickedness of the hardhearted, evil man spreads throughout his life as yeast will spread through bread, all the more so will the Love of God move through us. God's power is infinitely more powerful than the wickedness of the fallen angels and of fallen man, and so by leaning on our love of Him, we can perhaps put a better foot forward in honor of God.
It is so much effort to remember to think of God at all times. Quite often one has to physically force themselves to work on remembering Him, to put forth the effort of study, prayer, praise--the whole nine yards as they say. It should be easy, shouldn't it? We have the blessing of the Spirit with us, and yet we "forget" that still, small voice, often until some disaster befalls us. When we do pay attention to God, it is an effort, because as we work on learning more about Him and studying hard, it is actually hard work. It is not a flippant effort, it is hard, mental work--even with His Spirit helping us, teaching, pointing out connections between passages and verses scattered all about His great Word as lightening leaps across the skies, highlighting passages with such brightness and vividness as to blind us. It is a relaxing hard work, a paradox there in that it soothes our souls, but it remains an effort to concentrate of the study of God when the gods and pleasures of the world shout as loud as they can at us.
2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12 ( NIV )
We have to admit, however, that there are things we do not understand, since He is not made in our image, we are made in His; therefore there are a great many things we cannot comprehend. It would be rather like a two week old infant attempting to understand high physics. The baby does not have the language or the capability to do the work. The baby is not an idiot, certainly, but the distance between the knowledge base of the infant, which is all very well and normal for an infant, will be unable to study and contemplate the knowledge base of the physicist; it would be foolishness to expect that the infant could understand this higher science.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. Isaiah 55.8 ( NIV )
I love how God understand us, knows what our experiences are like; firstly because He is God and He surely could understand everything anyway, but secondly because He lived on Earth.
Christ had to face the feeling of being abandoned by God, probably worse than we ourselves ever will face, since in my experience it isn't so much that God isn't answering us, it is that we have gotten so far away from Him we cannot hear Him calling back to us as we cry out. There on the cross, though, facing great pain, humiliation, abandonment, loneliness, He faced being alone
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"). Matthew 27.46 ( NIV )
Somehow knowing He knows what it is like to live in a rotten, spoiled creation is helpful to one struggling through the day to day toils and tribulations. It makes love towards God easier, knowing He knows what it is like.
Regardless of one's walk in life, whatever trials we have, we often find people not helpful. If one's car has broken down, the person in question may feel very distressed, especially if funds are tight or there is no easy way to repair it, and yet the neighbor may crack some joke that makes the matter all the worse for the victim. It is likely not even spitefully said, on purpose, but do to the distressing nature of a minor event to the one, it seems cruel and makes everything that much worse.
In my experience as being ill, people are forever saying very hurtful things; sometimes on purpose, but mainly on accident. It is only those who understand by living with the same conditions or a similar condition as a family member that speech is generally not hurtful. It is an example of how humans, not living the same life and not understanding can inadvertently (or advertently) become cruel. Christ lived His life, unique as it was by sinless and perfection, and unlike the average person, understands each and every one of our lives and the struggles we face.
Some missionaries have such presence that they face terrifying ordeals seemingly fearless, so certain of the duty that God has asked of them. The rest of us often float about, like a lost lifeboat, rowing here and there. We either do not wish to do the duty set before us, as in Jonah's case (and often out of fear), or we do not know what He would have us do. God first and foremost desires love of Him, by which we show with the faith we hold in Him. If no enormous burning desire appears to us, tested as being from God, then we attend to holding our faith, and to other day to day duties that come our way. Sometimes one is a great teacher like Billy Graham, and sometimes one is a long suffering teacher like Joni Eareckson Tada, and sometimes one is a stay at home mama with three little ones. Each person has a set duty, and some bring fame and sometimes fortune, and some demands are of a quieter nature, of loving one's spouse, children and tending the home. Each is important in God's eyes, because we must do them with the idea of love of God. It is then, and then alone, that our duties will be done with honor and grace, making us an example to those about us lost or saved.
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3 ( NIV )
I believe if you are listening at all to God, He will show you what must be attended to, what coins you are to manage, and whether you are given a great duty or a smaller one, they are all hard in that we must hold faith strongly at all times. First and foremost, though, our duty is Love of God.
Christ, being God in the flesh, knew His purpose and duty in and out, as well as knowing the exact hours and moments things ought to happen. It would be helpful to us, we often say, if we knew what we should do, but not being omnipotent, we are unaware many times of the right moments to act. However, there would be an additional burden for Christ, as He would know exactly what was going to happen to Him, and we rarely know such things. Christ, though, knowing what good would come of it, was willing that whatever God's will was, it should happen to Him as desired. He was distressed enough, though, to be sweating blood---a medical example of extreme levels of stress.
And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22.44 ( NIV )
Christ was, of course, fully loaded with the Holy Spirit, the great peace and the only true peace that can be held in this world. After His death, a perfect sacrifice for all time and all wickedness, it was then capable for us to house the Spirit, as we became temples for Him. We were clean enough, by His holy blood, to house the same Spirit of peace that He Himself had housed. Perhaps we do not listen to our Counselor as we should--far too often we ignore the promptings of the Good Spirit that is with us night and day.
15“If you love me, keep my commands. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be c in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14 ( NIV )
When we are closest with God, in a more solid communion with Him than at other times, we hold that same ability of peace, or at least a greater peace. We have the ability to distance ourselves from wickedness and sorrow, to take a rest from the world and its demands and horrors. We have the near ability to flip a switch and step from a moment of terror or worry into the moment of peace and tranquility. We are not left here alone to struggle on, but instead have the greatest of helpers to lean on, to carry us when we have fallen, and to wipe our tears, murmuring "hold on, only a little while longer," until the Bridegroom calls us with His trumpet blast.
1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God
a
; believe also in me.
2My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
4You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14 ( NIV )
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