Urban Reformation

I came to an understanding of the Doctrines of Grace not too very long ago and I must say contrary to popular belief, it has given me an overwhelming desire for “evangelism” both personal evangelism and a hope to see it fulfilled with a greater degree of passion in our church. I long to see fully devoted disciples of Christ, followers of God worshiping the True God, raising up Godly standards in a fallen world, and living as though God were truly our all in all.

These doctrines have humbled me in so many ways where once I thought I had answers to so many things God has shown me otherwise. God confounded the wisdom of the once thought wise Jason and demonstrated to me His love for me in that while I was/am still a sinner, Christ died for the ungodly(AKA me).

*To clarify for the perhaps to the somewhat picky Calvinist, not because of some worth I have but because He chose me from the foundations of the world by His own reasons*

God has corrected me through these doctrines, He’s shown me where I am prideful, and in so many areas where I live an ego-centric, or “me” focused life. He’s shown me that I must take the whole bible and how I am unable to pick and choose.

Although much is still yet to be revealed to the understanding He’s granted me, and much to be fought out in the disciplined living He desires for me, and by The Spirit’s conviction in me, God has undoubtedly turned my thinking and life on its head.

God clarified what he means for me through the humility of these doctrines, that I must be teachable, able to take correction. That this correction, although it stings, hurts for a short time is like a chastening in which a son needs to be conformed and transformed to God’s standards. This is God’s way of chastening the sons whom He loves. This is what God’s doing in men who seek out correction, and don’t react in a way that would justify their fault and blame a circumstance or a person.

In so many ways these doctrines have cleared a once blurred vision of who God is and how God is toward man. They have helped clarify His love, His wrath, His patience, His long suffering, and His mercy. These are just to name a few of the many attributes.

I no longer can with any confidence in myself justify, my quickness to speak, my lack of mercy, my own impatience, or my anger which is unlike God’s. He’s shown me how much love I truly lack for God, and for men. For many years I was looking at God as a being only semi in control of the world, thinking that ultimately though God saved me that I was still center of the universe, what a ghastly sinful thought.

So ultimately, an understanding of ‘The Doctrines of Grace’ have drawn me so much closer to God than I believe I would have ever been otherwise.

These changes flow out of not my own desires but His, and they flow out of the person of Jesus Christ, the God of the Universe. God has used these doctrines to dip me down into the endless well of living hope, only to look up from the well and look upon Jesus Christ.

I’ve been accused of having rose colored glasses at times, as if I see the world differently than some. It’s not as if I don’t see so many things that are wrong going on around me, however…. It’s been said that I hope too often in men, that I hope in “the church” way too much, and even that I hope in the “hood” or the urban area of Kansas City to a hopeless fault, but I don’t see it like this….

I do not hope in the visible lost man but I hope in Christ that God will call him/her. I do not hope in the visible Church that men see but I hope in the invisible bride of Christ that God is forming into His unspotted church that He alone, God sees entirely, and I do not hope in me because there is no hope without Him, so I hope in Christ.

I hope in Christ to conform and transform my life to the image of the Son, anything less is to be blinded by the things of this world, and be disillusioned about God…

I see this hope for lost men as being “Hope IN Christ”, and HOPE for the Church as being “Hope IN Christ”, and HOPE for my neighborhood, with crime all around and drug deals and robberies as “Hope IN Christ”, and yes even my struggle with those who have hurt me or have lied to me as not hope in them but still yet “Hope IN Christ”.

At the least when we are discouraged by what ”seems” to be happening in this physical world, let us remember to cast our “Hope” on our Saviour Jesus, for there is no other true hope.

God teaches us how to hope, what to hope in, and for, through Christ.

Romans 4:18
In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”

Romans 5:2
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:3-5
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame(disappoint), because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 8:19-21
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Romans 8:23-25
And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

1 Corinthians 9:10
Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.

1 Corinthians 13:7
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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